Tangential tooling

[Keith MathesonParticipant @keithmatheson47708]

I would like to purchase a tangential tool for my lathe and would like the Australian Eccentric one. I may be miss remembering but I thought there was a UK stockist. I have tried a search with no luck. Does anyone recall a UK stockist? If there is none I will have to go through the ‘fun’ of paying in Australian dollars then play the guess how much to I will pay to have it imported through customs game. Thanks in advance. NOTE I know I could probably make one for pennies but I don’t have the time and want to get on with ‘other projects’ to be honest. Many thanks Keith

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

It was a relative of his who was in the UK but they are no longed supplying from UK so you will have to go direct

[Mike HurleyParticipant @mikehurley60381]

I ordered a tool from Ecc Eng in Australia acouple of years back. It took nearly 2 months to arrive as it got ‘lost’ in the Australian postal system (not uncommon apparently). When it arrived it was held in customs as I had to pay extra charges – a customs clearance charge Plus a Royal mail handling charge! All came to about £25 on top if memory serves me right.

Nothing wrong with the tool it worked OK, but didn’t feel it offered much in the way of better performance or any real advantages over ordinary tooling. I Sold it through the classifieds and went back to tipped tools.

regards Mike

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

According to the website you can use paypal which should make it easy (except any customs charge).  I have bought both the toolholders and an Acute grinding system from him.

[Grindstone CowboyParticipant @grindstonecowboy]

I bought mine from him at the Doncaster show quite a few years back, but I suspect they won’t have a stall at any of the shows that are left now. I do find it useful, but it’s not the be-all and end-all of tooling, and if I had to go to a lot of effort to get another, I don’t think I would bother.

You could always find someone going there on holiday to visit family and have things delivered to their relatives prior to the trip. They then bring it back, hopefully avoiding Customs 🙂

Being in a club of some sort, not necessarily model engineering, helps as you get a larger selection of potential couriers…

Rob

[VicParticipant @vic]

I’ve got several Tangential tools, the Eccentric one and a couple of home made versions. It’s a shame they’re so expensive to import now as I find this type of tool very useful. Not at all difficult to make at home but I understand some don’t have the time.

[southernchapParticipant @southernchap]

I can talk from relatively recent experience (as recently as six weeks or so ago).  I’ve ordered a couple of the Diamond tool holders from them and had no problems.  I didn’t get stuck for custom charges either (I think they must have just crept under the import fees floor).

They’re very well made, you get a tool grinding jig and it’s good to support these little businesses (plus it’s nice to support a non-US small business for a change!)

If you don’t fancy making one yourself (and fair play, whilst most of us like making tools, it can be nice to work on something using the tooling you made!) then I’d say buying one from Eccentric is worth the wait for the shipping (and it’s not that long a wait anyway).

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Sounds like a business opportunity for Ketan, the customs handling charge is the biggest cut, and would be the same for any number,

[John HaineParticipant @johnhaine32865]

Presumably there is no duty as such but VAT would be payable?

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

They are really well made,  glad I got a pair of the 16mm shank ones for the big lathe, although for the mini lathe I’ll just copy them at a smaller size they don’t need to be cast tool steel for the kinda forces of a lathe that big, good little project too.

Depends if you can make them quicker than postage from Aus?

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

They almost never come up for sale on ebay,  might be worth placing a wanted ad, someone might have a pair sitting around they don’t use anymore, the couple I have seen on ebay have gone for almost new money, he’s missing a lot of business not having them easily available.

[Howard LewisParticipant @howardlewis46836]

Started by making one for 1/8″ toolbits.  So impressed, made one for 5/15″ toolbits.

But, at a Doncaster show bought the special offer of a RH, a LH and a grinding jig.

Use the RH one for most work (But a carbide tip for roughing or hard materials).

After several years, will soon have to have a second replacement for the toolbit!

A very useful, and easy to grind tool.  Well worth having or making.

Howard

[Keith MathesonParticipant @keithmatheson47708]

Thank you everyone who took the time and trouble to post. I think I will order from their website and sit and wait- then hope  I don’t get stung for import duties!! Best regards Keith

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

Find out if they deal through ebay, if they do then I believe ebay sort out the VAT and duty and you don’t get hit with the handling charge. The VAT  is fair, the handling charge is daylight robbery

[Pete.Participant @pete-2]

I don’t think you’ll regret it, they are really well made, the special high speed steel they sell is marketed as an in-between hss and carbide, I found the makers website in the US, it’s worth getting some,  they advise running it totally dry or full flood coolant.

I thought about ordering a large batch for numerous people as I can’t find anywhere other than eccentric engineering that sells it.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

As the eccentric one seems to have a price barrier for some people why not make one from the many designs about and if you find that it works then that may make your mind up about a purchase. Hell its only a hobby have a go. Ive made 4 HSS/Carbide and round carbide and they are all brilliant. the round carbide one leaves a fantastic finish on hard materials.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Posting for inspiration, many seem to have liked it in the past. Sorry no drawings, I made it up as I went along.

[bernard towersParticipant @bernardtowers37738]

I remember those pictures from earlier postings and they look good, In think the only dimensions/data is that its 12deg leaning away from the operator and 12deg towards the headstock. The trest is up to you shank size etc.

[VicParticipant @vic]

Yes, you can make it any shape or size to suit as long as you use those angles, or something close to it. I’m not sure where I learned about the angles but it seems to work well enough.

If someone’s tried something different I’d be interested to know.

[Neil LickfoldParticipant @neillickfold44316]

I got one this year from Eccentric engineering. They do them in batches , so timing is everything. Just have to check if they are in stock or not. He does the runs on a regular basis. I am vey happy with mine, and got the round and square crobalt as well. A very happy customer and user.

[HollowpointParticipant @hollowpoint]

With the price of carbide tipped tools now so low are these still worthwhile?

I’m not dismissing them just asking.

[duncan webster 1Participant @duncanwebster1]

The inserts ain’t cheap. Using the eccentric supplied jig you can also grind a bit of HSS the right shape for screwcutting.

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

I could not see a price for the replacement HSS blanks but you can get a box of 10 inserts to drop onto your doormat for £4-5 so that is 40 sharp usable corners. Similar cost for a holder. Diamond holder is £92 inc delivery so possibly cheaper over time as you should be able to get quite a few sharpenings out of a bit of HSS. That is provided you are not cutting chilled castings which will take the edge off your HSS rather quickly.

Insert is probably more practical when working small diameters with tailstock support. And you can use the inserts in your boring bars so saves having to buy both.

You can probably gues from above that I have not been tempted to buy or even make one.

I’m almost all carbide now, probably over 95% of my turning and at least 80% of my milling is now done with insert facemills or solid carbide, that will go up as I work through what HSS cutters I have that are still usable and replace with carbide. Drilling and reaming still HSS.

[JasonB]

On JasonB Said:

You can get a box of 10 inserts to drop onto your doormat for £4-5 so that is 40 sharp usable corners.

 

Have you got a link for those please?

[Hollowpoint]

On Hollowpoint Said:

With the price of carbide tipped tools now so low are these still worthwhile?

I’m not dismissing them just asking.

At £2.20 this could almost represent a lifetime supply for many people, certainly hundreds of cutting edges. Most of the small bits of HSS I’ve used in mine were free, given to me because they weren’t much use for anything else.

I also use mine to cut sharp corner on jobs. Also good for plastics etc.

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