Hi, been a minute sense asking for suggestions. Hope everyone is doing well. I am looking for a tool to hollow out small turnings such as pencil pots and medium size straight sided birdhouse christmas ornaments. I have been using fostners bits and then scrapers but am tired of getting catches with my scrapers and the fostner bits dont really last that long and are slow. Was looking around at the many selections of small carbide hollowing tools and kinda like the small 8 mil Hope tool and Jimmey Clewes tool. Any one here have these two tools and can offer advice? Thanks much.
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Hope hollowing tool or Jimmey Clewes tool?
- Thread starter Jack Scott
- Start date
I have the Jimmy Clewes Mate 2. I don’t use it on diameters smaller than 1 1’2”, It works great. There are also similar tools by Hunter. Fornester bits can easily be sharpened with diamond hones. I just sharpen the flats and not the teeth. And if you are getting catches with your scraper you might want to grind a negative rake on it.
Yep thanks. Just found out that the Hope tools you cant get in the US and he cant ship to a US address. I contacted a seller in Canada to see if they can ship to US. I may end up having to look at the Clewes tool. I do have the Hunter on my list as well.
The seller in Canada will ship to the US. I also have the Hope hollowing system I bought when he did ship to the US. His tools are good, but Hunter and Jimmy Clews are also very good.
The seller in Canada is Black Forest Wood Company in Calgary. Apparently, they've managed to adapt to Trump's tariff rules.
blackforestwood.com
I have the Hope tool and use it frequently. If you core out with a Forstner, it works easily to remove the hole and teeth marks left by the bit.
I also use the Hope deep hollowing system, TV version.
Western Canada's Woodworking Supply Store
Black Forest Wood Company is a Retail Store with Western Canada's Largest Variety of Lumber Species, Live Edge Slabs, Turning Blanks, Thin Pieces, Machinery, Tools and Classes. Black Forest Wood Company is the go-to resource for all new, intermediate, and artisan woodworkers alike.
blackforestwood.com
I have the Hope tool and use it frequently. If you core out with a Forstner, it works easily to remove the hole and teeth marks left by the bit.
I also use the Hope deep hollowing system, TV version.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Morning. Yeah i was looking at a video on the Viceroy also. Several choices. Guess i should just buy one of each and sell the ones that i choose not to use. 
. After i open up with the fostner bit i try to clean up the walls with a scraper but they always have tearout and are uneven thickness. So when I apply finish on the inside you can see the tearout. Drives me nuts. Then when i try to use my huge round nose scraper and it hits the bottom of the pencil pot i get a huge dig in.
. After i open up with the fostner bit i try to clean up the walls with a scraper but they always have tearout and are uneven thickness. So when I apply finish on the inside you can see the tearout. Drives me nuts. Then when i try to use my huge round nose scraper and it hits the bottom of the pencil pot i get a huge dig in.
Mike Hunter made the original Mate tool for Jimmy Clewes but Jimmy thought he could have it made cheaper. I have the original Mate made by Mike Hunter. The holder may be okay but the carbide will not be the same. For small boxes I use the Clewes Box Scraper to make sharp cornered bottoms. Have never got a catch using it.