I can't argue here, as I never used a carbide lathe tool, or anything other than standard tools used 50 years ago. I know it's a pain keeping razor sharp edges on my HSS tools. I keep seeing all these fancy insert tools with carbide bits, and, since lathe work is more of an aside than an avocation to me, I can't see me investing too much in tools for the lathe, although using one of my planer inserts and making my own interests me quite a bit, no pun intended:-)
Sounds like a teaching opportunity!
here is one source for carbide, since that is also part of the thread
I use the bowl pro, Ralph.. Same tool, about 1/2 price.. If you ignore the instructions about "directing the force onto the tool rest" and make light cuts, you can get a very smooth finish, especially with the radiased inserts..
M42 woodturning tools?
at the risk of seeming pedantic, I made the rather snide response to call attention to the exact question you asked, which did not specify wood working. If you go to any of the sources I posted in a separate response, you will be able to buy tool bits in M42 - just grind them to meet your needs - for wood working skews, gouges, etc, braze to the end of a tool steel rod using a high strength braze alloy, or alternatively, weld them (tricky process as I understand), and then grind to meet your needs.
Yes
Thanks...
You could e-mail Dave and check for certain, he also hangs around the Turners forum on SawMillCreek
Thanks. That's a good idea...
...Kevin
I too have a metal lathe and a small horizontal mill and I can work to a fifteen thousanth. (of a yard!) :)
I think a metal bit removes metal by making a series of tiny chips and doesn't cut in the same way that longer bevelled thin edged turning tools cut wood fibers. If so, do carbide edged wood turning tools cut or scrape or crush wood or something in between?
Actually, I want to disparage carbide cause I hate to give up my paid for hss tools, same as I hated to give up my hcs saying they could be sharpened sharper, knowing that the edge didn't last very long.
All in all for now, I'll keep the grinder running and nearby and stick with hss. BTW, I bought a carbide tipped turning tool set from AMT ovr
20 years ago. Like the International Scout & Travelall and Scotty's they had the early market advantage, but didn't keep up and lost out. :)Turn to Safety, Arch Fortiter
Arch,
I think it depends on the hardness of the metal being worked. I've turned zirconium and had curly shavings. Titanium, however, produced very tiny chips. When turning Ti, if you get too much dust and get the work too hot it is pretty easy to start a fire in the ways. The difference between a hard and soft metal is almost like the difference between a 'wet' wood and wood which is very dry.
Regards, LD
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