What lathe tools do you recommend

[Thriller]

I have a 10 x 22 Craftex CX 706 lathe. I’m set up with the few carbides. have a set of those junky carbide braised on tip Boring bars. Would like to know what kind of boring bar you recommend that can be found at a reasonable price. I also would like to get more into threading and figured that it would be much easier just to have the proper tool set up so I have better chance at success. My quick post is good for half inch Tools. I see there is many on sites like Amazon, eBay, wish etc..

What do you recommend for best bang for the buck?

 

[pontiac428]

Bang for the buck, unequivocally, is in the domain of HSS. You can buy a lot for a little, and grinding is not rocket surgery. I'd suggest at least trying HSS on your journey.

The brazed carbide boring bars are junk out of the box, but they can be easily re-ground to work well. All of the brazed tools need finish grinding to work worth a darn. Maybe if they were sold as 80% complete lathe tool kits they wouldn't have the bad rap.

 

[RJSakowski]

For touching up that carbide tooling, here is a low cost solution.

Replacement Wheels for the 120v Circular Saw Blade Sharpener

Amazing deals on this Repl Wheels For 120V Circ Saw Blade Sharpener at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

Make an arbor for the diamond blade and mount to a small fractional hp motor. Mine uses a 1/15 hp motor and I have been using the same disk for several years.

 

[mikey]

What do you recommend for best bang for the buck?

I'm with Pontiac; best bang for the buck on a smaller lathe will be HSS but you have to learn to grind them. I also agree that next in line would be brazed carbide but you have to be able to grind those, too, or at least have diamond stones to sharpen them.

Another option is the AR Warner sets that use HSS inserts. Big bucks but the inserts can be easily sharpened and will last for a very long time so they're cheaper than carbide inserts and will also work better on a small lathe vs carbide.

Last is carbide insert tooling. You can buy really cheap tool sets that actually work okayish on a small lathe. One of the best deals I've seen is this one from PM. These are known as SCLCR (RH) and SCLCL (LH) turning tools and a RH SCLCR boring tool. The CCMT inserts are for ferrous stuff and the CCGT inserts work with aluminum (can also work with other materials). These tools are the most commonly used insert tools in the hobby field, mostly because they're cheap and they work. The turning tools can face and turn without having to move the tool if you position the shank perpendicular to the work.

You can hold 1/2" tools but you may not be able to get them on center; I would stick with 3/8" if I were you.

There is no doubt in my mind that HSS will work the best for you but you probably are not ready or able to grind them yet. If this is so, go for the set from AR Warner or PM and learn to use your lathe. ARW sells a HSS threading tool, and PM also sells a threading tool set if you're interested but it's 1/2".

 

[Thriller]

Thanks for the replys, I have ground the high speed steel a little bit but was just looking for something that was consistently the same. I actually have the same HF wheels that I bought for grinding tungsten for tig welding.

 

[mikey]

Thanks for the replys, I have ground the high speed steel a little bit but was just looking for something that was consistently the same.

There is a LOT to know about lathe tools. They often determine how well your lathe works and how accurately you can work. However, what is most important right now is for you to learn to use your lathe so I would focu on that. Later on, when your precision and finishes become important, take another look at your tooling. Do NOT underestimate HSS tools. For a hobby guy with a hobby class lathe, they are often the best tooling option.

 

[DavidR8]

I'm an HSS believer. I won't deny that I have some insert tooling which came in handy turning a cast iron backplate for a chuck.
I've ground HSS tools following the models Mikey provided. And wow, do they cut metal. I have a South Bend 10K with a 1/2hp motor and using a sharp HSS tool I can easily peel off .020 depth of cut in 12L steel.

 

[Thriller]

If I currently use 1/2" with carbide inserts for everything else I assume that the ones you showed from PM would be ok in 1/2" What makes the ones from PM any different than the ones that you would find on Ebay or Amazon? I bought my first set from Busy Bee tools where I bought my lathe. I found that when I went to try some common inserts a friend gave me that the hole was too small on them to use with my tools.

I'm with Pontiac; best bang for the buck on a smaller lathe will be HSS but you have to learn to grind them. I also agree that next in line would be brazed carbide but you have to be able to grind those, too, or at least have diamond stones to sharpen them.

Another option is the AR Warner sets that use HSS inserts. Big bucks but the inserts can be easily sharpened and will last for a very long time so they're cheaper than carbide inserts and will also work better on a small lathe vs carbide.

Last is carbide insert tooling. You can buy really cheap tool sets that actually work okayish on a small lathe. One of the best deals I've seen is this one from PM. These are known as SCLCR (RH) and SCLCL (LH) turning tools and a RH SCLCR boring tool. The CCMT inserts are for ferrous stuff and the CCMT inserts work with aluminum (can also work with other materials). These tools are the most commonly used insert tools in the hobby field, mostly because they're cheap and they work. The turning tools can face and turn without having to move the tool if you position the shank perpendicular to the work.

You can hold 1/2" tools but you may not be able to get them on center; I would stick with 3/8" if I were you.

There is no doubt in my mind that HSS will work the best for you but you probably are not ready or able to grind them yet. If this is so, go for the set from AR Warner or PM and learn to use your lathe. ARW sells a HSS threading tool, and PM also sells a threading tool set if you're interested but it's 1/2".

 

[mikey]

If I currently use 1/2" with carbide inserts for everything else I assume that the ones you showed from PM would be ok in 1/2" What makes the ones from PM any different than the ones that you would find on Ebay or Amazon? I bought my first set from Busy Bee tools where I bought my lathe. I found that when I went to try some common inserts a friend gave me that the hole was too small on them to use with my tools.

Nothing makes them different. It's just that the PM package is priced very attractively, especially since you get 10 inserts plus the two tool holders plus a boring bar. In this price range the cheap tool holders are all pretty much the same.

That is not to say that they are as good as tool holders from Iscar, Seco and the like. The difference is the precision and fit of the insert seat and the quality of the steel they use. Take a big cut with a cheap tool holder vs an industrial quality tool holder and you'll see the difference. This impacts on insert life, accuracy, finish and cost. Not so important to a hobby guy but very important in a production setting.

 

[Nigel123]

If I currently use 1/2" with carbide inserts for everything else I assume that the ones you showed from PM would be ok in 1/2" What makes the ones from PM any different than the ones that you would find on Ebay or Amazon? I bought my first set from Busy Bee tools where I bought my lathe. I found that when I went to try some common inserts a friend gave me that the hole was too small on them to use with my tools.

I had the same problem with the holes being too small
I used some diamond grinder bits I bought at Princess auto years ago in a dremel tool to increase the hole size
They were cheap but they worked