Hi John
Actually a 2" opening sounds huge and 4" depth short for ordinary hollowing
tools. I habitually use a 3/4" to 1" opening and 7" or 8" depth although I
have done deeper. Some times the simplest tools are the best. For endgrain I
like hook tools and for side grain like you are doing, scrapers or in other
words, typical inserted tip tools. A 3/16" HSS tool bit in a 1/2" to 3/4"
shaft is just fine. Take a look here
http://www.aroundthewoods.com/brace.shtml
the arm brace really makes a difference; and here for hollowing
http://aroundthewoods.com/hollow1.shtml including a couple of clips showing
the cutting tips at work.

--
God bless and safe turning
Darrell Feltmate
Truro, NS Canada
http://aroundthewoods.com
http://roundopinions.blogspot.com
"John" wrote in message
...
In message , George
writes
Might. Leverage is good, but only when you're trying to use the tool as a
lever. Scraping broadside is one such operation. You really have to rely
on your rest (fulcrum), and if it's far away what happened to you can
happen easily.

Might want to consider edge presentation as the problem. Hollowing along
the grain is easily accomplished with tools like hooks or rings, Darrell's
Oland or a pointy gouge, as I use. It shears rather than bludgeons, and
with the gouge, as I use it, has a bevel to stabilize it and prevent a
catch. From what I can see, Darrell lays the side of the tool up against
the wood for stabilization as well. The ring or hook tools have a bit
less to stabilize them, but with a good rest there's enough there to
maintain a catch-proof angle if the mouth will permit the handle enough
travel. Any fingernailed gouge will also work, albeit more slowly, since
the sweet spot is pretty small to get a good shear.


I think part of my issue is obviously limited selection of tools. A
secondary issue was that with an opening of only 2 inches and a working
depth of about 4 inches, I was restricted on my options, and as such no
option for my tool rest to be any closer to the working face. It was
however as close as comfortable to the work piece.

Part of my thinking on the use of the tool was that with a longer handle
you have a greater movement which means in my mind would be easier to
sense and thus give a greater ability to react to the movement, where if
its a short handle the movement may only be a fraction of that, and
therefore less easy to respond quick enough.
Another factor to that is that when you have a shorter distance between
rest and tool you tend to grip tighter on the tool, than when you have a
greater distance which tends to be a relaxed grip.

I think it really comes down to me having to by a bigger selection of
tools
--
John