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Thread: HSS turning tools on the cheap
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8th March 2006, 11:53 AM #1
HSS turning tools on the cheap
Hi,
Have been using HSS tool steel that is normally seen in a engineering shop.
Round bar 8,10mm dia tool steel set in piece of 20mm round bar, held with m6 grub screws.
It does not matter if your not on centre exactly. Its not hard to work around this as your turning. This means it can attempted in the garage. Ideally drilled out on a centre lathe is the way to go, but not all of us have access to a lathe.
If drill the hole at 45' instead of in the centre this will allow you to rotate the cutter to get a slicing action rather than scraping.
works for me.
hughieInspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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8th March 2006, 03:30 PM #2
I reckon it's easier to use the ol' square HSS stock. Both the ones in this pick ar home-made, the one on the right was the first and can only be used safely as a scraper, the one on the left introduced lessons learnt and can be used as both scraper and, as you said, for slicing. The flat on the top allows one to invert the bit and use the flat as a "steady" on the rest when the head is angled.
The next one will have more refinements... some old dogs do learn new tricks.
- Andy Mc
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8th March 2006, 03:57 PM #3
Nice work both Hughie and Skew! Not low tech, but sort of accessible high tech turning tools!
Thanks for sharing your ideas
Cheers,Andy Mac
Change is inevitable, growth is optional.
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9th March 2006, 12:26 AM #4
more of the same but different
The next one will have more refinements... some old dogs do learn new tricks. [/quote]
Skew....,
Damn right...old dogs
I used round cos it is what I had in abundance could not find a piece of sq to save myself.
I have made a few scrapers out of HSS cold saw blades. When they break/crack etc in the bin they go.
Yet they make great scrapers, not the thickest but to date its not been a problem. Anyway they take a great edge and hold well.
Cutting can be a problem if you don't have a plasma arc set up, other wise its to the grinder and blowing holes in the blade with an arc welder. No chance whatever of drilling the suckers out.
hughieInspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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9th March 2006, 12:33 AM #5
oops wrong pic
Ooops!
heres the the right one that was missing. The first pic is an attempt to make an articulated head with HHS tip. But is nearly impossible to keep it tight, I am going to re work it to over come this problem... I have a few ideas. If it works will post the pics
hughieInspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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9th March 2006, 02:37 AM #6Originally Posted by hughie
I'll also use good planer and thicknesser blades that have been severely chipped/fractured. The better ones are HSS and are pains to cut up, but I'll even use the CS ones with tempered edges, usually leaving the edge intact and simply cutting 'em to length before grinding the back to shape.
You're right about drilling... so I don't. If it can't be done with an angle-grinder or a grinding stone, I make it someone elses' problem. And hound them with "is it done yet" the same way they hound me about other things.
- Andy Mc
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9th March 2006, 03:25 AM #7
Well, you can actually drill HSS, you just need something that is much harder than HSS is.
Easiest and cheapest thing would be a carbide tipped masonry drill bit, with the edges sharpened up. Use LOTS of good cutting oil, slowest speed you can manage and a fairly heavy tug on the drill press handle. Should drill ok, and the swarf will be very small chips and razor sharp so don't play with them. I use a solid carbide drill I picked up, and it will drill nearly anything, but it's very fragile at the same time.
Not an everyday thing, and don't use a good bit as it might not survive breaking through. :eek:
Ream to size with a rat tail diamond file in a drill. Again, not perfect but it works.
Use at your own risk, but it's a way to drill that pesky hard stuff if you absolutely need to.
Nice tools the both of you, should try it myself some day...
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9th March 2006, 09:07 AM #8
carbide drills etc
Schtoo,
Yep I have used carbide drills , milling cutters and the like. Fragile...yep have dropped a couple in my time...still it does leave me with some small bits that have a potential for some thing else
But I suspect that they are beyond the average joes budget on this forum.
My idea was to find ways to knock up useable durable tools from somebody elses biff out.
As Skew says [Some people... [shakes head] Still, it's all to my profit.]
one mans rubbish is anothers gold. Allot of the HSS steel Skew mentioned just gets biffed out, yet if your able to access it you can make all sorts useful tools at a budget price,usually its there for the asking.
hughieInspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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9th March 2006, 10:51 AM #9
What I meant were the bits with a small carbide chip in the tip. You can usually pick them up fairly cheaply, even new if you don't get excited over the quality...
Techinically, I couldn't afford most of the tooling I have either. It's why I really do like the flea markets.
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10th March 2006, 12:02 PM #10
carbide
Schtoo,
OK now I understand, no worries, we call them tungsten tip drills here for masonry. Garage sales here are not a bad venue either.
If you have access via a friend etc to a machine tool shop try and get hold of their used tungsten/carbide tips generally they are just thrown out as they considered a throw-away item. Usually you get far more than you need, I have got probably about 40-50 pieces, a life times worth
But they can re ground with the right wheel [generally green here for tungsten carbide tools] and silver soldered onto a holder. They make pretty good parting tools and roughing tools. What I like about them is its along ..well generally.. time between sharpens.
hughieInspiration exists, but it has to find you working. — Pablo Picasso
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10th March 2006, 06:48 PM #11
How would those "cobalt" bits go drilling hss?
Still need to be purchased, and dearer than any old tungsten tipped drill kicking around the shed, but just wondering & offering up the idea for due consideration (wot a lot of crap )
Cheers...............Sean
The beatings will continue until morale improves.
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18th April 2006, 04:01 AM #12New Member
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Originally Posted by hughie
Damn right...old dogs
I used round cos it is what I had in abundance could not find a piece of sq to save myself.
I have made a few scrapers out of HSS cold saw blades. When they break/crack etc in the bin they go.
Yet they make great scrapers, not the thickest but to date its not been a problem. Anyway they take a great edge and hold well.
Cutting can be a problem if you don't have a plasma arc set up, other wise its to the grinder and blowing holes in the blade with an arc welder. No chance whatever of drilling the suckers out.
hughie[/quote]
Hughie, have you tried to spot anneal the material?
If you chuck up a common framing nail head down and position your steel under it, you can create enough friction to get the spot red hot, let it cool and drill the material in the normal manner.
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18th April 2006, 05:01 PM #13Originally Posted by sunswo911
- Andy Mc
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18th April 2006, 06:00 PM #14
Can't see how it will make any difference to High Speed Steel. It will glow red without any adverse affect to the hardness of the material.
Is there anything easier done than said?- Stacky. The bottom pub, Cobram.
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19th April 2006, 02:46 AM #15
Dunno about glowing for sure, but lotsa heat doesn't do anything to HSS other that make it go funny colours.
Plain old carbon steel, the nail trick will work. Must file that away for later...
Scooter, A cobalt drill will drill a HSS drill, but not a solid hunk of it. The temper imparted to drills is pretty low so they don't shatter when they get a hard time. It's why you will sometimes see bent drill bits, usually cheap ones.
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