# Hollowing Tool



## Jerry Maske (Dec 29, 2013)

The time has come to look into Hollowed forms. I've looked at the various hollowing tools available and talked with a few turners locally about what tool to consider. Seems like they ALL go to the expensive Carter tool.

Well, I'm not sure I'll use it enough to justify that much money. So, is there a less expensive hollowing tool to start with? Can't tell if hollowed forms are something I'll do enough to spend a lot of money, but I still want a tool I can work with.

I know, asking a lot again.


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## 9thousandfeet (Dec 28, 2014)

The John Jordan tools are a pretty good bang for the buck. 
So are the Kelton hollowers.
The Jordan style has the advantage of replaceable tips.

Both work well, and either will get you started without spending a ton of money. You don't need a captive rig to find out if you will be smitten with doing hollow forms, but there is a learning curve so don't start out with your most spectacular pieces of wood.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

I'm a fan of the John Jordan tools for hand held hollowiing. However I also use the same tools in my Home made Jamieson style captured bar system. 
https://www.lylejamieson.com/tools/tool_howto.asp
The first one I made I used 3/4" round bar for the main parts. I used square tubing for the cross pieces and bolted them together using all thread rod that ran through the hollow square tubing and into the sides of the main pieces. I found a short piece of steel with a 3/4" hole in the Lowes parts bin. I used roll pins to fasten it to the 3/4" bar and then drilled and tapped it to hold the John Jordan tools. I made the secondary tool rest out of wood. Eventually I welded it up and did away with the all thread parts but I'm still using it. Someday I'll make the secondary rest out of steel but it's worked fine made out of wood.


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## Bonanza35 (Jan 20, 2011)

I like Jordan tools too but I use Ellsworth style tools for 99% of my hollowing. His book tells how to make them yourself for just a few bucks.


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## john lucas (Sep 18, 2007)

The Jordan and Ellsworth tools are very similar. I make my own. for 1/2" diameter tools I bend them cold. 3/4" require some heat as they are too hard to bend with the supplies I have at hand. The cutters are HSS square metal cutting cutters. You can buy them from lots of suppliers for as little as 75cents apiece depending on size. they are about 3" long so you have to cut or break them to size. I nick the corners with a Dremel and cutoff wheel and then break them to length. 3/16" square cutters will fit very snuggly in a 1/4" round hole. Just glue them in with CA. If you need to take them out later just heat them and pull them out.


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## Jerry Maske (Dec 29, 2013)

Thanks Folks. I've got the Ellsworth book and am amazed at what he does and how well he does it. 

I'm relatively new at this game so I'll go slowly. I plan to attend the AAW in PA this summer and look things over at the trade show. Something will probably come home with me from all that because it's close to my birthday and my bride NEVER knows what to get me; we can solve that.

My project just now is what Art Stirt calls a "Floating Rim." It's a flat rim bowl that he hollows out under a LONG ways so he can put surface decoration on top; quite nice looking. 

Somewhere I picked up a Oneway "Termite" tool that I've never had much success with so I'm going to study on that and see if it will do what I need done until June.

Thanks again.


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## JohnInTexas (Apr 1, 2014)

I'm also fairly new to wood turning but have done a number of hollow forms. I use a Robert Sorby tool that has replaceable carbide tips. That tool works great for specific tasks but really takes some getting used to. My impression is that making hollow forms involves as much creativity in positioning (or making) your tool rest as it does in the tool you use for hollowing. The width of your vessel mouth and the size and depth of the area you wish to hollow out prevents the use of a straight-handled hollowing tool....so you have to have a tool that has an angled tip and/or a bent handle. In either case, I believe you need a captive tool rest, or a bent tool rest that can be inserted into the vessel and support your hollowing tool near the tip.


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## homemadetools (Apr 25, 2017)

These are nice hollowing tools; we featured them in one of our recent newsletters, properly credited and linked of course.

You guys are up to 416 total homemade tools listed. Not too shabby, and it looks like you'll soon break into the top 10 sources of homemade tools on the net. Here are all of your 416 homemade tools, each one fully credited to each builder and linked to each post: 

416 Homemade Tools from WoodworkingTalk.com

Cheers


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