Machining Full-hard Hss

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Andre

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Needed to shape some HSS last night, but was not able to use my toolpost grinder because the compressor got disconnected when wiring in the surface grinder. I tried to see if carbide would cut it on an old rickety machine, and sure enough it did. Just plain Chinese brazed carbide, nothing special.

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The high pitched whine was steady not fluctuating, the microphone just had a hard time adjusting to it.
 
I have often used carbide(the cheap Chinese brazed on type) to turn hard steel,HSS or otherwise. Of course,carbide was not made for that purpose,but you can get away with doing it.

I haven't tried using carbide for extended cuts on hard steels. Sooner or later,it will fail.

MAN! Re: The video on friction drilling . That guy is NOT A CHOICE MACHINIST!!! Too bad ANYONE can post videos out there.
 
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If that was who i think it was, I don't like his videos myself. I think he is actually a pretty smart guy but likes to play the moron.
 
If its the video where he starts out by droping the f bomb, I didnt make it a few seconds past that.

Andre thanks for the tip.

Sent from somewhere in East Texas Jake Parker
 
Lets not get carried away with bashing someone on a irrelevant topic, please.
 
not to completely hijack the thread , but now that i see it done i have a follow up question .

what is the possibility of cutting a profile on a hss blank and then milling away one side of it into a d bit style cutter with a carbide endmill .
any thoughts?
 
I'd advise just grinding the great bulk of the HSS away. You can get away with cutting HSS to some degree,but sooner or later,your carbide will fail. Turning HSS on a lathe is easier than trying to mill it. And,less of a loss when the cutter fails.
 
Turning HSS is possible with carbide because it's a continuous cut, milling HSS would be near impossible because it's an inturrupted cut. The frequency of extreme pressure would destroy carbide.

Turning 30 thou off that pin already destroyed a carbide toolbit. I've destroyed them turning normal mild steel, and is the main reason I prefer using HSS. Carbide is brittle, and with extreme pressure it can suddenly fail and chip. HSS has more of a "grain" than carbide, which it made from a powder. Although HSS wears down faster, it is more impact resistant and "springy". Also much easier (and not as toxic) to grind.
 
Years ago when I was building my CNC mill I ordered a 6' ballscrew to cut what I needed from it. After removing a section with a chop saw I chucked it up and watched a couple carbide inserts self destruct. I remembered a buddy had brought over some square diamond tipped inserts he'd found somewhere and quickly made a holder for one. The cutting edge on the inserts looks more like a chamfer (no sharp surface) and it took a lot of pressure but they peeled the hard layer right off.
 
I used a carbide end mill make a square shank on a old HSS tap in order to salvage it. The original square end was snapped off. The rest of the tap was okay. Was a 1/2-13 tap in a box full of old taps and drills I bought. I thought "Why not try it?" The result worked with slow feed but not the greatest finish.
 
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