Carbide or HSS 8mm lathe cutting tools ?

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Brian,

General reasons as Neil, Jason and some others have said. This the cheapest, easiest and correct option for you to start with. i.e. HSS 6mm. You can start with the most useful pre-made shapes in the two piece set, or you can buy the larger 6mm pre-made shapes set, depending on what you want to do. Once you get the idea, you can make your own shapes using blanks, which is the most cost effective option. Everyone on this thread has given you good guidance in this respect.

In terms of carbide, there is a high probability that you will chip a brazed carbide tool as yours will be a beginners approach, and you will chuck the tool in the bin thereafter because you cannot re-sharpen them. If you do go down this road (which I suggest you to avoid at this stage), then do invest in diamond credit card stone or diamond mini-stone with handle, similar to the ones to be found here:

http://www.arceurotrade.co.uk/Catalogue/Diamond-Tools/Diamond-Stones

Use the finest stone to 'slightly smooth off' (don't know the correct engineering terminology) the sharp point of the brazed carbide tool, before you start to use it.

If you use a carbide insert tool, make sure you buy one which has a pocket in the tool holder, in which the insert will sit, rather than a holder where the insert just sits in the holder – flat on one of its side. Ideally, for your application, it does not really matter too much if you buy a good quality CCMT or better CCGT insert, but try to buy an insert which has a greater tip radius – such as 0.4mm to 0.8mm, as smaller radius tips could chip easily because yours is a small hobby lathe with limited maximum speed and rigidity.

Ketan at ARC

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

On such a small lathe you will not need the ridgidity that the larger 8mm tools offer over 6mm. The other advantage of the 6mm is that they have a cross section about 1/3rd of the 8mm which means a lot less metal to grind away when doing the initial shaping and subsequent touching up.

I still use quite a bit of 6mm tooling on my 280lathe even though it will take 10 or 12mm bits and for the odd form tool may even go down to 4mm.

 

J

Edited By JasonB on 26/12/2014 17:43:00

[Brian JohnParticipant @brianjohn93961]

Michael : yes, according to Little Machine shop 1/4'' is correct but if you look at the Arc Euro website they say the Sieg C0 will accept 4mm, 6mm and 8mm. There is a table half way down the page :

**LINK**

Anyway, I will go with 6mm HSS. They are cheap enough from Arc Euro and I need to buy some taps and dies from them anyway. As far as I can see Ausee does not have any HSS lathe cutting tools so I will have to pay the postage from the UK.

Edited By Brian John on 27/12/2014 03:15:53

Edited By Brian John on 27/12/2014 03:16:23

[Michael GilliganParticipant @michaelgilligan61133]

Posted by Brian John on 27/12/2014 03:15:13:

Michael : yes, according to Little Machine shop 1/4'' is correct but if you look at the Arc Euro website they say the Sieg C0 will accept 4mm, 6mm and 8mm. There is a table half way down the page :

**LINK**

.

Brian.

That is exactly why I gave you the link.

The toolpost on the optional top-slide is [necessarily] smaller capacity than the cross-slide mounted one, on the standard lathe. [i.e. both statements regarding capacity are "true"]

You had previously expressed an interest in the top-slide; so I thought it might be worth noting.

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 27/12/2014 08:23:30

[Ian S CParticipant @iansc]

I have a reasonably large(by model engineers standard) lathe, but most of my work is done with a 1/4"sq HSS tool in an Armstrong type tool holder, either a left, right, or straight one, and I'v been taking cuts quite comfortably 1/4" deep with that. I'v got HSS tool steel 10 mm, 1/2", and 5/8", plus some odd ball HSS tools, but the 1/4"/6 mm size would be more than adequate for your lathe. One main reason, it's cheaper than larger sizes.

If the tool sets that Ketan recommends are good quality, they would get you started, you will need an oil stone, I use a little one about 3" long x 1" wide x 3/8" thick, just to touch up the cutting edge( you may need to on the new tools in the set.

Ian S C

[Ketan SwaliParticipant @ketanswali79440]

Brian,

MichaelG is correct in what he is saying. Here is a little more clarification:

The table on ARCs website is correct, regardless of your using the fixed toolpost or compound slide & Toolpost, specifically for the C0, and specifically for the square 8pcs HSS Lathe Tool Set to which the table relates.The height to the bottom of the slot/holder in which the tool sits, is a 'nominal' 20mm on the fixed post, and the same for the compound slide type after including the compound slide attachment. the slot/holder opening height is greater than 10mm, dependent on which tool post you use.

The working tip/shape of the tool bit needs to be at the 'center' of the work which it is turning, or slightly below. With a 6mm HSS toolbit, there is more flexibility to adjust the height of the tip at the end of the shape by using shims as packing in the holder, then with an 8mm toolbit. This being said, for the sets we sell, both can be used in either the fixed or the compound Slide & Toolpost, as specified in the table. If there is any doubt for the shape, then safer to use the 6mm and shim as necessary. The information given in the table is a guide for the products sold by ARC.

The fact that the slot/holder height is greater than 10mm, does not mean you can use a 10mm square toolbit with pre-made shapes. The chances are that the tip of the shape on the end of the tool will probably be higher than the center of the material you wish to turn, so making it useless.

AUSEE does sell blank HSS toolbits. They can be found here:

http://www.ausee.com.au/shop/category.aspx?catid=6129

To the best of my knowledge, the 8pc HSS Lathe tool sets are in a container on a ship which is on-route, and they will be in AUSEE's offering by mid/late January 2015. You can find out from him after 5th January.

Ketan at ARC

Edited By Ketan Swali on 27/12/2014 11:34:11

[NJHParticipant @njh]

Hi again Brian

You say :- " It seems like an essential bit of kit. I am surprised that it is not installed as a permanent factory fitting rather than an optional extra. "

I would class it as a very useful extra rather than essential. It strikes me that this machine is very much a "starter" and, as such, it contains the "must have" rather than the "like to have". By doing so the manufacturer is keeping the price as low as possible and allowing folk to access, at a reasonable price, equipment which will enable them to get started and gain some experience of machining. As the need arises and cash ( or birthdays!) occur then extras can be purchased to enhance the machine. This has the added advantage that you will gain experience and identify the extras which will most help you.

Remember this is a big hobby and there is a lot to learn – in fact there are many here who have been doing it for years and will say that they are still learning things ( I certainly fall into that camp!). It is though the most enthralling of pastimes and, with a lathe in your workshop and some ingenuity, there is pretty well nothing that you can't fix or make. ( Just don't tell your friends or neighbours as they will always be finding "little challenges" for you!)

Cheers

Norman

 

Edited By NJH on 27/12/2014 18:34:24

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