Wood Turning Accessories

Soveriegn Ultima

The Sovereign Ultima Hollowing System is the latest product from the Robert Sorby factory in Sheffield.

It forms part of the Sovereign System but is also a stand-alone tool in its own right. Available in two sizes it enables woodturners to produce hollow forms up to 11" (275mm) with the small version and up to 16" (400mm) with the medium in both wet and dry woods. It has a cutter system that slices through the wood rather than scraping and the clever design allows the shavings to clear without clogging. It is equally effective on bowl grain work as well as end-grain projects. The cutter is able to make light or heavy cuts and the unique micro adjust feature enables the turner to set the cutter depth with ease.The cutter is manufactured from high grade HSS and as only one third is exposed at any time it can be rotated twice through 120 degrees before it needs to be re-sharpened.The cutter is easy to sharpen with a diamond hone and can be easily removed if required. A cutter sharpening jig is available as an optional extra. Manufactured from phosphor bronze the jig rotates freely within its sleeve and enables the turner to sharpen either with a diamond hone, bench grinder or ProEdge. The jig will also accommodate other full round cutters.

The articulating head and link system enables the turner to produce a variety of hollow form shapes from the traditional vase to the squashed form. An additional link can be added to achieve extreme undercutting. If the link is removed then the Ultima can be used as a probe for straight sided hollowing.An optional Ultima finishing head can be fitted which will allow the turner to achieve a smooth surface finish. Other cutters are available that will fit to enable more advanced shape finishing. Instructions are available for download.

Optional Ultima Cutter Heads & Links

Ultima Cutter Sharpening Jig

Every turner knows it's as important to know how to sharpen tools as it is to use them! Made from phosphor bronze, the Robert Sorby® Sovereign Ultima Cutter Sharpening Jig rotates freely within its sleeve and enales sharpening hollowing cutters with a diamond hone, bench grinder or ProEdge. The jig also accepts other types of scraper cutters.

The main body is manufactured from phosphur-bronze which ensures trouble free use, with the application of a small amount of light oil. The steel sleeve allows the jig to rotate smoothly inside it whilst being held with complete control. The cutter must always be placed with the bevel/relief face uppermost. If the cutter becomes over tight whilst sharpening, a small bar can be placed in the release hole to hold the jig while the cutter is removed.

The first method is to hold the sleeve and place the face of the cutter gently against the abrasive belt or wheel, then allow the jig to rotate freely inside the sleeve giving a perfect sharp edge on the cutter. The second method is basically the same as above but this time grip the knurled section between your finger and thumb and slowly rotate the jig allowing the whole of the surface of the face to touch the abrasive to give a sharp edge.

Ultima Cutter

Sorby's High Speed Steel Sovereign Ultima Cutter enhanced with a Titanium Nitride (TiN) coating to dramatically increase it's edge holding ability. This cutter slices through the wood rather than scraping and the clever design allows the shavings to clear without clogging. It is equally effective on bowl grain work as well as end-grain projects. Manufactured from high grade HSS, the cutter is able to make light or heavy cuts. Only one third of the cutter is exposed at any time, so it can be rotated twice through 120 degrees before it needs to be re-sharpened. Easy to sharpen with a diamond hone and can be easily removed if required. A cutter sharpening jig is available as an optional extra. Cutter is 1/2" in diameter. England Robert Sorby's Excelsior tool range has been designed with the connoisseur woodturner and those who regularly turn hard woods in mind. A plasma bonded Titanium Nitride (TiN) finish layered over traditional triple tempered High Speed Steel (HSS) provides the perfect combination for tool longevity and edge retention. In tests the TiN coating outperforms the hardest wearing steel tools and will even better tungsten carbide. Excelsior tools' cutting edge weigh in at an impressive Rockwell hardness equivalent of 80. They will outlast standard tools by four times - more than a match for popular cryogenically treated and powdered metal turning tools. The combination of the bonded plasma TiN finish and HSS not only eliminates the possibility of chipping and brittleness often associated with harder metals, it also allows for easy sharpening. The TiN coating also has the added advantage of reducing friction where metal meets wood. This is particularly effective when working with extremely hard and abrasive woods or when cutting through knotted burrs.