Can you retrofit a Hunter carbide cutter in the John Jordan 3.4 tools? I know Hunter makes their retrofit kit but not sure if it will fit or work with the JJ tools.
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Hunter cutter in John Jordan tool?
- Thread starter Scott Horton
- Start date
Sure, I reckon you could. If there is no kit available, you would have to modify the JJ tools, not difficult, but it would need a bit of thought. Its the sort of thing I often do with my hollowers.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
Mike makes cutters mounted in 3/16" shafts both round and square that fit many other hollowing systems. I use them in my homemade JJ tools and in my Lyle Jamieson rotating cutter.
John, I think the adapters you mention are the #1 cutter right? If there’s a choice which one for general hollowing?
Well I’m not sure what size the 3/4 JJ bars (straight and curved) have for the bit’s mount hole.
This is the one you want https://huntertoolsystems.com/product/1-retrofit-tool-round-shank/ It fits in all my curved John Jordan tools from 3/8 to 3/4.
Thank you. What about straight? Are they the same size? (thought I might have seen somewhere they were bigger)
I purchased a bunch of AZ carbides for my Hunter tools but experienced them wearing much quicker than the original supplied cutters. I discussed this with Mike Hunter and he explained there IS a significant difference… I’ve gone back to ordering Hunter carbide replacements.
One thing you could do is call Mike Hunter and find out what you need.
I won't buy from AZ Carbide. Period.
JKJ
Pretty sure the only one that does not use a bit with a round end is the 3/4 inch straight bar that uses a square bit.
That's what I was thinking, so I'd need 2 adapters in that case.
I guess part of my question which maybe I didn't convey well, was besides will it fit, will it work well if it does fit. e.g. have the right amount of stick-out and proper angles needed, etc. Hunter has too many options for just buying to test, and I find following the options and whats best on their website difficult. Only @john lucas's videos and in-person input to really go on. And in my case a lot of what Hunter offers tool-wise won't fit in my hollowing rig that has a 3/4 round bore. I know John Jordan's are popular with one experienced user of my rig, but he's using the regular HSS bits AFAIK.
I’d recommend calling Mike Hunter and discussing with him. He’s very knowledgeable, AND very helpful. He’ll give you good advice.
Thanks Ron, I understand. But getting the info from experienced users is sometimes different than from the the person wanting to sell it. It is nice to hear he's respected.
@Scott Horton I have the adapter from hunter that i linked. I have used it in all my john jordon bars i own except the 3/4 straight because it uses a bit that has a square shaft. Honestly I only bought the 3/4 in a set and think i used the straight bar twice with some practice I was able to complete hollowing bottoms with the curved bars. The #1 cutter made a big improvement in reducing how much sanding i have to do. It also saves me time because I don't have to stop in the middle of hollowing to sharpen or hit the HSS bit with a diamond card.
Nice, thank you. Great input. I've got a straight bar already, maybe I'll keep it for when needed, but do as you have and stick to the hook(s). Saves me buying a set, need to add one or both hooks. Are you using both size hooks or just the one?
Hmm , hopefully the mount hole is a common size that way you have one head for all the Hunter tool bars you may have
Sorry not gonna happen. If a web site can't clearly explain the products, there is another source which will.
As knowledgeable and great a guy as he may be, he is shooting himself in the foot by not providing clear information on the web site. That is the entire purpose of a web site - to provide information and allow customers to narrow down their decisions. The 1980's business model does not apply.
I have a set of his ornament tools and they are solid. So ultimately I was a customer, but cannot make heads nor tails of the other stuff he offers, so I've gone in different directions.
Honestly I use the sharper curved hook 99.9% of the time. The one with the narrower curve works for wide and short hollow forms to get all the way to the edge. I just move the adapter when i need to hollow with the other bar.
Thanks Chris, I assume by sharper curve you mean the one with the most hook. Let me know if I misunderstood. Assuming not, I had wondered if it wasn’t possible to do just what you described, seemed plausible and efficient to me too.
The #1 hook tool is the one I use 99.9% of the time. The only time I needed to switch to the #2 was when the vessel was much wider then tall.
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Contrary to the above post on web sites, not everything can be covered by text only. Mike is a great and knowledgeable manufacturer and can guide you quickly to the tool suited best to what you want to do. Believe me buying the wrong tool or not using them in a proper manner can cause some bad ju-ju. Even at that Mike has added so much new stuff it is hard to keep up with.
