Both the Hunter and the Eliminator have left me with the urge to try out yet another member of the latest trend (after the ci1) but prices are still a bit steep. Both sell their tips for around 20 usd while industrial carbide inserts can be had for about a sixth of that (10 for 35$). Problem is, the industrial inserts dont seem to be that sharp along the edge and sharpening them seems out of the question. Im interested to hear from anyone with positive results with a DIY tool of this sort. thx, Max a possible source?
look at any supplier to the metal working industry - for example, enco
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MSC, and so on. There are places that reshapen carbides too, a guy in san diego sells on ebay. And, I've dealt with a place in Colorado, see below, that has a lot of surplus carbide right now
No experience with sources other than Craft Supplies and Packard Woodworking, but for me, $20 or $25 for a replacement tip is not a bad deal.. I have the Mega Eliminator and have done several "tool abusive" projects with it, mostly in sand-impregnated ironwood, and just put the 2nd cutter on.. I could have done 3 or 4 more projects with the original cutter, if one of the shop cats hadn't knocked the tool off the lathe, chipping the carbide..
As to making your own tool, I'd think it would depend on what you're going to use it for and how often.. For curved hollowing tools and simple things, it should be easy.. Personally, though I make a few of my own tools, I wouldn't try to make my own Eliminator... By the time I found and bought the 3/4" stainless steel for the body, learned metal working, machined the shape and the 2 flats that maintain the shear angle and reproduced the cutter holder, I could buy the tool and 2 extra cutters for $200 and be turning and selling for months before needing replacements... YMWV
I've bought some on eBay... It can take a bit of searching, because they don't always indicate "round" in their descriptions...
Typically, you'll find them in larger quantities than you might want, however. I've got 16mm, 12mm, 10mm, and 8mm, though haven't made up tools for all of them yet. One of the 16mm ones is currently on a tool I used to use with HSS, and would have to sharpen the HSS disc often. the 8mm ones are great for a pro-carver disk I have for an angle grinder (don't recall the brand name of the pro-carver).
They aren't razor sharp when you get them because they are designed for metal, though by putting a #10 screw through the center and chucking in in a hand drill, it's easy to touch up the edge with a diamond file/paddle. I've got about 5 hours on the first 16mm carbide one right now, and haven't even rotated it yet... Touching up the edge with a diamond paddle takes off the yellow coating though, but I don't think it matters for wood.
The wood tool sellers make a big deal about "nano-grain", though I really don't think it makes a difference, as we're not cutting steel here, only wood, so even an interrupted cut doesn't cause nearly the force or shock that a typical insert sees in metalworking use.
If you don't find any at a decent price or quantity, drop me an email... I'll be willing to sell some of any of the above sizes for $3.00 each plus the cost of postage. I'll sell them as I got them, so if you feel they need a razor edge, you'll need to touch them up yourself.
On Fri, 8 Nov 2013 13:57:15 -0800 (PST), snipped-for-privacy@gmail.com wrote: The prices on the link are ok, but all of those inserts are for the EZ/ Woodchuck tools... None will work with the Eliminator or Hunter tools, wrong cutting edge...
Round flat carbide inserts can be sharpened, I do it all the time.
Use one of those cheapo diamond honers, wet the hone well with water, lay the tip on it cutting side down and just rub it back and forwards a few times. Works for me.
It doesn't make a lot of difference if it doesn't fit the tool.... If you look at these and at a Hunter insert you'll see that they're totally different..
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