Does anyone know what this is?

[Alex Bradley]

I have another one from my dad's random bits and pieces. Does anyone know what this carving tool is? I had one friend said that it was a Hunter Cutter but I didn't find on their website. Trying to figure out to see what the best handle would be to try it out. Thanks!

 

[robo hippy]

Well, it looks like a hook tool of some sort. It is a tool that we don't use much, but is underestimated. I think of them being used mostly on end grain. Screw on type? Great for hollowing closed forms.

robo hippy

 

[Jim Reynolds]

My guess is that this is a Michael Hosaluk Hook Tool. There is a usage video on this webpage. Good luck.

 

[Bob Brown]

Look up Andre Martel. A master . One good way to make lampshades.

 

[hockenbery]

As above, It is a hook tool.
An excellent tool for endgrain hollowing.
A short learning curve for most with a teacher

 

[Tom Gall]

Definitely a "hook" tool. It needs to be mounted in another tool shaft (round) so it can be extended over the toolrest. Depending on the shaft diameter you may be able to use this ....
https://woodturningtoolstore.com/product/hook-tool-bar-by-tod-raines-tools/

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

As above, It is a hook tool.
An excellent tool for endgrain hollowing.
A short learning curve for most.

Yes, of course, it's a hook tool. With the low included angle on the cutting edge they're very free cutting.

My question is why are these not more widely used? As you say a short learning curve. I've seen them used in automatic lathes and infrequently by hand turners, end and flat grain. They could easily be made of any of the exotic tool steels on wire EDM machines. Probably less expensive than conventional gouges of exotic steels.

No more grinding jigs needed only a flat platform and a fine grit aluminum oxide composite wheel for light touch ups.

 

[hockenbery]

My question is why are these not more widely used?

Not sure. Relatively few turners do endgrain hollowing on anything larger than a box or goblet.
For the small things i would use a spindle gouge, the Termite and a Hunter carbide.

The ring tool is super easy to sharpen with a stone in an air die grinder. Any beginner can do this with seconds training
Sharpening a hook tool is sort of advanced IMHO.

I occasionally use a hook tool probably more for fun than necessity. I rarely hollow endgrain.
Hook tools are made in club demos every once in a while. Alan Lacer does a demo.
A guy in our club does a demo. He makes them from the squares cut nails, takes him 5-10 minutes mostly torch time.

 

[Donna Banfield]

All the above are correct, in that it is a hook tool. I would suggest that the learning curve in how to use it can be short - provided you have an experienced user working with you the first time. If you are not an experienced turner already, you can present the cutting edge of this tool at the wrong angle. And the resulting catch can be alarming enough to make you put that tool in a dark corner, or rarely used drawer, never to be seen again.

This tool on end-grain, can give you a very clean surface. Well worth learning how to use it. But start with someone who knows how to use it.

 

[R Henrickson]

All the above are correct, in that it is a hook tool. I would suggest that the learning curve in how to use it can be short - provided you have an experienced user working with you the first time. If you are not an experienced turner already, you can present the cutting edge of this tool at the wrong angle. And the resulting catch can be alarming enough to make you put that tool in a dark corner, or rarely used drawer, never to be seen again.

This tool on end-grain, can give you a very clean surface. Well worth learning how to use it. But start with someone who knows how to use it.

I would definitely second this advice. Tool presentation is different from other tools. Catches with a hook tool can be 'exciting'. But the cut surface can be remarkably clean.

 

[Alan Weinberg]

View: https://youtu.be/plufdrsPgWk?si=ppf3eQyYFj9t_hl0

 

[hockenbery]

All the above are correct, in that it is a hook tool. I would suggest that the learning curve in how to use it can be short - provided you have an experienced user working with you the first time. If you are not an experienced turner already, you can present the cutting edge of this tool at the wrong angle. And the resulting catch can be alarming enough to make you put that tool in a dark corner, or rarely used drawer, never to be seen again.

This tool on end-grain, can give you a very clean surface. Well worth learning how to use it. But start with someone who knows how to use it.

