Just sitting here at work and thought how many different systems are out there for hollowing. I will start with my experience hollowing and what works best for me.

      To begin I used a gouge as most start with and if you watch Mike Mahoney it looks easy and simple. Well simple yes easy no. Catches will make you want to stop altogether and there limits on how deep you can get with a gouge. So for this method 4-6 inches is all that I would recommend. That is with precautions to remember such as keep the tool rest close to the opening or inside it if possible. 

      Now my next step up was to a Don Pencil arm brace. This one came with a curved and straight bar. Lots of variety of cutters from Hunter, teardrop scrapers and straight HSS. This is an effective method and gets a deeper hollowing up to 8 or 9 inches. The bad side is it is still a bit tiring and if you get a catch it is quite a jolt.

      The ultimate for me (because I do not plan to buy a better system) is the Elbo Hollowing System by Tim Yoder . This is a jointed system which attaches easily to the tailstock of any lathe and a laser can be mounted to it. The boring bar rests on the tool rest. The bar accepts several cutting systems just as the arm brace. With this system I can hollow a 7 inch deep hollow form in 30 to 40 minutes that would take 1.5 hours or more by other methods. In addition the matter of exertion is greatly reduced by using this type system.

 

      There are many more systems out there such as the Carter system with captured bar. Then one that has been around for a good while is the Jamieson captured bar. The Jamieson system can be produced at home by anyone with welding skills and is very effective in reducing exertion levels. 

 

      Now to start the discussion What do you use or what questions do you have about these hollowing methods?

 

I don’t do a lot of deep hollowing other than in wide mouth vessels like bowls. So far I’ve been able to do everything with standard Easy Wood Tools hollowers. I don’t have the professional series that extends the hollowing reach. 
The Tim Yoder system looks to be quite stable. Wonder if the laser could be replaced with a camera. 

I have a Ron Brown laser on mine but the system Yoder sells is much better . I do not see why a camera could not be mounted to it. Lew once you start hollowing deeper you will be hooked on it.

48 minutes ago, Gerald said:

I do not see why a camera could not be mounted to it.

I saw what @Steve Krumanaker did with a camera and it really interested me.

I only hollow when I have to and just struggle through it with the tools I have.  I am currently doing a bowl for my sister and don't enjoy that much anymore either.  I enjoy turning smaller items.

 

I bought  a used carter system  several years ago, hated it immediately and haven't used it for a few years. When I wanted something different I bought the elbo tool that Tim Yoder sells. It's a light duty articulated system that is a joy to use and set up. The downside of the system is that it is limited to a 3/4" boring bar so it can only go 10-12" deep. I wanted to do some deeper forms so with a lot of help from my machinist brother I built a Jamieson style set up. After doing so I have to say I did save a couple hundred bucks building my own but I would buy Lyle's next time.

 

7 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I only hollow when I have to and just struggle through it with the tools I have.  I am currently doing a bowl for my sister and don't enjoy that much anymore either.  I enjoy turning smaller items.

 

I have begun to think like Dan, I have a giant lathe but 90% of what I turn now is smaller items like ornaments and little decorative pieces. I do turn larger now and then and it's nice to have the capacity.

 

8 hours ago, lew said:

I saw what @Steve Krumanaker did with a camera and it really interested me.

 

The camera set up is head and shoulders better than a laser and I will never willingly go back. It's easy to set up and can be done fairly inexpensively. For me, it involved buying a cheap TV, wall mount, and an hdmi cable. I used a go pro camera knockoff I already had and it took only a few moments to swap the laser out on my existing hardware.

16 hours ago, Steve Krumanaker said:

 

I bought  a used carter system  several years ago, hated it immediately and haven't used it for a few years. When I wanted something different I bought the elbo tool that Tim Yoder sells. It's a light duty articulated system that is a joy to use and set up. The downside of the system is that it is limited to a 3/4" boring bar so it can only go 10-12" deep.

I ordered a 1 inch cold rolled bar and a friend is going to cut the end to fit my Elbo. Like you turning with the Elbo is an absolute pleasure.

