Deep hollowing tools....

[ChrisF]

Hi, looking for thoughts/experience/advice on deep hollowing tools.

I've narrowed it down to the Munro and the Crown Revolution - has anyone used both and able to give a good comparison?  Is either inherently 'better'?  Are there any real practical differences in their capabilities?

[GBF]

I have Bothe and they are equally good the Crown takes a little more getting used too but far better value in my opinion.

Regards George

[fuzzyturns]

I have the Crown Revolution, and, as George says, it needs a bit of practice, but once you've figured it out, it works a charm up to about 10" deep. After that the vibrations can get really bad.
I know that Mark Hancock swears by the Munro, so presumably that's also a good tool. I suppose in the end it comes down to personal preference.

[bodrighywood]

I use the crown as well and it works well for me. being a cheap skate I agree with George that value for money it wins hands down. It seems though that we all have different preferences as there are so many on the market. best bet, if possible, is try as many out as you can and see which suits you best.

Pete

[ChrisF]

Thanks folks.  I have tried both, very briefly, and found them both fine.  Was mainly wondering if there were any real differences - it seems not.  So, where's the piggy bank......

[edbanger]

Hi Chris

I have both of theses tools I find there is a problem with the Crown you have to tighten the socket screws down quite hard to stop the head from moving and the socket screw heads are mounted on the top of the articulated joints, when turning anything a bit sappy the allen key sockets get bunged up, I've had to drill the socket screws out a number of times.

With the Munro the socket screw heads are mounted at the bottom of the articulated joints and do not get bunged up so the allen key fits every time I've never had to drill a socket screw out of the Munro.

Like many turners that do hollowing I have a collection of hollowing tools, and out of them all I prefer the Simon Hope PCT tool it has a little 6mm carbide cutter but has no shield. Once I learnt how to use it it was a joy.

All the best

Ed

[Mark Sanger]

Hi Chris

There are may hollowing tools on the market as I am sure you have found out. To start with I am sponsored by, and sell Crown tools so obviously it can be said I am biased 

The Munro is an excellent tool, very well made and excels at end grain wet hollowing, it can also be used on dry wood. For cross grain turning of seasoned woods you will be best with a scraping cutter especially in confined spaces and hard seasoned knarly woods. The Revolution comes with these where as for the Munro you have to purchase separate cutters on top of the price, with the Revolution you get numerous scraping cutters and a finishing scraper plus a second ring cutter, within the one price.

Ed,  Crown have a life time guarantee on all their tools so if you are having issues just let me know matey and I can get some new parts sent out to you FOC to sort out any issues. Personally I do not have this issue and I hammer my Revolution, again, of course people will say I am going to say this.

In relation to the screws  getting clogged, yes this can happen, to get over this I keep an old dart head to clean out the screw heads before unscrewing as if the shavings become compact in the heads you can round them off.

Alternatively the links can be unscrewed and turned upside-down so the heads are at the bottom, voilà no issue.

Finally again I clarify that the Munro is a very good tool, but for the money the Revolution offers a versatile well priced option for covering a  cross range of hollowing and box projects in both end grain cross grain seasoned and wet woods, but of course I will say that.     

[edbanger]

Hi Mark

It's the little things that make me smile and I hold my hands up never thought of turning the links upside-down I've been putting wax in the screw heads and flicking it out with a panel pin.

I will say that Crown were very good in my early days of hollowing I snapped the head off the tool and they just replaced it.

All the best

Ed

[ChrisF]

Thanks guys, very helpful and much appreciated.

[Lazurus]

Whilst you are looking around consider the captive hollowing tools. I use the Lyle JAMIESON system and found it to be very easy and very effective to some surprising depths

[ChrisF]

Thanks Lazurus, I have seen those but they're not really for me at the moment, partly because they don;t fit well on a shortbed graduate!

Plumped for the Crown and was pleased to find the most competitive price was a certain Sanger chap - you may have heard of him.......

[Lazurus]

Thanks Lazurus, I have seen those but they're not really for me at the moment, partly because they don;t fit well on a shortbed graduate!

Plumped for the Crown and was pleased to find the most competitive price was a certain Sanger chap - you may have heard of him.......

Hmmmmm rings a bell 

[Graham]

pleased to find the most competitive price was a certain Sanger chap - you may have heard of him.......

Umm. Nope, don't think so !!

[Eric Harvey]

What I`m about to say is probably irelivant,but I have the Robert Sorby Sovereign Ultima deep hollowing tool,which last time it was used,I hit a knot about 8 inches in,and destroyed the £50.00p tip of the tool,on looking at it,the cutter is on a platform around 2/3 mm thick,sowas thinking about converting the end to either take the Crown Revolution hollower,or get some 6 mm Carbide tips and make my own,or do both,and see which works the best and have a thicker cutter platform for a stronger tool,cheers,

Eric.