Great advice.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

View: https://youtu.be/plufdrsPgWk?si=ppf3eQyYFj9t_hl0

Thanks. That was an interesting view.

 

[Alex Bradley]

View: https://youtu.be/plufdrsPgWk?si=ppf3eQyYFj9t_hl0

That was a great video. Thank you for posting!!

 

[john lucas]

I learned to make my own hook tools and played with them for a while. Then I moved to the ring tool. Now I use the Hunter Phoenix for end grain and other tasks. It never has to be sharpened. I had to sharpen the others quire frequently.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

Like so many tools in woodturning there are variety in hook type tools and how to use them.

Here's a screen capture from a Mark Lindquist video showing one type of hook tool that's used for both interior and external turning. Not inclined (rotated), but presented to the work with the cutting edge horizontal. The included angle of the cutting edge is small. In my experience with automated turning a small angle is ideal allowing with and against the grain turning. When I think of the best cutting edges I think of knife salesmen demonstrating kitchen knives slicing tomatoes which require the small angle. Ever try slicing a tomato with a conventional gouge ground on the widley promoted sharpening fixtures?

 

[Mark Jundanian]

@Doug Rasmussen , at the risk of diverging the thread (although I think Alex may have the answer to her question), perhaps you could give some more info on that hook tool? Tool name? How is it used "externally"? Link to the video?
I'm particularly interested as you say the tool is used flat (no pitch, no roll), so it might be used in an articulated arm hollowing rig.

 

[Doug Rasmussen]

@Doug Rasmussen , at the risk of diverging the thread (although I think Alex may have the answer to her question), perhaps you could give some more info on that hook tool? Tool name? How is it used "externally"? Link to the video?
I'm particularly interested as you say the tool is used flat (no pitch, no roll), so it might be used in an articulated arm hollowing rig.

This shouldn't diverge from Alex's question. What she showed was one version of a hook tool. Google or Youtube shows other tools not exactly like her tool that are also called hook tools.

The hook tool I showed is from one of Mark Lindquist's videos, I don't recall which video, the same type tool is shown in several of his videos. I assume it's one he made. There was a recent thread about Japanese bowl turning where the turners made their own hook tools. Making your own tools for some reason appears to common with hook tools. Hook tools can do a good job even if made from easily worked high carbon steels as opposed to convention gouges promoting use of super exotic steels.

I used the term "external" to mean the outside of bowls. Hook tools are frequently referred to for use only on the inside of bowls, not so much on the outside.

Mark's tool as shown is flat (no pitch, no roll). Cindy D has a video on Youtube also showing a hook tool with a rectangular shank resting flat on her tool rest. Cindy's hook tool has a brand name on it. I was confused by her description of the tool as a scraper. Cindy mentioned how the diameter of the hook could be a factor in smoothness of the turned surface, larger diameter equals smoother surface.

I'm somewhat familiar with hook tools in production woodturning. They are also used in turning rubber and urethane which are difficult materials to turn but possible with the sharp included angel of the cutting edge.

It's hard to understand why hook tools are not promoted more. Maybe because we have so many makers of traditional style turning tools emphasizing their use of exotic tool steels. Traditions are hard to overcome in woodturning. Along with the traditional style gouges there's a whole industry of CBN wheels and sharpening jigs. Modern high positive carbide inserts could eliminate all that since they're very close to the ideal cutting geometry of hook tools. Hunter carbide insert tools are one example that seem to be well accepted by users on this forum.

 

[Neil S]

Hook tools were the predominant tool used by woodturners for many centuries. See some of Robin Wood's traditional hook tools shown in this article...

Q&A with Robin Wood woodturner | Merchant & Makers

Merchant & Makers exclusive interview with England's last full-time pole lathe wood turner and bowl maker, Robin Wood.

www.merchantandmakers.com

 

[Michael Anderson]

If any of you are on Instagram, Lee Gun Moo @leeg7070 posts a lot of videos of him using various hook tools he presumably made himself. Different sizes, and different orientations (hook up vs hook down). In some he uses a pretty large hook (hook down) to remove fat shavings quickly.