Thread: TCMT Inserts - what's good and where to buy in Melbourne

Do you have a photo of the holders? Some are better than others, a good insert in a dodgy holder won't improve things much.

The (hopefully) attached images should help you with the insert designation...

As far as buying in Australia? That's generally not so easy. I just had a look at H&F pricing on your insert shape, and it's actually not as terrible as I thought it would be.

However, if you're prepared to wait a little, I'd go for these: http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/New-Pack-of-10pcs-Mitsubishi-TCMT110204-UE6020-Carbide-Inserts-/151422886301?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_15&hash=item234181e19d

The UE6020 grade from Mitsubishi is the suggested grade for light cutting and finishing in unstable cuts. In other words, it's intended for general purpose rough work involving interrupted cuts.

Mitsubishi have served me well across a few grades (I usually get a couple of packs from CTC tools when I do an order, but their prices aren't as good as they used to be), but Sumitomo, Korloy, Sandvik are all good brands, along with quite a few others...

Originally Posted by ericg

Can anyone recommend a source of good inserts, either in Melbourne (Nth East) or online suppliers, I want a known good named brand so I can eliminate one unknown (me or the insert).

This guy is in Yarraville.. https://www.daletools.com.au/carbide-inserts...

Ray

Thanks for the responses, here is my toolholder set (hope you can see it, as I cannot when submitted)

IMG_20141223_150322.jpg

As you can see it is very basic, and I haven't even used the right hand tool as yet but the other 2 have been used a fair bit.
The boring bar was used to help make a ball turner and I used the same inserts with the ball turner (as per Steve Bedair and mikesworkshop ideas) and I freely admit that my toolmaking effort is a good source of chipped inserts, but I still seem to break them using the left hand cutter.

I don't know much about toolholders, and how one is better than another except the prices vary considerably, so I would appreciate some enlightenment on why I would go for one and not another especially if the inserts seem to be held tight (which mine are).

I still have several original inserts left so I will order some from ebay as per Mr. Jekyll's suggestion (or was that Mr. Hyde?), oh! and thanks for the images, I'll laminate them and stick them on the shed wall

thanks heaps everyone

Eric

Eric, those insert holders are fine, good inserts won't go astray there.

The holders to avoid like the plague are the ones that don't have a proper 2 sided pocket.

thanks Bob, I feel somewhat more confident now about trying other inserts, I don't want to buy junk, but I also don't want to go overboard for what is just a beginners retirement hobby

Eric

Something I run into occasionly at work is chipping inserts.. Play around with speeds and feeds , depth of cut,
Carbide is designed to be optimal in harsher conditions


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Originally Posted by ericg

I still have several original inserts left so I will order some from ebay as per Mr. Jekyll's suggestion (or was that Mr. Hyde?), oh! and thanks for the images, I'll laminate them and stick them on the shed wall

thanks heaps everyone

Eric

Whereabouts in Melbourne are you? I just remembered the insert holders I got with my lathe originally took that style insert, and as such I have a few of them floating around that I'm not likely to use in a hurry (changed to ccmt inserts for most things, only a boring bar still uses TCMT). Welcome to a couple of samples if you're in the Eastern suburbs, I have Mitsubishi grade NX2525 (intended for stainless, but a pretty good all purpose insert), and some Sumitomo grade that is reasonably durable. If not I could drop them in an envelope for you...

Thanks for the offer, I'm in the North East, specifically Mill Park. (used to live in Kilsyth and still miss it)

Which area are you?

Eric