Cutting Tips for Hollowing Rigs

[Dave Fritz]

It seems there are a lot of different options for cutters on hollowing systems. I'm curious what some of you use and if you'd recommend it to others? I just don't want to buy a ton of things only to find I should have got this or that in the first place. (Again, don't ask how I know)

 

[john lucas]

I make my own from HSS square stock you can buy from any company that sells metal lathe parts. I get mine from Grizzly. I buy the 3/16" square stock. It comes about 3" long. You score the corners with a triangular file and break it to the length you want. Then just grind the tip to your desired shape. They will fit in a 1/4" hole. I just use medium CA glue to hold it. When they get too short to sharpen I simply heat the tip and pull it out, clean out the hole and put a new one in. I think it cost me 75 cents apiece for the last ones I bought.

 

[hockenbery]

I use two types of cutters.

The 3/16 or 1/4” wide ones and tear drop shaped scraper scrapers.

Like John I make the 3/16” Cutters from 1.5” HS tool bits or from 1/4” round HS steel

The scraper bits I make from 1/8” flat HS steel. ( old planner blades or lawn edger blades work)

Like John score a line on opposite sides with a cutoff wheel on an angle grinder
Then clamp in vice grips to shape and sharpen. The shape bits I cut a slot with the cut off wheel to fit the holding bolt on the respective tool.

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

Like John and Al but I get it on ebay various price but saw some 5 pieces for $9

 

[William Rogers]

I have the Hope hollowing system. It came with both HS steel scraper and what I call the Hunter style carbide cutters. The carbide cutters cut instead of scrape and make material removal much faster and leave a better finish. This is based on my limited experience as I haven't had the system that long, but the carbide is really nice.

 

[john lucas]

Yes I like the Hunter cutters also which are carbide. You can get the small ones in different shaft sizes and may fit your tools.
http://huntertoolsystems.com/product-category/retrofit/

 

[JeffSmith]

I built my hollowing rig to Lyle Jamison's design, using a boring bar I got from his website. Started with the 3/16 HS steel tips and they worked fine. I broke down and bought his holder for the hunter carbide cutters and its a whole different world - not sure I can go back to the old tips now. the hunter cutters can both cut and scrape, but used as bevel rubbing cutters they leave a beautiful finish.

 

[Dave Fritz]

Thank you for the replies. John, aren't the carbide cutters Lyle Jamison sells Hunter cutters? Thanks for that link.
It's interesting no one has mentioned Rolly Munro type cutting heads.

 

[john lucas]

Yes Lyle uses the Hunter cutters.

 

[Bill Boehme]

It's interesting no one has mentioned Rolly Munro type cutting heads.

OK, I'll mention the Rolly Munro carbide cutters. That's what I use with my Advanced Lathe Tools (Steve Sinner) boring bar rig. The Munro system has a guard over the cutter to control the depth of the cut. Like the Hunter cutters, they have a very sharp raised cutting edge.

 

[john lucas]

The Rolly Munro cutters have what they call a depth of cut limiter which is supposed to eliminate catches, and it does. However if your using a captured bar rig you really don't get catches so I'm not sure it's needed anymore.

 

[Bill Boehme]

The Rolly Munro cutters have what they call a depth of cut limiter which is supposed to eliminate catches, and it does. However if your using a captured bar rig you really don't get catches so I'm not sure it's needed anymore.

I think that it's main purpose is to control the depth of cut since the cutter is oriented for cutting and not scraping. His tools are sold for hand held hollowing mainly, but Steve Sinner has a special version with a short stub shank that plugs into the end of the boring bar. Since it is mostly used for hand hollowing then not getting catches is a bonus feature.