The penetrator hollowing tool rest can be seen in action in the video on the carbide woodturning tool page. It's an excellent tool for people who are tired to death of getting beat up in the arms and shoulders in the act of hollowing.With the end of the tool rest just missing the bottom of the cut, you can hollow as comfortably as you can turn the outside of a bowl or vase, and just as fast, periodically moving the rest inward.

 

The shaft sleeve on the shank will hold it's setting so that you only once will have to adjust the height of the rest, unless you change the tool you use for hollowing to one that is higher or lower from the rest to the cutting edge.To order the penetrator, you'll have to know the diameter of the tool rest hole in your banjo, how tall you want it to be and how deep. Width of the rest is 2" and I usually make them 6" deep, but feel free to design it to your preferance.

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In use, simply remove your regular rest from the banjo, insert the penetrator into the same hole, then adjust the height, locking the shaft sleeve to the bar to preserve this setting. Don't forget to lock the penetrator shank into the banjo with the set screw. Now, you are ready to use the tool rest as demonstrated in the video on the woodturning tool page. As with any tool rest, don't allow the whole tool to wander off of the edge or the tool will be trapped between the side of the work and the tool rest, and something would have to give! I did just that very thing once, and broke out the side of a bowl.

I prefer using this rest with my flat-bottom 1/2" round-nosed carbide chisels, since they will cut around to the side of the tool without much twisting action, but feel free to use what you like, with caution.

The Penetrator is $28.00 in most sizes, and you'll need to advise me of the shank diameter, etc. that you want.