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Sometimes it helps to drill a hole on the turning before hollowing. The hole can serve 2 purposes. First it can help you determine when you have reached the desired depth of the hollowing. The second thing is that it provides a bit of a relief area for the cutter/chips. This is a simple version I made. Notice the drill bit runs completely thru the handle to allow the bit to be adjusted for different depth holes, although that's not necessary. All the parts came from Lowe's. Here is a video of a similar one being made. As far as catches, try to keep the cutter's sharp edge at the center line of the of the turning. Too low/too high can cause problems. This is a video from the founder of Easy Wood Tools making a goblet. See if this gives you any ideas-

Great! You are getting the shape really nice. This is the point where I'd start hollowing- before you refine the stem. That gives you more support while you do the inside. You can also kinda go back and forth between inside and outside to get the shape you want. Once you start in on the stem, you'll want to provide support for the hollowed end.

Hahahaha me too.

You probably noticed the screw holding the cutters is pretty small. The allen wrench that comes with the tool is also really small. Some turners, remove the screw- before using the tool the first time- and put a tiny amount of anti seize on the screw. Turning can build up heat and make any dust collected in bare threads really hard- making the screw difficult to remove. I read another place where some turners use a match or lighter to gently heat the screw area for a few seconds to loosen it. Personally, I haven't had any trouble like that but I do use a pin to make sure the dirt is out of the allen screw hole so the allen wrench seats completely. In case you are wondering- here's some of the screw/allen wrench sizes **Mini/Mid/Detailers & All Hollowers Except Mid*: ~Small Wrench 1/16" ~Screw 4-40 x 5/16" **Full/Pro/Rougher/Finisher: ~Screw 8-32 x 3/8" ~Large Wrench 3/32" **Exception (Mid Hollower): ~Small Wrench 1/16" ~Screw 4-40 x 1/4"

Our local PBS station aired this video this morning. It isn't new but I had never seen it before. I was mesmerized by the visuals, photography and narration.

You will be surprised how long these tips will last- especially when turning wood (vs. acrylic). I get close to a year from a single cutter. When you order cutter- get a negative rake cutter for at least the finisher (round cutter). Before you start to use the tools, take a sharpie and put a witness mark on the bottom of the cutter. As it dulls in one area, you can rotate the cutter to a fresh place. When the witness mark gets back to the starting point, you'll know it's time for a new one. The "Starter" tools look like they are about half way between the Mini set and the Mid sized tools. It looks like the maximum overhang for your tools is 2" so you'll need to keep the tool rest fairly close to the work. For the inside of bowls, the curved tool rest will facilitate that. Looking forward to seeing how you like them.

Something I've never tried to make. Scroll sawing is not on my skill list.

Sorry, a little late responding to all of the kind words. Life here got complicated @AndrewB Looks like you are getting the hang of it. Lots of good suggestions to help you along. @HandyDan Thank You! @Gunny Thanks! Thanks, also, for keeping us up to date on Charles and giving ideas to @AndrewB. @Gerald Thank You! And, thanks for providing additional tips to @AndrewB on some of his posts. @FlGatorwood Thank You! @Larry Buskirk Thanks! Looking forward to seeing that lathe setup! @p_toad Thanks for offering ideas to @AndrewB

Looks awesome. Can't wait to see it with the finished artwork.

Having never used the Savannah tools, I can't comment on the "feel" of using them. I do like the fit and finish on all of the Easy Wood products.

No turning is ever a failure. They just become something other than what was in your mind's eye. @Gerald offered great tips. I think the Savannah tools can use Easy Wood cutters. You might check that out and if they do, get a negative rake cutter. Those cutters really reduce catches.

I have an earlier version and it's been a real workhorse for me.

It's probably the camera angle, so I may be wrong about this response. It looks like, in your first pix that the "walls" of the recess are straight- that is parallel to the outside of the turning. You will get a better grip on the turning if you create a dovetail type of recess. This is supposed to represent a cutaway view of what I mean. The sides of the recess form angled surfaces to better contact the dovetail portion of the jaws- The depth of the recess looks good.

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