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Which hollow form tool???

Ryan there are hundreds of hollowing tools that work. What I find that works best is a hollowing system such as the Elbo Hollowing System which I recommend to my students. This system can be used with the hundreds of hollowing tools out there, it just makes hollowing easier. Look for a club in your area and I'm sure you will find members who do hollow forms that would be glad to give you a hand.
 
Ryan, You will need to be more specific on the type of hollowing you want to do in size and depth. For smaller items 4-5” inches deep I use the John Jordan 1/2” bars. Beyond 5” generally I use a Hope hollowing system.
 
And what size. I do all my hollowing of smaller forms with the John Jordan set. All of my larger ones are with the Lyle Jamieson style captured bar using the JJ tools.
 
What will work best depends on what you want to hollow.

At a minimum you need a tool that cuts to the side- can be as simple as a bar with the cutter mounted at 45degrees. I do all my hollow balls up to 4” d with this style tool. The bent bars I use for larger forms along with

A straight tool.

The Jamieson bar is a great system to start with. You can build the back rest from wood and it will work just fine.

I use the Simon Hope system and the Jamison system with Trent Bosch bars and some old bars made by Stewart and CA Savoy..

I prefer the HS steel cutters over the Carbide because they can take a bigger cut.
However lots of folks new to hollowing have trouble with the sharpening and the carbide Might be a better choice for them.
 
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I have been using hollow pro tools (https://mikejackofsky.com/Tools.html) for over 10 years now and have several hundreds of hollow forms. Personally I think what your asking is going to depend on what size vessels you are looking to hollow. At this point I don't really like to hollow anything much greater than around 11" off the toolrest. Very difficult to control the tool at that point. If your looking to do something larger than that you are likely going to need to look into some captured systems. If I were going to advise someone just getting into hollow work I would have them start out with making small hollows to learn the feel and process all around and suggest they look at the rocket tool set. At this point I shoot for openings around 10% of the diameter of the hollow form. Here is some of the stuff that I make - https://vanduynwoodwork.com/body-of-work/

JVD
 
I just got a set of the Trent Bosch hollowing tools and paired them with the Simple Hollowing System. They cut really well and the whole setup cost around $350. I went with this setup because it fit my budget. Like others have said, it’s important to know the size of the items you want to hollow and I’ll add it’s important to know your budget.
 
I have been using the Lyle Jamieson system for a few years. Works great and is simple. In a few days, Trent Bosch is doing a Live Remote Demo for our club, and I'm afraid I'll be spending some money soon!! I imagine that if one purchases a system from Lyle or Trent, they both do Live remote demos, they could help you one on one for a small fee with setting up and any other questions that you might have. I know Lyle helped me. I had to call him because the system wasn't working. Lyle asked lots of questions over the phone. Then he said: I'm assuming you have your lathe going forward and not in reverse!! I had done some sanding in reverse and forgot to check that. I wanted to be swallowed by a tsunami! I had never used a carbide before, so I assumed something was wrong. o_O:)
 
Some hollow in reverse across the ways....different tools ie their thinking less stress on rotary cuff....and for many years
 
Jason Van Duyn said:
I have been using hollow pro tools (https://mikejackofsky.com/Tools.html) for over 10 years now and have several hundreds of hollow forms. Personally I think what your asking is going to depend on what size vessels you are looking to hollow. At this point I don't really like to hollow anything much greater than around 11" off the toolrest. Very difficult to control the tool at that point. If your looking to do something larger than that you are likely going to need to look into some captured systems. If I were going to advise someone just getting into hollow work I would have them start out with making small hollows to learn the feel and process all around and suggest they look at the rocket tool set. At this point I shoot for openings around 10% of the diameter of the hollow form. Here is some of the stuff that I make - https://vanduynwoodwork.com/body-of-work/

JVD
Click to expand...
I am impressed by your hollow forms. Looks like you been around quite a while.
 
Lol, must be something in the genes. Its a bit of a tongue and cheek comment, but there is truth to it, the woodworking part of it anyways. Gerrit Van Duyn worked primarily in ship building while in Holland. When he immigrated to America, in New Amsterdam he basically did anything woodwork related as there were people with limited experience in woodwork.

JVD
www.vanduynwoodwork.com
 
Jason Van Duyn said:
Lol, must be something in the genes. Its a bit of a tongue and cheek comment, but there is truth to it, the woodworking part of it anyways. Gerrit Van Duyn worked primarily in ship building while in Holland. When he immigrated to America, in New Amsterdam he basically did anything woodwork related as there were people with limited experience in woodwork.

JVD
www.vanduynwoodwork.com
Click to expand...
I pretty well knew what you meant. It's good to be proud of our ancestors.
 
Buying a hollowing system is a lot like buying a car. Some will swear by Fords, some Chevys, some won't drive anything but a fancy European car, some like Japanese. But when you get on the crowded interstate you see them all cruising along in a pack going in the same direction and eventually getting to the same place. Too bad there isn't a hollowing tool mall where you can go and take them all for a spin to see which one you like most. Pick one, learn to use it, and never look back. That grass that looks greener over the fence somehow never looks as green after you jump the fence.
 
I only have a matter of months of experience doing hollow form vessels but decided to go with John Jordan's 3/4" tools after talking with several experienced turners. By using these particular tools, I am learning to really understand how to hollow vessels and get the "feel" of using the tools correctly. I also purchased a Sorby hook tool with a teardrop cutter to smooth the inside of vessels. I have done one vessel that was 12" deep with these tools although the last inch or so was done with care.

If I decide to do larger vessels I will invest in one of the hollowing systems but for now, I am very pleased with the JJ tools and am getting more comfortable with each item I complete.

Best of luck and cheers! Just my 2¢ worth.
 
Drew Sumrell said:
I only have a matter of months of experience doing hollow form vessels but decided to go with John Jordan's 3/4" tools after talking with several experienced turners. By using these particular tools, I am learning to really understand how to hollow vessels and get the "feel" of using the tools correctly. I also purchased a Sorby hook tool with a teardrop cutter to smooth the inside of vessels. I have done one vessel that was 12" deep with these tools although the last inch or so was done with care.

If I decide to do larger vessels I will invest in one of the hollowing systems but for now, I am very pleased with the JJ tools and am getting more comfortable with each item I complete.

Best of luck and cheers! Just my 2¢ worth.
Click to expand...

Thanks cuz! They work well in most of the various captured handle systems, too.:)

John
 
I too have been extremely pleased with John Jordan's hollowing tools. I use all three sizes but the 1/2" is my most often go to size. Being able to easily remove the tip for sharpening is a nice convenience. The way John's tools are designed you don't need an opening much bigger than the diameter of the tool. My hollow forms range in size from three to ten inches. I use them in Trent Bosch's stabilizer and couldn't be any happier. John also has some great articles on his web site regarding hollowing, well worth reading.
 
Decide if you want to try hand held or captured. I have done both, and for anything past 3-4” I much prefer captured. It’s just much less stressful on the mind and the body not worrying about a catch. Some like that part of it, controlling the tool by hand at depth, I dont. I havent used an articulating style, I use a captive Jamieson system, which I chose based on appearing to have the broadest application profile or range of size/depth capabilities, which has proven to be the case for me. Its not an easy choice, there are quite a few capable systems available.

I do use shop made hand held tools for the initial steps to provide more room for the captive tool/bar - just quicker getting started.
 
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