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Hollow-Pro™ hollowing tools are designed by professional woodturner Mike Jackofsky
Manufactured in the USA by the Hunter Tool Company and are available at Craft Supplies USA
Click here to watch the Craft Supplies video
Visit the Video Page to view excerpts from Mike's new tutorial DVD
"Woodturning with Mike Jackofsky: Making a Hollow Vessel"
These fine turning tools feature a unique “internal swivel tip” with a negative angle built into the tip
These
tools have been specifically designed to use the Hunter carbide
cutters; the negative angle makes the carbide less aggressive and
easier to control. They will remove wood quickly and
efficiently
from open bowls and hollow vessels. The tools use both #1 and #2 size
carbide swivel tip shafts and the M4 powdered metal scraper which is
recommended for final finish cuts. The swivel tip shafts and scraper
are sold separately. Both the 1/2” and 5/8” tools are designed to fit
into any large handle with a 5/8” opening.
NEW!
Hollow-Pro Swivel Tips are now available in #2 and #3 sizes with a negative angle. These tips are less aggressive and are great for finishing cuts and for beginners. The #2 size works well with all the tools and the larger #3 size is perfect for finishing cuts on hollow forms and open bowls, using the 5/8" straight tool.
Available now through Craft Supplies USA
Straight and bent Hollow Pro Tools are available with:
1/2" square shaft (overall length 10")
&
5/8" square shaft (overall length 15")
5/8" Bent Tool with Torx wrench and #2 swivel tip shaft with Torx wrench
Notes On Use of Hollow-Pro Tools™
IMPORTANT: The tool rest height
should be adjusted so that when the tool is held
straight (parallel to the bed of the lathe) the tip is cutting at the
center line of the turning. For less aggressive cuts, raise
the handle slightly. Avoid lowering the handle, as that will
raise the cutter tip and could result in a very aggressive angle of
cut. Tighten the swivel tips securely with the included Torx wrench.
Mike recommends holding the handle against your body and
practicing with the tools on an open bowl before using them on a hollow
vessel.
TIP: To avoid stripping out the Torx screws, make sure you clean them out before tightening or loosening them, so the wrench can seat properly. An airgun and/or a small pieces of wire or a sharp pointed object like a dental pick or a safety pin, works well.
TIP: To avoid stripping out the Torx screws, make sure you clean them out before tightening or loosening them, so the wrench can seat properly. An airgun and/or a small pieces of wire or a sharp pointed object like a dental pick or a safety pin, works well.
STRAIGHT TOOLS:
Straight
hollowing tools are easier to control and more suitable for turners
learning to make hollow vessels. The use of a bent tool is necessary
for many hollow form shapes, but requires more experience to master.
The Hollow-Pro Tools™ 1⁄2” and 5/8” straight tools are very versatile
and efficient tools that can be used to remove wood very quickly and
easily from hollow vessels and open bowls. These tools accept both the
#1 and #2 size swivel tip shafts, but Mike recommends the #2 size for
the larger 5/8” tool.
BENT TOOLS:
All “bent” hollowing
tools that are meant to be “hand-held” should only be used with the
straight part of the shaft on the tool rest. With Hollow-Pro Tools™
this indicates that the shaft is aligned with the cutter, making the
tools easier to control. The tool rest height is particularly important
when using bent tools, so make sure the tip is cutting on the center
line of the turning and that you are not lowering the handle, which
raises the tip to a more aggressive angle. The Hollow-Pro Tools™ 1⁄2”
bent tool was designed to hollow vessels up to about 8” in diameter,
but is also intended to be used on larger pieces as well. By using the
smaller tool to undercut the first portion of larger vessels the tool
rest is closer, resulting in a cleaner cut and greater control. The
larger Hollow-Pro Tools™ 5/8” bent tool can then be used to continue
hollowing pieces up to about 14-15” diameter.
Hollow-Pro™ SCRAPERS
Made
from high quality M4 powdered metal, they are sharpened with a 75
degree grind and have been heat treated to HRC 62-64. The scrapers may
be
resharpened with a diamond hone or light careful grinding. Since all
Hollow-Pro Tools™ have a built in negative angle at the tip, when the
M4 scrapers are inserted the result is a clean, less aggressive, final
finish cut. Mike recommends using the scraper for your last few cuts,
when you are close to your final wall thickness.
