Thread: Favorite Tool for End Grain Hollowing?

My favourite is the Vin Smith Ring Gouge. A tool made by the late Vin Smith from Tasmania. It is basically a piece of about 5/8"square tool steel with a round hole bored and sharpened at one end running diagonally across the face of the square section. the tool is used by placing the flat of the bar on the toolrest thus presenting the round cutting edge at the correct angle to cut clean shavings from the timber.

I use it to bore down the centre of the end grain then work from the centre of the timber out, draging the tool to the left as it exits the hole thus always cutting with the grain of the wood.

This tool never leaves torn end grain if used correctly, and it is almost impossible to crash. Unfortunately there are no more of them being made since Vins death. Someone has tried but the copy ran a very poor second to the original. Maybe someone with the knowhow will begin manufacturing them again.

Many have tried to copy this tool over the years including Sorby with their ring tool which was a dismal third to the poor second.

I also have a couple of fine faced scrapers made by gring the end of a 1/2" x 1/8" shew chisels back at about 30deg. across the end then grinding a 1/2 round shape onto the tip this gives me a small semi-circle scraper 1/8" wide with a half inch of steel underneath to give it some stability. The small face makes it almost impossible to have a dig in and promotes a good clean cut whilst the thickness of the steel underneath allows the tool to be used to a depth of around 8" without any chatter etc. I also have one made with 3/4" x 3/16" for slightly deeper work.

Apart from those 3 tools I use almost anything I can get my hands on at the time, however I prefer cutting tools to scrapers any time.

[This message has been edited by Neil Ellis (edited 08 June 1999).]

Neil, The Vin Smith Ring Gouge sounds interesting. I would be interested in seeing a photo of it. A lot of turners sware by Oneway's Termite. It sounds like it cuts the same way. However, the 5/8" square shank sounds like a better idea!

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Marshall Gorrow
May your next turning be your best!

The following are photos of the tools mentioned in my last post. There are many who have coppied the ring gouge some have hooked shapes and many have some sort of striker plate above the cutting edge to avoid dig-ins. Tis tool is almost crash proof. Hope it sparks some interest.



[This message has been edited by Neil Ellis (edited 09 June 1999).]

Neil, Thanks for posting photos of your tools. I assume that the Vin Smith ring tool is sharpened cleaning the top surface with a stone, followed by a small cone polishing the inside of the bored hole. Am I right?

Do I need permission to copy the
home made ring tool I saw in the
picture in the woodturning forum.

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The ring tool is sharpened on the outside by putting jewlers rouge on to the outside of the piece you are turning and then running the tool up and down over the rouge whilst the lathe is running this burniehes the outside fave of the tool the inside herdly ever needs sherpening, but when it does I usually do ut with a small biamond honing tool. I will try and do an illustration or two and post them to illustrate. It is very hard to discribe.

LYNN You can copy the tool if you wish, but be warned, it does or did however have a world wide patent pending on it, but I don't know if it is still current.

However, I can just about guarantee that none of Vin's family will ever come looking for you if the patent is breached.

[This message has been edited by Neil Ellis (edited 11 June 1999).]

Neil, thanks for the information on how the sharpening is done. It's a diffrent way then we use to sharpen the Oneway "Termite" but it sounds like it works well. How long can one be sharpened before you run out of steel? The "Termite" uses a threaded replacable ring end piece. I guess that could be done with the square stock but it would require careful filing of the threaded shaft to get the correct alignment of cutting edge to the flat bottom.

Thanks for the info. on the ring tool. I have also made a very usefull deep hollowing tool. I copyed Ed Moulthorps design (available in MASTER WOODTURNERS) If anyone needs info. on this book. Its available at craftsupplys in provo utah .( I hope that is not called an advertisement) It has many other tools jigs and hints that I found very usefull. I am coming to australia on vacation. I hope to meet as many of your (woodies) as I can. I will bring the book with me. If anyone wants to see it.