Est. 1998 — 27 years of woodworking knowledge
Tool Steel
Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey
>Need to make some cutters for hollowing tools. I can get the stock (Enco) in 1/4 and 3/16 square bar but they come in 2-1/2" lengths (@ $1.50), so I need to halve them. This stuff is HSS with 10 Cobalt.
What do I cut these with, abrasive wheel in the die grinder? I don't think my hacksaw's gonna get very far.
Thanks
Mark
drop the 2 for mail
Re: Tool Steel
Doug Trembath
>An old farmer's trick is to cut them with a hand grinder, cut half way or better, then grab with pliers and break the remainder. Clean up the edges at the grinder platform. You can also use the edge of your wheel, scoring it enough to break it. Remember, cover the cut with leather or cardboard to keep wayward chips out of your eyes or skin. As we all know, hardened steel can shard when it breaks. I've never had any problem doing this, but you never know, better safe than sorry.
Doug Trembath
Studio in the Woods
Re: Tool Steel
John Trant (aka Boxes-n-Bowls)
>I use my Dremel with a cut-off wheel installed. No problems.
John
Re: Tool Steel
John Lucas
>Mark
If you score it with a triangular file or a dremel cuttoff tool you can break it quite easily by putting it in a vice and using pliers to snap it off. I bought a dozen of them to use for making hollowing tools for friends.
Thanks, Folks
Mark Mandell - Gone Round In Jersey
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Re: Tool Steel
Peter Teubel
>I use 1/4" cobalt drill bits for my cutters. I use a cutoff wheel to cut off the fluted section. I then take the "rod" in a pair of visegrips and simply flatten it on my belt sander. Only one cutter per "rod" (the rest is ground away) but its quick and easy.
Re: Tool Steel
Steve Worcester
>You could use a cut off wheel no problem. Try to avoid over heating it too much.
(Hey look, no attached virus!)
Looks like this post was in LDD for a while!
Jean Michel
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