carbide tools

Re: carbide tools

john lucas

There's probably 2 dozen videos on how to make your own carbide tools. Just do a search on youtube. However for $39 you can buy a bowl gouge. When freshly sharpened it will cut cleaner than the carbide scrapers and you can do lots of different cuts with it. Even with poor sharpening techniques it will still last you many years before it's too short to use. With proper sharpening it will last even a production turner a couple of years. You will still have to replace the carbide cutters occasionally and right from the start they begin to get dull and don't cut as clean. Yes you can sharpen them on diamond hones but it will take a while.

Re: carbide tools

Barry Irby

I told Mike Hunter that I "invented" Carbide tools maybe ten years before he did. He pointed out that the carbice cutters I was looking at then were not nearly as good or suited as well for wood and mine would have failed to work as well as the ones with the new generation of carbide.

The point is, be sure you purchase the best nano grained carbide you can find for this. Also, this is a project where I would spend $500 worth of time and effort to produce a $100 tool. And still not have one as good as you can buy. BTDT Unless you really have the tools and skills to do this, borrow some, find the ones you like and suit you, buy them and enjoy.

Re: carbide tools

Don Evans

I agree Barry, I made my first carbide tool with carbide bars that I had in stock for my metal lathe and they didn't cut wood well at all. This was at least 10 years or more ago.

Just a year to two ago, I got one of the nano carbide round cutters from Lyle for my boring bar Lyle sells and I was really impress with how well they cut. The only problem I have with them is being making a smooth cut, which I guess practice is the only answer and I've got to smooth up my captive bar better and wax it better.

I have always used microcrystalline wax on my tool rest which works well but I wonder if others get good results from a less expensive wax? If so what do you and others use?

Don

Pay less

John K Jordan

I have always used microcrystalline wax on my tool rest which works well but I wonder if others get good results from a less expensive wax? If so what do you and others use?

How about just paying less? Renaissance Wax is unreasonably expensive from Woodcraft and other suppliers but I've bought the same amount for 1/2 the price from Amazon. The prices change on the Renaissance Wax, so look around.

How about this brand, much cheaper:

https://www.amazon.com/Microcrystalline-Preserves-Protects-Leather-Surfaces/dp/B07FCPBX83

Or in bulk:

https://www.amazon.com/Microcrystalline-Pure-White-Block-Enkaustikos/dp/B003IPUDTM

I've heard that the neutral shoe polish was essentially microcrystalline wax but I don't know that for a fact.

I use Reniassance Wax on my tool rests and bandsaw table. (And woodturnings.)

JKJ

Don, candle wax on the tool rest works..........

JamieDonaldson

....just fine, and for a fraction of the price of Renaissance wax!

Re: Don, candle wax on the tool rest works........

John lucas

I've been using the same candle.for 10 years to lubricate my tool rests, my hand planes or any other metal.against metal.

Re: Don, candle wax on the tool rest works........

JohnV

candle wax is usually just paraffin , It can be bought in small cakes in canning supplies in grocery store and in craft supply stores. Pretty cheap.

Ask at church on Sunday, they usually .......

JamieDonaldson

....have boxes and more boxes of candle stubs they are very willing to send to a new home!

Re: Ask at church on Sunday, they usually .......

Don Evans

Thanks Gentlemen for the tips.

Don

Re: carbide tools

lyle Jamieson

Hi Don, thanks for the mention. Yes, I use the Hunter nanograin carbide for my hollowing system. But it is used as a slicing tool not in scraper mode. Yes, again, the wax is an important part of the control you want. I suggest you go back and look at my DVD again and look at the carbide cutter techniques. Take a piece of scrap wood and play with the three cuts I use with the carbide. Take 10 minutes to practice and you will see a big difference when you stick it in the hollow form. With the fingertip control from my system you can clean up tool marks easily. Its just like writing a curved line with a pencil on a piece of paper.

Re: carbide tools

Don Evans

Thanks Lyle, I'll do the DVD review. Smoothing the captive bar and the D handle will make a great improvement I'm sure. I am cutting with the nano not scraping.

The big problem appears to be in the fact that the boring bar is too hard to get moving due to friction and then when enough force is applied to get it moving it jumps so to speak.

I'll get it, just a little time and extra effort required.

Don

Re: carbide tools

Doug

I asked what I thought was a simple question and everybody came up with a bunch of BULL***???

thanks everyone might not be back you have your own click that only help yourselves out!!!

You're welcome Doug!

JamieDonaldson

shooting the poor bovine

John K Jordan

>>>has anyone ever made their own carbide lathe tools?

I see where three people immediately provided useful answers but to interpret, yes, you can make your own cheap tools. Simple to make ("youtube") but don't use them because they cut poorly (not suitable, "didn't cut well"). To further interpret, the tools referred to here are the inexpensive flat-surface carbide bits and even some of the later generation. The Hunter tools are different but not cheap - might as well buy one.

Most of those who did make and try to use cheap-bit carbide tools have moved on (I gave mine away) and those who still use them have not moved much, at least in woodturning skills. If in need of proof, go to some symposiums or demos and see how many pros are using such tools.

The rest is a bonus, woodturners conversation.

JKJ