Link to some good tool reviews

[mudman]

Here's a link I came across that gives a very comprehensive series of reviews on a large subset of the many woodturning tools out there.

Anyway it's at: http://www.gawoodturner.org/newsletters/newsletter-10-02.htm

 

[Taffy Turner]

Thanks for posting that link Barry - very interesting reading.

I have been toying with teh idea of buying a deep hollwing system for a while now, and wondering which one to go for. That article has helped me decide on the Perform Woodcut system. Now all I have to do is find a UK supplier!

Cheers
Gary

 

[mudman]

Gary,

Very interesting and quite informative too. I was really surprised that he'd managed to actually try out such a huge range of tools.
I'd already had a 'bit of a moment' and bought the Sorby RS2000 complete kit as an impulse buy. I had been looking at it in one of the catalogues but then saw it on Kendal Tools website for £70 less. :shock: So out came the cards. Hoping it gets delivered by the weekend otherwise it'll be another week before I can have a go with it.

 

[Taffy Turner]

BArry,

I would be very interested to hear what you think of the RS2000 system when you have had a chance to try it out, although it will be difficult to be objective, as I am guessing that you don't have anything to compare it with?

Gary

 

[mudman]

Weeelll, I do have this tool see. It was one wot I made under a bit of tutelage from the chap that taught me to turn. Basically a bloody big lump of steel bar with a hole drilled in the end and another in the side to intersect with the first and threaded to take a bolt. A HSS drillbit is ground to a chisel end and clamped in the end. Some pipe lagging makes a handle and away you go. Trouble is the bouncing and vibration you get is something to be seen to be believed. :shock: So, I thought that I'd go for something a bit more engineered in the hope it would be a bit more user friendly and I liked the flexibility that the RS2000 offers. But there again, I didn't really look around much, like I said, a bit of an impulse buy. I will definitely let you know how I get on with it though.

 

[mudman]

Well, my new RS2000 hollowing system was waiting for me when I arrived home for the weekend.
Unfortunately, I have not been able to do anymore than unwrap it and look at it.
Kendal Tools did an excellent job of packaging it. It came in a huge box and was very well padded with lots of those little polystyrene 'S's' . The whole thing comes in a nice presentation case with a handle that looks very nice, unfortunately the sound of rattling tools means that something has gone wrong inside. Opening it up reveals that the tools are only held by a very thin, cheapy moulded plastic thing that has broken in transit due to rough handling. I was dissapointed at this, couldn't Sorby stretch to something a little more substantial? This is completely inadequate for the weight of the components and I guess I will have to make some dividers to replace it. Apart from that, the tool seems a very hefty piece of kit that I'm sure will be able to do whoat it promises.
Unfortuantely I am planned in for some major furniture moving this weekend and can't see myself getting the opportunity to try it out and see if it can deliver the goods.
Will report back as soon as I get to try it out though.

 

[Cutting Crew]

Hello Barry,

I noticed in one of your posts you weren't sure how the guy managed to test all the tools in the review, Lyn Mangiameli is a respected and very competent turner working as I do mainly on large hollow forms. As with a number of other turners, we both get tools in from manufacturers around the World to test and use in a working environment, generally to see how they perform and stack up against the opposition, comments are then made and in general the makers take notice.

Glad to see you got the RS2000 system and I would fully agree about the state of the packaging from Sorby. Currently I have on test three deep hollowing rigs, one from the UK, one from New Zealand and the other the US. The two latter ones have the capability of being fitted with a lazer to aid in judging the wall thickness on closed forms. One of the better things about the one from the US is that the tool holder will take all the tools from the RS2000 system and they certainly help when hollowing. The same one is capable of comfortably hollowing to a depth of 21", not that I've tried that depth yet.

Hope you enjoy the new tools.

Regards....Mike