Tooling up for hollow forms....what's really needed

[SDB777]

As the topic title says....
I don't have any idea of where to start. I do have a chuck and normal gouge, skew, scraper....but I see those fancy looking bent tools, and wonder, do I really need it?

For those that are knowledgeable in the 'turning of hollow forms'....
What do I need to get started?
What would you buy(brand)?
What are the tools for the advanced turner?





Scott (always more tooling) B

 

[jttheclockman]

As the topic title says....
I don't have any idea of where to start. I do have a chuck and normal gouge, skew, scraper....but I see those fancy looking bent tools, and wonder, do I really need it?

For those that are knowledgeable in the 'turning of hollow forms'....
What do I need to get started?
What would you buy(brand)?
What are the tools for the advanced turner?





Scott (always more tooling) B

Scott that is an open ended question because there are factors involved. How large are you talking??? Alot of times you can get away with homemade tools such as allen keys grind to a shape. Are you talking one piece hollow vessels??? If you are talking segmented hollow vessels than nothing more than normal tools because you do the insides as you build the vessel. There are many good carbide scrapers on the market and just about all will get you there. Now if you get serious you can get into lasers and articulate arm tools. Look in Crafts Supply USA catalog and find the tool in your price range.

 

[chrisk]

For bowls, a minimum is a bowl gouge + scraper from Robert Sorby, Henry Taylor, Hamlet, Crown, etc.
For further hollowing, that is vases..., as wrote John above, it all depends. For small vases, you'll find some decent tools from Sorby (and other toolmakers like Crown...), like the following:
1. http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...i_Tip_Hollowing_Tool___sorby_midi_multi?Args=

For bigger hollow forms, Kelton tools seem a good compromise:
http://www.woodturnerscatalog.com/s...ollower_Tool___kelton_standard_hollower?Args=

That said, it's an endless debate (about wallets... hollowing :biggrin::biggrin with tools more specialized, like the Rolly Munro tool, etc., etc.:
http://www.axminster.co.uk/rolly-munro-standard-articulated-hollower-unhandled-prod822092/

Hope that helps.

 

[low_48]

The bent tools are a necessity if you want to make hollow vessels with small openings. I also recommend a system that uses a laser to guide wall thicknessing for that style. Traditional scrapers will get pretty grabby if you get far off the tool rest. Something that uses a 3/16" square cutter will limit the amount of material removed and will be controllable. I recommend that you do some searching on youtube. There are a lot of videos on the different systems. They aren't cheap unless you have some metal working skills and make your own.