Another what is this?

[Martin W]

I have a bunch of these pieces of what I think is solid carbide? They were in a drawer that I bought full of turning indexable inserts.As the pictures show they are different shapes but all the same length. They are non magnetic.Any idea ?
Cheers
Martin

 

[aliva]

give them a spark test.

 

[Martin W]

Very short red sparks. That’s why I think they are tungsten carbide. Very heavy also Just wondering what they were for , before I put them in my scrap bucket .
cheers

 

[T Bredehoft]

How about tangential lathe tools. grind one end with a bit of relief and hold the body of the carbide vertically against the work.

 

[4ssss]

They don't look like carbide to me. Maybe broach blanks.

 

[brino]

perhaps they were punches(from a die set) in their former life?

all the carbide I have seen is weakly magnetic.
carbide is heavy, perhaps a rough density calculation could help too.

-brino

 

[Martin W]

They grind like my carbide circular saws when I sharpen them. they weigh a lot more than a piece of mild steel the same size. Tom I was thinking the same thing.
Thanks
Martin

 

[Tozguy]

Your weight statement scares me, are they heavy like uranium?

 

[Martin W]

Your weight statement scares me, are they heavy like uranium?

This 1/2"x1/2"x 1-1/2" piece weighs about the same as a 5/8x 2" allen head capscrew with a nut.

These pieces came out of a old machine shop. I was thinking they were for something specific because they were in a drawer with indexable cutters.
I wasn't sure how indexable cutters are made? Are they cut off a length of tungsten carbide? Could these be off-cuts? They are the rough shape of the cutters I have
Martin

 

[Tozguy]

Then I'm with Tom, if they were mine, being short they would be destined for the tangential tool holder.
Once the grinding started I could compare them to other materials like HSS+Co, Crobalt and carbide that I use.