Plenty of threads on here about them. Use the google search box part way down the homepage to search for "Tangental, Eccentric Engineering and Diamond"

J

As a beginner I was completely intimidated at the thought of sharpening lathe tools. So much so that I was determined to only use carbide insert tools, but the results were very disappointing – probably due to my inexperience.

So in an act of despair, although it seemed like a huge extravagance, I decided to order a diamond toolholder, and am now very pleased that I did. Using the provided jig it took me literally minutes to sharpen my first tool, and for the first time I was achieving acceptable results from my lathe.

This gentle introduction to sharpening also gave me the confidence to experiment with other tools and before long I was grinding up little boring bars etc.

Now, although a little more experienced but still very much a beginner (for various reasons I have not been able to spend much time in the workshop during the past year or so), I still find that the diamond toolholder is inevitably the first tool I reach for when turning.

Clive

Hi all,

Disclaimer – I don't know anyone , receive gratuities or anything else from eccentric engineering and I don't recommend anything I haven't tried myself .

Yes they work well and for turning most materials they make life easy .

I own a couple of tool holders from Eccentric Engineering and have found them to be of a good quality and excellent to deal with .

You can make your own if you are able and an internet search should provide some ideas .

The only down side is that you may become lazy and not learn to grind your own tools because once you use one of these it will be the tool you reach for most often but hey you have the rest of your life to learn how to grind tool bits !

I haven't heard of anyone brazing a carbide tip to some square steel to make a tangential carbide tipped tool for cast iron and other materials that can have hard spots or a tough skin that will destroy tool steel so maybe something to try .

Come to think of it I wonder if carbide comes in square ?

Richard ,

You did not mention what lathe you are intending on using the tangential tool in as there are different sizes available but the smallest size does not come in both left and right handed types unfortunately as it is just right for the C2 SEIG lathe and maybe the next size up.

Ian

Hello Richard Smithers.

I have a couple about 30+ years old made by the founder/inventor of the company who has now retired, they were given to me by my neighbour who is a retired professional engineer. Not often will you find two workshops across the road from each other in a suburban street! we have a great time…… when I tried them I was really surprised. I use them on a large engine lathe. not for roughing but when I want to do fine "to exact size" turning on smaller diameters, Being a big lathe it is not fast enough (max 1250rpm) to get a good finish with carbide on small diameters. I really like it. and yep I have become lazy as Slotdriller mentioned……And yes get decent Cobalt HSS tool steel to use in it. It will last for a long time

It is quite capable of heavier cuts if required.

I have no connection with the company although I have met the owner at club meets, He is a hands on engineer and machines them himself.

Regards
John

I recall having a conversation on here where i absolutely slated mine , I hated it , i switched to carbide inserts eventually and never looked back until

one day it got the better of me so i played with 2 different types of bit (this was when the lathe was cutting a 7 though taper towards the chuck)

one i ground and honed a .4 mm rad on one end the other 0.2

then also an old carbide endmill which had had its day was ground on the supplied jig

it turned magnificently the key was the little rad (correct feed per rev) and not the sharp point which would break down very quickly this also confirmed another thing ,the lathe was still turning straight but carbide tips break down quicker than you think, with coolant on SS it will give me a finish the same as the new HURCO cnc we have in the workshop

Hi Chris,

That is something I will try out as I have some old carbide tips floating around the workshop so I may as well braze them onto a square shank for my tangential tool and see how they go.

Ian.