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Trent Bosch stabilizer question

Joined
Jan 23, 2020
Messages
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Location
Shingletown CA
So I got this 3/4” stabilizer for our veterans group, and the 5/8 total access hollowing set (carbide).
We set it up correctly and started hollowing. After just a couple inches into the vessel; the hollowing tool vibrates like crazy, bounces around on the tool rest, and yes, it is dead center; and the tool is touching the rest.
My question is about these Bosch carbide cutters. Are they supposed to cut at a flat angle, or say at a 45 degree angle? We have tried both, and they seem to cut very roughly in either orientation. Does anyone have any tips for using this? I buy all the tools for our disabled veteran group, and can’t afford to spend money on something that seems to be so finicky!
We have no problem with our EWT tools hollowing by hand; but this seems like it’s actually harder to use.
 

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I've called Trent a couple times and he's been very helpful. He seems to really care about people being happy with his products.
 
Yes, contact Trent. I have the bHope hollowing system that has a carbide cutter similar to the one in the picture. Hope say the cutter should be rotated around 5 degrees. However Trent can provide the best way to use his cutter. I will tell you that that type of cutter can be very aggressive. I usually use John Jordan’s bars and cutter in my hope system instead of the carbide.
 
I use Hunter cutters all the time both hand held and in a captured bar system. I don't have an articulated system, maybe that's the difference. I find with his cutters they work far better when you aren't cutting straight across the grain. I do most of my hollowing with a sort of pull cut that starts deep and comes across the wood at about 45 degrees so your cutting down hill with the grain. Don't know what size cutter Trent is using. I prefer the smallest Hunter cutter that is about 1/4" or 6mm. The bigger cutters chatter more when hollowing.
 
Call Trent. If you tried with the cutter set flat, It sounds like you are too low.

Check your set up.
I set these systems up so that the cutter touches the center point of a spur drive in the headstock and level set on the bar shows the bar level.
 
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I have 3 different articulated hollowing system in which I use all of Mike Hunters carbide unhandled tools. I always tilt the cutter down a little (just force of habit having used other hollowing tools that are scrapers). They cut not scrape and I have only something like you describe happen once and that was because of an unseen knot inside the piece of wood (it was so much harder than the surrounding wood). Once I got by that it was smooth sailing. If all the bolts at the knuckles are tight against their bearings there should be no reason for a system fault. That's the beauty of these systems to capture the torque of hollowing. They also work the same in a captured system, no reason they shouldn't.
 
I don't have experience with the carbide cutters, but if I start experiencing vibration with my Trent Bosch system, pick up on the handle and it will help keep the tool planted on the rest.
 
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