Thread: Carbide Tools - Who Uses Them

Originally Posted by dai sensei

Just a quick note, not all carbide cutters are the same, metal lathe cutters and timber lathe cutters are generally different. The angles of the edge are different and so is the approach (ie on the tool itself). These angles effect the finish off the tool.

Most cutters for iron, steel and others have a hone or flat on the edge that helps to keep it from chipping. Inserts ground for aluminum have a dead sharp edge, relief, and a chip breaker. Definitely not made for scraping they can and will grab and self feed if you are not careful or not familiar with them!

Here is a vid of a test run on dry ash for an epee guard. the back has a round edge and these blanks were thick so there was extra time spent cutting away extra material. in a run these were done in two passes. I make wooden bird nests for Easter gifts out of wet material and then they dry out of round. On wet material the strings are continuous from the start of the cut to the end like one continuous noodle. I use the same set up for the outside and then for the inside I use an inside arc cutter on the tailstock.

Hey Oreos, that lever operated cross slide is nifty. I do a lot of metal machining and from the experimental tools I made I found the cutters for wood actually lasted longer (and were resharpenable) than the ones for aluminum. Good Aussie timber is so much harder and more abrasive than the wood you are used to.
Rgds,
Crocy.

Originally Posted by Old Croc

Hey Oreos, that lever operated cross slide is nifty. I do a lot of metal machining and from the experimental tools I made I found the cutters for wood actually lasted longer (and were resharpenable) than the ones for aluminum. Good Aussie timber is so much harder and more abrasive than the wood you are used to.
Rgds,
Crocy.

I have used them on everything including rosewood, blackwood, bubinga, buckthorn and ebony with no trouble. Several years ago a friend came over to show me "the coolest thing" it was his carbide cutter from some outfit. I showed him what I used and we did a side by side comparison. mine on the machine gave a better finish but his was easier to control when used by hand. with the small diameter and high relief it is hard to find the bevel unless making a very fine cut.

I first had a chance to use and compare a carbide bladed Easy Wood chisel against a HSS chisel when turning 4 legs for a chair in Fiddleback Jarrah ..

TheChair-BuildingTheLegs_html_2bf3ffb2.jpg

TheChair-BuildingTheLegs_html_m76cd38ad.jpg

TheChair-BuildingTheLegs_html_m70785df4.jpg

The HSS completed 1% of the turning that the carbide managed.

Regards from Perth

Derek

Yes, for dirty woods and sometimes for hogging out some blanks.

If the blank is dirty I will turn down with carbide until clean. I have shaped my carbide holding bar to provide a continuation of the carbide bevel so that I can cut with the bevel rubbing on the outside of the blank.

Round carbide cutter - profile.JPG Carbide insert tools.jpg

If the wood is worth the effort I core larger blanks, but if the blank is large and not worth coring I hog out with a carbide tip in scraper mode. I find it is faster, but I do dislike the splintery chip shower!

Occasionally I resort to carbide on very abrasive or extra hard woods, like our desert oaks.

But, I always swap back to HSS as soon as I can and always for finishing cuts.

I like the consistent quality of the tips from AZ Carbide, which are selected specifically for wood cutting.

ive used them but prefer the hss tools but also for all you that use carbide here a video to watch and yes it does work well

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBgbhG373LE

I have only just started woodturning, I have held off for years due to not having anywhere to do it.
Finally decided that I was going to take the plunge anyway, so a Jet 1015vs was acquired which I use in
the kitchen. That left the problem of how to sharpen any tools I buy, I came rapidly to the conclusion that
carbide cutters were the best way forward for me. After 25 years in a machine shop on a mill I am very familiar
with inserts so had no fears that they fail to cut.
So far it's working out ok, expensive initial outlay but cheap to run as I can source inserts locally either individually
or by the box of ten, time will tell which works out best for me.

Neil.