23 hours ago, HandyDan said:

I only hollow when I have to and just struggle through it with the tools I have.  I am currently doing a bowl for my sister and don't enjoy that much anymore either.  I enjoy turning smaller items.

Dan I can understand your feelings as if I had to turn with a gouge only I too would feel that way. A club member who passed last year made a Elbo rig . With your talents you could do the same.

5 hours ago, Gerald said:

I ordered a 1 inch cold rolled bar and a friend is going to cut the end to fit my Elbo. Like you turning with the Elbo is an absolute pleasure.

 

Gerald, I considered doing the same thing but I messaged Tim and asked him about doing that. He said he wouldn't recommend it. He was probably only protecting himself but I took him at his word.

Not planning to go for a bar over 17 but hope it will have  even more stability . Will let you know how it works out.

Gerald. when you say gouge, are you referring to a bowl gouge or a spindle gouge?  

 

My first attempt to turn a dried bowl was disastrous.  It had been turned months before and I thought I would turn it true by using a spindle gouge.  Rather than start at the top of the bowl, I started a scraper cut at the bottom and intended to drag it to the top.  I touched the bottom corner of the curve and bowl parts blew everywhere.  I was so happy that I was on the end rather than in line of the spinning bowl.  I know you made reference before about using spindle gouges so I wanted to know if you also use them as part of the hollowing process, which I know is very different.  

The bowl may have cracked during the drying process and weaken it. 

 

When truing up the inside, some turners use a round nose scraper or a bowl scraper. Personally, I would avoid the spindle gouge, on a bowl, unless doing detail work on the outside.

I've still been debating on whether or not to buy an HSS bowl gouge simply because I am very unfamiliar with how to grind a 40 40 grind for sharpening I wouldn't want to ruin a perfectly good tool because of that.  

This is just my opinion. @AndrewB The precise grind angles are less important than learning to use what you have. Granted, some angles are more forgiving for some applications but getting comfortable with what you have is really important. 

 

You won't ruin a gouge by changing the grind. It can always be reground. Just don't change your mind too often 

 

Personally, being a self taught turner, I watched a lot of videos (after my Internet connection went from a 300 baud modem to high speed). I settled on the Ellsworth grind for my HSS bowl gouge and learned to use it. I already had a Tormek sharpening system, so sharpening the gouge is easy. Capt. Eddie site has information on making jigs for this grind on a regular grinder.

 

All that said, I do most outside shaping with the Easy Wood Tools rougher with a R2 cutter and inside hollowing with the EWT #1 hollower. The radiused square cutter, at high speed gives an excellent finish.

Edited July 14, 20214 yr by lew

Don't get me wrong I enjoy my EWT tools how ever I am trying to also learn how to use the traditional HSS tools as well.

21 hours ago, FlGatorwood said:

Gerald. when you say gouge, are you referring to a bowl gouge or a spindle gouge?  

 

My first attempt to turn a dried bowl was disastrous.  It had been turned months before and I thought I would turn it true by using a spindle gouge.  Rather than start at the top of the bowl, I started a scraper cut at the bottom and intended to drag it to the top.  I touched the bottom corner of the curve and bowl parts blew everywhere.  I was so happy that I was on the end rather than in line of the spinning bowl.  I know you made reference before about using spindle gouges so I wanted to know if you also use them as part of the hollowing process, which I know is very different.  

You can use a spindle gouge for hollowing but only boxes or 2-3 inch hollowforms. Spindle gouges are too thin for deeper work. Bowl gouge can be used and as a matter of fact I saw Mike Mahoney hollow a 6 inch burial urn with one , it is just not what I want to do.

 

When doing twice turn, or any bowl the sequence is : foot to rim for outside and rim to foot for in side.  I use Hunter Viceroy for hollow forms up to 6 inch in rough hollowing. Hunter #4 or teardrop scraper to smooth it out. Scrapers are not to be used on bottom of end grain turnings as will give some nice tearout.