Any idea what these are for?

[IgnatzParticipant @ignatz]

A recent trip to the local flea market netted me a small grab bag of tool steel, lathe bits and… these carbide tipped cutters.

The question concerning the cutters pictured below: Can anyone think of what they might have originally been intended for?

These cutters look like they might be used on the metal lathe, but the shape seems slightly wrong for that in current condition. They have no manufacturing marks, but the brazing work looks quite good. They all have a cutting angle of between 84° and 90°. I'm thinking I could regrind them to a sharper angle on a green wheel and use them for thread cutting or such.

Any ideas?

[IgnatzParticipant @ignatz]

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

Possibly screw cutting tools

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

Don't know what they are but pretty sure they are not turning tools. Maybe forming punches for sheet metal ???

Tony

[BazParticipant @baz89810]

Don’t know what they are, maybe they are finished, maybe they require further work to turn them into what they are meant to be, don’t think they would be for forming sheet metal, can’t imagine you would need carbide for that.

[Tony Pratt 1Participant @tonypratt1]

True but who knows.

Tony

[Speedy Builder5Participant @speedybuilder5]

Lathe tools ?? No apparent rake angles on top, side or front so I think they have another purpose.

[Marischal EllisParticipant @marischalellis28661]

Part of an assembly line, 'teeth' in part of the chain. Deeply set in the roller and hard but not sharp teeth/prongs. Just a thought. Possibly along these lines.Or teeth to break down something. Food waste, fish tails, stray fingers, and on it goes. The ends wear done so some. Best wishes to all.

[IgnatzParticipant @ignatz]

Interesting suggestions, guys. I guess I'll take one of these to the grinding wheel and then see if I can use it on the metal lathe. Should be an adventure.

[IgnatzParticipant @ignatz]

Ran a quick test on the metal lathe with one of the cutters. Didn't bother doing any grinding, but simply took a few very light test cuts. Yeah, it worked and the carbide held up quite well, but they won't be useful as ordinary cutters without changing the geometry a bit.

However, I suddenly realized that what they ARE good for in this unaltered state is being used as gravers for things like the increments on machine dials, using the carriage, back and forth, as a poor man's shaper. I slapped one into the tool holder sideways and made some stopped graved lines in a bit of scrap steel. That worked a treat.

[Nigel Graham 2Participant @nigelgraham2]

If they work well as gravers… fine!

I wonder if they were actually for cutting ceramics in some way. Perhaps to score a groove along which a tile would snap? Just a thought…..

[SillyOldDufferModerator @sillyoldduffer]

My guess is they're not cutters at all. Could they be from a sheet metal folding machine?

Dave

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