• October 2025 Turning Challenge: Natural Edge Bowl! (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Curt Fuller for "Bell Ornaments" being selected as Turning of the Week for October 27, 2025 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Oddball tools.... what are these?

A

Adrian Wilson

Joined
Jun 10, 2023
Messages
198
Likes
172
Location
Sydney, Nova Scotia
These tools came into my hands from somewhere, as tools sometimes do. Not from the the hand of the person who made and used them, so I don't know anything about them. Hoping to get some ideas here. I have only fooled with them a bit on the lathe. They cut wood, but I can't figure out what they are intended for, or good at. The finish is okay, but not great, in both end grain and side grain. The inserts seem to be steel. I haven't sharpened anything. What do we think? Thanks for any info.

Overall view:

1695159934043.jpeg




Top view:


1695159957901.jpeg




Side view:

1695159989659.jpeg
 
Interesting. The ferrules and handles seem to be home made. Maybe the tool ends are as well. Looks like useful hollowing tools. At least I use similar cutting ends on my hollowing tools.
 
Darryn Achall said:
Interesting. The ferrules and handles seem to be home made. Maybe the tool ends are as well. Looks like useful hollowing tools. At least I use similar cutting ends on my hollowing tools.
Click to expand...
Thanks; I was thinking hollowing, but I haven't done any serious hollowing.

I am certain they are user-made, both handle and tool end. Or maybe the tool end is out of a small shop, but it isn't a big factory thing IMO.
 
Leo Van Der Loo is correct ... these are Oland tools, and the cutters are most likely high-speed steel. Some turners, including segmented turner Earl Rasmussen, use them and produce very good results. More info on them at http://aroundthewoods.com/oland.shtml
 
I strongly suspect that the boring bar with the angled hole has the bit turned 90 degrees from where it should be, it should be placed so it can cut with the bit horizontal, to allow hollowing pieces with shoulders. I love Oland tools. I can rough out a bowl interior just as fast with one as when I use a gouge.
 
Michael Nathal said:
I strongly suspect that the boring bar with the angled hole has the bit turned 90 degrees from where it should be, it should be placed so it can cut with the bit horizontal, to allow hollowing pieces with shoulders. I love Oland tools. I can rough out a bowl interior just as fast with one as when I use a gouge.
Click to expand...
Okay, thanks. I will have a look when I am in the shop.
 
Michael Nathal said:
I strongly suspect that the boring bar with the angled hole has the bit turned 90 degrees from where it should be, it should be placed so it can cut with the bit horizontal, to allow hollowing pieces with shoulders. I love Oland tools. I can rough out a bowl interior just as fast with one as when I use a gouge.
Click to expand...
Ok,I took a closer look..... and found a mark. On one, with the angled tip. The other two look like they were made by the same person/firm, but the mark hasn't survived, if it was marked. So at least one is a genuine Knud Oland. I guess?

1695247310159.jpeg


Here is a closer view of the hook tool (?). The toolbit is square. If it is oriented incorrectly, would I rotate it 90 degree, or 180? I am reading up on these, but haven't come across much on this one yet.



1695247272797.jpeg

1695247419905.jpeg
 
Adrian: in the second picture, turn the tool bit (cutter) 90* to the left while keeping the shank in the same position.That would be the second picture of what you call the “hook” tool. It is not a hook tool. There are many threads and pictures of hook tools both here and on the web. Look at a Oneway Termite tool as an example of a closed “hook” tool. A true hook tool is not a closed circle. Used to make what you have many years ago. The straight bar used a 1/4” square tool bit and the angled one used a 3/16” square bit. Went to the 3/16” on the angled because of less tendency to torque and twist in your hands while in use. Hope this helps.
 
Last edited:
I agree with Jim Holcombe on rotating the cutter 90. You can still use the tool leaving the cutter as-is it would be a more gentle cut, like a negative rake scraper. Although some people call them hook tools, the word you are looking for is a swan neck or gooseneck tool, one example

Robert Sorby Bent Shank Multi-Tip Hollowing Tool | Hand Tools | Craft Supplies USA

Shopping for Hollowing Tools, like Robert Sorby Bent Shank Multi-Tip Hollowing Tool is easy at Craft Supplies USA. Not only do we offer Hollowing Tools, we also have a full range of related items for woodturners at exceptional prices.
www.woodturnerscatalog.com www.woodturnerscatalog.com
The shaft is curved but the cutter is still the same as what you have. The swan neck tools allow deeper shoulders and are a little easier to use without a death grip on the tool, but a straight shaft with angled cutter can also work well. David Ellsworth uses straight shaft/angled cutters all the time.
 
They very common down under with DIYers with every possible variation, simple , effective. When buying HSS look for m42 or Taitung as they have a much longer edge retention. If you look on YouTube there are several vidoes on the Oland tool
 
Adrian Wilson said:
Ok,I took a closer look..... and found a mark. On one, with the angled tip. The other two look like they were made by the same person/firm, but the mark hasn't survived, if it was marked. So at least one is a genuine Knud Oland. I guess?

View attachment 55885


Here is a closer view of the hook tool (?). The toolbit is square. If it is oriented incorrectly, would I rotate it 90 degree, or 180? I am reading up on these, but haven't come across much on this one yet.



View attachment 55884

View attachment 55886
Click to expand...
90 degrees
 
Only vaguely familiar with the Oland tools. Never saw the angled one. I would think of it as being used for closed forms. They are scrapers, and can be rolled on the side for some shear cutting as well. The angled one looks like an attempt at a NRS.

robo hippy
 
Quick update: I have done some reading and watching of videos, and found that I am the latest in a long line of people to happen among these things, get clued in to what they are, and find they are pretty cool. I am using them to attempt my first serious (okay semi-serious) bowl. I haven't been able to rotate the swan-neck yet.... it has the smallest set-screw I have ever seen, and even after buying some smaller Allen keys, it is stripped and I am probably going to have to drill it out. I sharpened the two other ones, and sharp I like them. Whole different ball game.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top