Beginner looking at first tools

[Andre]

You may not often need a .071" internal O ring groove in a piece, but when you do you can't use insertable carbide tooling. Much more practical to grind your own tooling.

 

[muscleflex]

Thanks all. I'll purchase that set on the first post for now and I'll study the shapes and will try and grind my own at a later stage.
I only have a cheap £30 bench grinder from Aldi (270w bench grinder with a coarse grind stone on the left and a belt sander on the right)
Like this: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Bench-Grinder-and-Belt-Sander/dp/B0031532DI

Will my bench grinder do for grinding my own from HSS tool blanks?

- - - Updated - - -

Not for the diameters you mention.
Dave

Thanks - so it's ok to have a go parting on my aluminum 6mm diameter rod?

 

[muscleflex]

Hi all - I managed to borrow these two tools.. but I have no idea what they are?!
Can any of you tell me what they are please?

 

[X-RAY]

Ive been grinding my bits with a dremel until i get a belt grinder built. i guess anything is possible if you have more immagination than tools.

 

[Andre]

Hi all - I managed to borrow these two tools.. but I have no idea what they are?!
Can any of you tell me what they are please?
View attachment 81586View attachment 81587

Those are brazed carbide turning tools. In bad shape but if you touch them up they may work.
If you want to sharpen these you need a silicone carbide or electroplated CBN bench grinding wheel, standard aluminum oxide won't cut carbide.

 

[JimDawson]

Those are brazed carbide turning tools. In bad shape but if you touch them up they may work.
If you want to sharpen these you need a silicone carbide or electroplated CBN bench grinding wheel, standard aluminum oxide won't cut carbide.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here Andre.

Those are HHS or maybe even High Carbon tools. They will grind just fine on a standard aluminum oxide wheel. I also do most of my carbide grinding on my aluminum oxide wheel on my bench grinder, the do the touch up on my silicon carbide green wheels on my tool grinder.

Both tools are right hand turning tools. The top one looks like it could be used for facing and shallow boring, I never really did understand the purpose of the bend in the shank. A bit more working clearance I guess. The bottom tool is a pretty common shape for general turning.

 

[mikey]

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with you here Andre. Those are HHS or maybe even High Carbon tools.

I agree with Jim - those look like cheap Chinese shanks that used to have brazed carbide bits soldered onto them and have been ground on a bench grinder. They are marred by the set screws of a tool holder and are also bent so they're soft steel.

The top one looks like a round nose tool for between shoulders work but this one has positive side rake and no back rake. Typically, round nose tools have zero rake tops so this one, if ground this way on purpose, would be used as a RH tool and will cut towards the chuck.

The second one looks like it was ground as a facing tool or knife tool. This one also has positive side and back rake and is meant to be a RH tool. It has no significant nose radius so I suspect it is used for facing. Curved shanks typically are used for clearance close to the chuck.

Both are well worn and you should take a sharpening stone and hone them before use.

Even better, buy the tools you linked in your original post and use them. While I agree grinding your own tools is a good idea, especially for a small lathe, that takes time to learn and who wants to wait for that when you have a brand new lathe asking to be turned on? Buy those new tools and learn to use them. If you hone them after each session they will last you a very, very long time. You can later buy some mild steel key stock to learn how to grind bits before graduating to HSS.

Oh, by the way, knife tools are actually meant for facing but many use them as general purpose turning tools so the first two tools in your list will face well. They have a machine-ground chipbreaker so they'll work fine but may be a bit harder to sharpen; you will need a very thin stone or a credit card sized diamond stone to do it.

 

[GarageGuy]

Sharpening HSS blanks is not hard at all. I disagree with DMS that HSS does not last long on steel. HSS works very well on steel. On a 7x14 lathe, you'll probably be using 1/4" cutting tools, and they are fast and easy to grind. Cheap to buy too! HSS blanks are probably about $3 each, and can be sharpened dozens of times.

The blue cutting tools in your photos are the Chinese brazed carbide tools. The ones you show have lost their carbide tips, and the remaining soft shank won't cut much of anything. A new set of these are dirt cheap on eBay. I have a couple of sets that came with some tooling lots I bought. Buy a set on eBay and try them out. You might like them.

Watch Tubalcain's YouTube videos on how to sharpen HSS cutting tools, and you'll be up and running in no time.

GG

 

[kevin]

Yes, it is fairly easy to grind your own HSS tools (assuming you have HSS blanks and a half-way decent grinder), but I think making this kind of purchase when you are in the beginner stage makes a lot of sense. As a beginner, you'll have a lot of learning to do, and taking a few things out of the equation can making the learning curve a bit easier to take. With ready-made tools you can be reasonabl certain that the tools are "correct", and concentrate on learning the basics of facing, turning, and parting. When those cutting tools start to get worn, or when you need a special tool (like a form tool), that will be the time to get a grinder and start learning how to grind cutting tools.

Buy those tools, get your self some metal (aluminum is good to start with) and make some chips. And don't forget those safety glasses!

 

[gudnithor]

Mr Pete is a great teacher in machining and grinding your own lathe tools. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrDr4rYLiAk