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Help Identify Mystery Tool Bit "330 DET.2"

cinematechnic

Cast Iron
Joined
Apr 11, 2005
Location
Walnut Creek, CA
I got this tool bit at a clearance section in a tool store many years ago. I still haven't figured out what it is or what it is meant for. It seems (to me) to have an unusual angle to the cutting edge.

It seems to be solid carbide, and the shank is 5/16" square.

On one side is etched 330 DET.2

Any help is appreciated.

Photos below
330 Det 1.jpg

330 Det 2.jpg

330 Det 3.jpg
 
I got this tool bit at a clearance section in a tool store many years ago. I still haven't figured out what it is or what it is meant for. It seems (to me) to have an unusual angle to the cutting edge.

It seems to be solid carbide, and the shank is 5/16" square.

On one side is etched 330 DET.2

Any help is appreciated.

Photos below
View attachment 303003

View attachment 303004

View attachment 303005

330 det.2 to me would indicate something like Job Number 330 Detail number 2

My guess is it was made for a special operation on a specific part.
 
That looks like a bog standard left hand turning bit.

And L.H so more than likely for a boring bar, ????????????? or less likely a facing tool, as it's not a common pattern for a screw machine that runs ''backwards''

The ID etching is probably a tooling / job reference.
 
Could be for a rear toolpost or a boring bar, or perhaps it was used to cut upside down in reverse on the front toolpost. I've had to do that plenty of times.
 
It's not carbide, it's HSS.
It's also nothing special, it could have been used in a lathe or maybe even a shaper.
 
Thanks for the replies! I thought it might be a left-hand bit. As far as material: It does have a dark color and seems to feel heavier than steel. Perhaps it may be steel with a high tungsten content.

I'll check it with a magnet tomorrow. I'm a bit disappointed it is not something special (it looked unusual to me), but I got it with a bunch of other stuff in a box for $10 or so 15 years ago at a tool store in Miami.

I do miss the days when there were actual machine tool stores you could go to. When I moved to L.A. 10 years ago I was surprised there seemed to be no such stores there (I regrettably never got a chance to go to Reliable Tool before they shut down). Either the cost of doing business was too high, or there was already too much competition from online.

I've been in Southern Maine for over a year now. I order everything in. If I was still in Burbank, CA I'd have to do the same AND pay 10.25% tax...
 
If it's heavier, might be one of the cast non-ferrous alloys, like Tantung or Stellite. Very nice stuff, sort of in between carbide and HSS,but easy to grind
 
Yes it works well. I have a middling sized box full of it that I picked out from the old ratty HSS bins at work that were bought at auction. Nobody else even knew what it was. Owner of the shop said go ahead and keep it, so I did! All of it, muahaahahaa!

Easy to find and differentiate with a neo magnet. Barely sticks to a Tantung or Stellite tool. Attracted to carbide very little too (compared to steel) but much more so than Tantung or Stellite.
 
Yeah, no more difficult than M-42 in my experience. And you can really lean into the grinding heel with it, no danger of losing hardness, just don't quench it.

I love Tantung for turning wood, stays sharp way longer than HSS. Have made hand turning scraper tools by brazing pieces of 1/8" cutoff blanks onto 1018. I leave the burr after grinding, cuts curly hard maple like a dream, no tear out.

Pricey stuff, but used to find bargains on ebay. Have a lifetime (several) supply at this point.
 
I checked that tool bit from my original post with a neo magnet. Did not stick at all. Definitely not HSS.

I do have a few small pieces of Tantung G so I'll compare it with them for color and magnetism.
 








 
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