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Anyone used the Kelton McNaughton gate (not center saver) or Phil Irons Gate?

Joined
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I've been hollowing for years using the Roll Munro hollower and like it. I've never felt the need for a captured hollowing system (I have not tried one) but am always interested in tools that can improve my technique.
The Kelton Gate shown here seems promising. I am not sure if it's still available but before I start to chase one down, I thought I'd ask the community for feedback.
The Phil Irons gate from woodcut looks similar but perhaps a bit bigger and so harder to get into narrower mouths on vessels.

Anyone used one .....or used one and stopped ;)
 

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No. I have not used the gate. I do have a pair of the Kelton hollowers and use them freehand. What problem do you expect this gate to solve? As I look at it, it does not seem to do anything a tool rest does. Can't tell, but it does not appear to have anything to counter the torque of the tool wanting to rotate, or for the tendency for the handle to want to rise.

I'm also just exploring free hand, and have a homemade version of a tool with an outrigger, like the D-Way. This actually works reasonably well, but not as stable as a true captured system.
 
Some hollowing rigs (Steve Sinner, Trent Bosch) have a small post on the tool rest that you can leverage your tool against as you pivot the tool. The same type of pivot can be used when hand hollowing. This can be used equally with the tool rest inside a large entry hole, or outside a small hole. I learned to hollow without that type of pivot. I tried a homemade version of the Irons gate, and never got used to it.
 
The Kelton Gate shown here seems promising. I am not sure if it's still available but before I start to chase one down, I thought I'd ask the community for feedback.
The Phil Irons gate from woodcut looks similar but perhaps a bit bigger and so harder to get into narrower mouths on vessels.

Anyone used one .....or used one and stopped ;)

I have used the earlier version of the Iron's Gate for many years and am still using it.

I do all of my hollow forms without a hollowing rig and found the gate arrangement works well for freehand hollowing.

The actual gate on both the Kelton and the earlier Iron's are about the same size/height and that is the limiting factor with both of those for positioning the gate inside the form while hollowing. I haven't found the width of the horizontal arm to be the limiting factor there.
 
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