Mike Hunter has spent the majority of his life designing, making and selling carbide insets. I have used carbide inserts that Mike has had a hand in for over 50 years. There is no one better to tell you about how the carbide he sells today cuts, wears and acts than Mike.
john lucas
AAW Forum Expert
And if course Mike will be at the TAW symposium this weekend. I will be hanging out at his booth when I can
Websites with incomplete information....
When I need (er, want) something, I usually check the website first. Sometimes they are incomplete. Some are missing photos and dimensions. Some have horrible user interfaces. Some simply don't have details I would like to know.
But many in this field are small one-person operations who do everything themselves and are busy making and shipping tools instead of refining their web site.
Who, knows, maybe it would be better if they payed a website designer and increased the cost of the tools to cover it. ??
But it's great to talk directly to the person who designs and makes the tools. I've always been able to pick up the phone and reach Mike Hunter, Doug Thompson, Alan Lacer, Ken Rizza and others. If not available at the moment, I get a quick call back and all my questions answered and they send out what I need , usually in that day's mail if not too late in the day. Sometime when I ask about a tool the conversation might go like this: "Yes that would work but you might want to consider this..." Can't get that from a Add to Cart button.
Best Wood Tools has some of the best products in the business but their website is horrible - I just pick up the phone and call - you won't get Vic since he's makes everything himself and is probably in the shop, but you'll get his wife who knows the business.
Doug Thompson answered my call from the golf cart the last time I called, Mike answered from the speaker phone in his car and what I needed was in my hands in two days. Even Vermec in Austrailia was easy to reach by phone (be aware of the time difference). Alan has a nice website (and catalog) but is wonderful to talk to for details that won't necessarily be on the site in or catalog. And Ken was always available either instantly or with a quick call back - I quit buying from WTW for a while but wouldn't hesitate calling again now that he's back in the saddle.
Most also respond quickly to email.
All this is unlike some large companies where if I have a question I leave an email or voice message and am lucky to get a call back, or worse, get someone who has no clue and doesn't know how to find out. And some are going to AI chat bots which so far have NEVER been helpful. I hate to see"I'm your virtualy assisistant, how may I help you today?"
But even large companies may not have the best websites. Last week I wanted a specialty tool for the farm not related to woodturning. The website said it was available but wasn't clear about what came with it. Reasearching elsewhere told my how it worked but it still wasn't clear exactly what options I needed to order. A quick call answered all questions, made suggestions, and the item is in now in hand.
So for me, browsing the website is nice but I prefer to talk to a person.
When I need (er, want) something, I usually check the website first. Sometimes they are incomplete. Some are missing photos and dimensions. Some have horrible user interfaces. Some simply don't have details I would like to know.
But many in this field are small one-person operations who do everything themselves and are busy making and shipping tools instead of refining their web site.
Who, knows, maybe it would be better if they payed a website designer and increased the cost of the tools to cover it. ??
But it's great to talk directly to the person who designs and makes the tools. I've always been able to pick up the phone and reach Mike Hunter, Doug Thompson, Alan Lacer, Ken Rizza and others. If not available at the moment, I get a quick call back and all my questions answered and they send out what I need , usually in that day's mail if not too late in the day. Sometime when I ask about a tool the conversation might go like this: "Yes that would work but you might want to consider this..." Can't get that from a Add to Cart button.
Best Wood Tools has some of the best products in the business but their website is horrible - I just pick up the phone and call - you won't get Vic since he's makes everything himself and is probably in the shop, but you'll get his wife who knows the business.
Doug Thompson answered my call from the golf cart the last time I called, Mike answered from the speaker phone in his car and what I needed was in my hands in two days. Even Vermec in Austrailia was easy to reach by phone (be aware of the time difference). Alan has a nice website (and catalog) but is wonderful to talk to for details that won't necessarily be on the site in or catalog. And Ken was always available either instantly or with a quick call back - I quit buying from WTW for a while but wouldn't hesitate calling again now that he's back in the saddle.
Most also respond quickly to email.
All this is unlike some large companies where if I have a question I leave an email or voice message and am lucky to get a call back, or worse, get someone who has no clue and doesn't know how to find out. And some are going to AI chat bots which so far have NEVER been helpful. I hate to see"I'm your virtualy assisistant, how may I help you today?"
But even large companies may not have the best websites. Last week I wanted a specialty tool for the farm not related to woodturning. The website said it was available but wasn't clear about what came with it. Reasearching elsewhere told my how it worked but it still wasn't clear exactly what options I needed to order. A quick call answered all questions, made suggestions, and the item is in now in hand.
So for me, browsing the website is nice but I prefer to talk to a person.