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ELBO-2 Questions

L

Lewis Elliott

Joined
Mar 15, 2023
Messages
96
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Location
Cherry Hill, NJ
Have you ever used your ELBO-2 with KILN dried wood; if so, how was it's performance under those circumstances? Was the setup more "catchy" than with green wood, and did it require you to stop and resharpen during the hollowing sessions a lot more often than with green wood? Did the setup "fight-you" more than with green wood?

Is the ELBO-2 rig more forgiving when used with the 1/2" John Jordan hollowing tools for smaller vessels?

When you begin a hollowing session on a piece, do you start by boring out the middle with a forstner bit before you begin the hollowing effort, or do you go right into using the straight hollowing tool without a starter hole?

If you do drill a starter hole with a forstner bit, I assume that you start your ELBO-2 hollowing with the straight tool to complete the middle area of the hollow form and switch to the hook tool once you get close to the curved portions of the vessel; is that correct?
 
Your questions would be relative to all hollowing, not just one brand. I never use a Forstner bit. I have a long 3/8" diameter twist drill that works just fine. I use the bit as a depth gauge and not for hogging out the material. The amount of sharpening is more dependent on the size of the vessel than the moisture content. I have never done a hollow form without at least one sharpening. The best money you can spend is a camera system to set the perfect wall thickness.
 
@Richard Coers nailed the key points.

First hollowing step is drilling a depth hole. I sometimes use a 3/8 twist drill bit. If the opening allows I use a 1 1/16 twist with a #3MT taper- I got it for free when the high school threw out some cabinets and several drawers were full of miscellaneous useful stuff.

Video is fantastic.

The first tool varies. Most of the time I start with straight tool and open up the inside leaving the walls thick.
Then use the hook tool to get the walls to thickness 3/16” for most. Really small form I might go to 1/8 or less wall.
Then close to the bottom i use the straight tool…
I also use scrapers to smooth the surface sever few inches of wall.

For spherical forms I start with the hook tool it just works better form me. Probably a result of doing loads of ornament balls using a small Ellsworth style tool with the cutter Mount at 45 degrees.

I sharpen tools to start. Then sharpen when needed. With the hook tool I sharpen the leading edge a 1/4 inch or more so I can take a wide shaving. I hollow my larger forms mostly through the facegrain. Ornament balls hollowed through the end grain.


I can hollow 2.5 to 3 inch ornament ball dry wood without resharpening on most woods.
Sometimes I might resharpen if a wood has dulled the tool.

Using any captive or articulating system, I want the cutter to be at center.
 
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Great advice above, twist drill to needed depth. Initially for years I used strictly Jordan or Kelton hollowers and didn't need to sharpen them very often. I now use Hunter hollowing tools basically in the order as Mister Hockenbery above, whichever ones I use. I still use a laser and have no problem going very thin and even.
 
Agree with all the comments above. Green wood cuts easier than dry wood, all other factors being the same, so yes, dry wood will be more “catchy, chattery, etc”.

I use auger bits to drill a center hole. They move chips out of the hole, not needing to be backed out to clear chips. I use a size slightly smaller than the final hole dia I want in the finished piece. The final hole dia is determined by work size and what bar dia will be required for the distance off of the tool rest.
 
Doug Freeman said:
Agree with all the comments above. Green wood cuts easier than dry wood, all other factors being the same, so yes, dry wood will be more “catchy, chattery, etc”.

I use auger bits to drill a center hole. They move chips out of the hole, not needing to be backed out to clear chips. I use a size slightly smaller than the final hole dia I want in the finished piece. The final hole dia is determined by work size and what bar dia will be required for the distance off of the tool rest.
Click to expand...
No need to back out if you use air to blow out the chips as you drill. A very simple solution.
 
Gerald Lawrence said:
No need to back out if you use air to blow out the chips as you drill. A very simple solution.
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I assume you are talking about a gun drill - priced those recently? They have any 1-1/8” dia, the one I used for deep hollowing? Cost? I think I have ~$50 total invested in a size and depth range of augers - simple, cheap, no air required.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I assume you are talking about a gun drill - priced those recently? They have any 1-1/8” dia, the one I used for deep hollowing? Cost? I think I have ~$50 total invested in a size and depth range of augers - simple, cheap, no air required.
Click to expand...
Each turner has their own means and motivation when it comes to price. I know turners who take the cheapest route because they need to. A couple others who take the cheapest route because they feel good about getting by on less even though they don't need to. I have a friend who has every gadget and tool imaginable, usually the most expensive brand, just because she can, and she likes the look of it. Most of us are somewhere in the middle.

Bringing the thread back to its intended purpose. I usually turn the outside of a piece and finish sand it. Then I bore a depth hole using a 3/8" gun drill. I then use the straight bar on my articulating hollowing arm to open up as much as I can, about 70% of the depth into the piece. Switching to the curved bar allows for finishing the area around the opening and flushing out the side walls most of the way back while the remaining material in the bottom of the piece provides support. Back to the straight bar to complete hollowing. Definitely seems easier to work with green wood. I made some hollow forms from kiln dried Madrone and there was more vibration and chatter compared to hollowing at a similar depth with green Madrone. Hope this helped with some of your questions OP.
 
Doug Freeman said:
I assume you are talking about a gun drill - priced those recently? They have any 1-1/8” dia, the one I used for deep hollowing? Cost? I think I have ~$50 total invested in a size and depth range of augers - simple, cheap, no air required.
Click to expand...
Actually I saw those when Captn Eddie was doing his show. Think they are much cheaper on eBay. I use a Maxi Cut Forsner and Air noozle.
 
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