CHOOSING THE TOOLS AND CUTTER TIPS
My
4 tools together are a complete hollowing system, with different
choices of tips, depending on what size hollow form and what type of
wood you are turning. They are made in Minnesota by Hunter
Tools
and they use his “nano-carbide” cutters that last a long time and don’t
need to be sharpened. Sometimes I need to try and see what
cutter
tip will work best, depending on what I am turning. If you
have
all the tools and cutters, you have more choices of options, to try and
see what works on a particular piece of wood.
I use all 4 tools to make my bigger pieces up to about 14-16" diameter and I use just the 1/2" tools to make pieces up to about 7-8", so it depends on what you want to make. If you are buying tools with the idea that you will be making bigger pieces at some point, the 5/8" tools might be something you would want.
All the different tips fit all the tools, but I like the standard #1 cutter assembly for the 1/2" straight tool, the standard #2 cutter assembly for the 5/8" straight tool and the #2 negative cutter assembly for both the bent tools. But I also use the negative cutter assemblies, which are less aggressive, for finish cuts with the straight tools as well. The M4 powdered metal scraper works great with all the tools and the larger #3 negative cutter assembly is really made for using the 5/8" straight tool on open bowls. All the tools require a handle with a 5/8” opening, like the Oneway or Hosaluk handles.
The straight tools are easier to use and they are fast, efficient and fun, compared to bent tools. I like the 5/8" straight tool for open bowls as well as hollow forms and I have even used the 1/2" straight tool for a little spindle turning! If you are a beginner or don’t have much experience at hollowing, I might start with the straight tools until you get comfortable with them, but there will be shapes where you won’t be able to reach. The straight tools are pretty easy to use and I teach people that you want to remove as much wood as you can with straight tools and only go to the bent tools when you have to. If you make shapes with a big enough opening, you can do all the hollowing with straight tools, but if you get into making smaller openings, or more difficult shapes, you will need bent tools as well.
If you want to make pieces up to about 7-8” diameter, I would get the 1/2" tools, a standard #1 cutter, a #2 negative cutter and the M4 scraper. If you get those tools, you would already have the cutter assemblies(except the standard #2) for the larger tools as well, so you would just need the tool shafts themselves to have the whole set, if that is what you want.
I know this can get pretty confusing and I don’t want anyone to end up with tools they don’t want or need, so if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at info@mikejackofsky.com
I use all 4 tools to make my bigger pieces up to about 14-16" diameter and I use just the 1/2" tools to make pieces up to about 7-8", so it depends on what you want to make. If you are buying tools with the idea that you will be making bigger pieces at some point, the 5/8" tools might be something you would want.
All the different tips fit all the tools, but I like the standard #1 cutter assembly for the 1/2" straight tool, the standard #2 cutter assembly for the 5/8" straight tool and the #2 negative cutter assembly for both the bent tools. But I also use the negative cutter assemblies, which are less aggressive, for finish cuts with the straight tools as well. The M4 powdered metal scraper works great with all the tools and the larger #3 negative cutter assembly is really made for using the 5/8" straight tool on open bowls. All the tools require a handle with a 5/8” opening, like the Oneway or Hosaluk handles.
The straight tools are easier to use and they are fast, efficient and fun, compared to bent tools. I like the 5/8" straight tool for open bowls as well as hollow forms and I have even used the 1/2" straight tool for a little spindle turning! If you are a beginner or don’t have much experience at hollowing, I might start with the straight tools until you get comfortable with them, but there will be shapes where you won’t be able to reach. The straight tools are pretty easy to use and I teach people that you want to remove as much wood as you can with straight tools and only go to the bent tools when you have to. If you make shapes with a big enough opening, you can do all the hollowing with straight tools, but if you get into making smaller openings, or more difficult shapes, you will need bent tools as well.
If you want to make pieces up to about 7-8” diameter, I would get the 1/2" tools, a standard #1 cutter, a #2 negative cutter and the M4 scraper. If you get those tools, you would already have the cutter assemblies(except the standard #2) for the larger tools as well, so you would just need the tool shafts themselves to have the whole set, if that is what you want.
I know this can get pretty confusing and I don’t want anyone to end up with tools they don’t want or need, so if you have any questions, please feel free to email me at info@mikejackofsky.com
Thanks - Mike Jackofsky
For more info on the use of Hollow-Pro™ tools, please visit the Video Page to view excerpts from Mike's upcoming tutorial DVD "Woodturning with Mike Jackofsky: Making a Hollow Vessel"
To purchase Hollow-Pro™ tools please visit Craft Supplies USA
Please wear safety glasses and follow all safety rules of woodturning. These tools are aggressive hollowing tools and should be used by or under the supervision of experienced turners.
Copyright 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012 Mike Jackofsky All Rights Reserved