See below for details of the Siragas "Big Brother" Deep Hollowing System
and the Hamlet Hollowing Gate

Turners who spend a lot of time working on larger projects often find that their growing collection of large tools becomes unmanageable.  At the same time, large work often underlines the fact that wooden handles, even of the highest quality, lack the "heft" which gives them the stability required to stop large and rough workpieces knocking the tool out of the intended alignment on the work.

Hamlet Craft Tools have now produced the answer to both these problems with their Multi-Handle system.  (Maybe it should be called the multi-blade system?).  This is available with handles in 17 inch (430 mm),   26 inch (660 mm) lengths and 31" (788 mm).  The handle is a rubber-covered steel tube, giving the tool the essential rigidity and weight.  To carry the tool blades, the handles are equipped with sets of collets which slip into the plain bore in the handle end.  The accompanying photo, right, shows the two smaller (17" and 26") handles with the range of collets, the Big Brother hollowing system with 5/8" stem (HCT604) and matching cutter components (HCT602 & 603), the Siragas shear scraper blades (HCT606) and the short handle (HCT605) designed for use with these blades. 

The shorter (17") handle is bored 5/8" and is supplied with 3 collets (1/4"/6mm; 3/8"/10mm; 1/2"/12mm) making it suitable for the smaller gouges etc. as well as the heavy-duty work.  The longer (26") version, which is also bored 5/8", is supplied with 2 collets to take 3/8"/10mm and 1/2"/12mm tool stems, whilst the 31" version is bored 3/4" (19mm) and is supplied with a 5/8" (16 mm) collett.  Both 17" and 26" handles are bored to take a 5/8" (16 mm) blade or stem directly.

The range of blades for these tools, of which examples are shown, above,   is increasing.  A further innovation is the double-ended bowl gouge blade.  These are effectively two bowl gouges in one - a square grind at one end and a Celtic at the other.  Simply reversing the blade in a suitable multi-handle  enables you to switch between the gouge types whilst still retaining the use of your favourite system handle. 

Currently we are offering the following ranges of gouges in HSS, plus the further range, below, in the phenomenally durable ASP2060 steel (described more fully elsewhere).  For other tools, please e-mail your enquiry and we will advise the latest position.  Most Hamlet tools are available in a form to suit the MH system, upon request.

Nikos Siragas is a very accomplished turner living and working on the Mediterranean island of Crete.  A shape of which he is particularly fond is the hollow form, though his work is very varied.  As a result of this interest, and being frustrated with the available hollowing systems, Nikos designed his own deep hollowing tool and, in the late Tom Cooper, found a toolmaker with the skill and dedication to produce it.  This superb tool is now available from Hamlet Tools under the name "Big Brother" and is based on the Multi-Handle system described above.  Further developments of the original tool have now seen the introduction of a "Little Brother" and a "Goliath" model.

The principle of the tool is a loop, or ring, cutter which is covered by a highly polished edge protector which acts as the "bevel" when hollowing, preventing the tool from digging in or grabbing.  The result is a tool which gives an incredibly smooth cut surface to the hollowed object, of a standard that many turners would be pleased to be able to achieve on the outside of their work!  The depth of cut is easily adjusted by slackening a single Allen screw, which also allows the head to be swivelled to allow easy access under the shoulders of vessels: the total range of movement is around 300 degrees!  A swan-neck stem is also available so that deep undercutting behind deep shoulders in vessels presents no problems.

The long handle makes restraining the tool very easy, whilst the ability to slide the shank of the tool into the handle, leaving only the minimum necessary to complete the cut protruding, reduces the torque on the handle very considerably.  The "Big Brother" version of the tool was very favourably reviewed by master turner John Hunnex in Issue No 92 of "Woodturning" magazine, October 2000.

Because some turners may find that the 26" handle is uncomfortably large to manoeuvre over the lathe bed,  the Big Brother tool has a Litte Brother which is supplied with the 17" multi-handle.  The Big Brother uses a 5/8" diameter stem on which is mounted the 1/2" cutter.  The Little Brother includes the 17" handle as standard and has a 1/2" stem and the same 1/2"  cutter whilst the Goliath features the 31" version of the handle and a 3/4" dia. stem and cutter.  The specifications for these handles and the collets, which can be purchased separately, are as described above and the handle, when not used for hollowing, can be used with any of the other blades available. 

Finally the Siragas influence is completed by the availability of a set of six scraper tips which can be mounted in place of the hollowing cutter.  For those who may wish to acquire and use these without the full Big Brother system, Hamlet have introduced a short handle upon which the scraper tips can be mounted.  (See illustration, right, with inset of scraper range.)  NB:  these scrapers do not fit the 3/4" Goliath stem, but the Goliath can be fitted with a 5/8" stem which onto which the scraper tips can be attached.

Further advice on the sharpening, adjustment and general maintenance of this tool may be found elsewhere on this site by following this link .

Spare Cutters, Covers, Stems and Side Handle
Note: Whilst it is acceptable to mount a smaller cutter onto a larger stem in these hollowing systems, it is NOT permissible to mount a larger cutter on a smaller stem.
Cutters and Edge Protectors (chip limiters) must match in size.

The 5/8" cutter and cover, as supplied with the original Big Brother is no longer available.  Users are recommended to install one of the current 1/2" cutters, with matching cover (as now supplied with both Big brother and Little Brother), instead.
This is the configuration recpommended and preferred by experienced and expert users such as Jimmy Clewes.

A perfect partner for the Big/Little Brother hollowing tools, the Hamlet hollowing gate provides rigid support and tool guidance as well as acting as a fulcrum for controlled hollowing tool movements.  The system comprises a sturdy toolpost, which you select to suit the toolpost size of your lathe, upon which a rigid 6 inch (150 mm) cross bar is mounted, symettrically.  At each end of the cross bar, a nylon guide is mounted; one of these is sized to suit 1/2 in. (13 mm) diameter shaft tools and the other to suit 5/8 in. (16 mm) diameter shaft tools.  The guides can be pivotted about their centres and provide a low-friction  interface with the tool shaft for easy tool movement.

Please note that the 19 mm tool post variant is for use in 3/4 in. toolpost sockets as well as 19 mm: the 25 mm is used in both 1 inch and 25 mm toolpost sockets and the 30 mm suits both 1.1/4 in. and 30 mm sockets.

©1997-2010 P. Hemsley.  The information on this website is the copyright property of Peter Hemsley. 
Coeur du Bois and The ToolPost are trading styles of Peter Hemsley.  Whilst reasonable efforts are made to ensure the accuracy of information presented, no liability can be accepted for errors in this information nor for contingencies arising therefrom.  If you are inexperienced in any aspect of woodworking, we would strongly counsel that you take a course of formal instruction before commencing to practice