Lathe - HSS micro cutoff tool?

draganm · Aug 2, 2019

anyone recommend a decent tool that takes the sliding HSS blades in a very small size 1/16" wide, 1/4 to 3/8" tall. All the ones i see are cheap imports, and not a huge fan.
reason is i do a lot of expensive plastic, Vespel, PEEK, trying to reduce waste. Can go to 3/32 if need be. Currently have this, made in India, not very good
I've gone to both Dorian and Aloris and their web-sites are really non-functional : (
thank you for any advice

draganm · Aug 2, 2019

I found this one from Grizzly, unlike the one i have, at least the blade is fully supported. Anyone try this yet?

Limy Sami · Aug 2, 2019

Look for Swiss lathe or sliding head lathe tooling.

iwananew10K · Aug 2, 2019

Probably not what you want hear, but IMO for your purpose you would be far better off to grind from square HSS blanks, you get the thinness you want in a much more stable tool that doesn't require a special holder.

MattiJ · Aug 2, 2019

draganm said:
anyone recommend a decent tool that takes the sliding HSS blades in a very small size 1/16" wide, 1/4 to 3/8" tall. All the ones i see are cheap imports, and not a huge fan.
reason is i do a lot of expensive plastic, Vespel, PEEK, trying to reduce waste. Can go to 3/32 if need be. Currently have this, made in India, not very good
I've gone to both Dorian and Aloris and their web-sites are really non-functional : (
thank you for any advice

How large diameters you need to work with?

Carbide parting inserts and tooling are available down to 1.5mm if 15mm reach is sufficient.

Thunderjet · Aug 2, 2019

iwananew10K said:
Probably not what you want hear, but IMO for your purpose you would be far better off to grind from square HSS blanks, you get the thinness you want in a much more stable tool that doesn't require a special holder.

I do exactly that.
.020 x .188 tall and about .300 reach.

Works well for plastics and carbon, even aluminum is ok with some lube.

Limy Sami · Aug 2, 2019

HSS blades down to 0.040'' wide BUT 1/2'' high T-Type Cut-Off Blades H.S.S. | Somma Tool Company

Some of the holders available Universal Tool Posts & Cut-Off Blade Holders | Somma Tool Company

Another type of blade JCO (Johnson Style) Hollow Ground Cut-Off Blades | Somma Tool Company

And yet more blades Somma Tool - Acme "B" Type 7deg Beveled Cut-Off Blades | Somma Tool Company

Circular pattern cut off tools (these IMHO are beyond cool

) Circular Plain Cut-Off, Cut-Off & Chamfer | Somma Tool Company

Have a general rummage here https://www.sommatool.com/products.asp

iwananew10K · Aug 2, 2019

Never used this, but some seem to like them and at least it's high quality.
maybe something here will appeal to you-

Cutoff and Grooving

FredC · Aug 2, 2019

I think Empire still has some and will custom make them for you. I have had them make 2 and copied their patterns in making several more from A6 tool steel. I have made both styles, the Luers patent style with the cam locks and the kind with the wedge. The Luers style will make indentations in the bottom of the blade that have to be honed out as the blade wears and is sharpened. The wedge style is more trouble free but takes a little more thought to make them.

Limy mentioned Somma, if they have what you need it is good American made stuff. Never asked them to make custom but that might be worth a shot also.

OK, I went back and looked at the original post and you are looking for 3/8 tall blades. I have ever seen them that short, the 1/2 tall blades I mostly use are available in widths down to .040 and Somma has them in solid or brazed carbide as well as several grades of HSS.
Not sure where a 1/4 or 3/8 height would save anything, it is the width that will waste material.

draganm · Aug 2, 2019

thanks for all the replies guys, I'm not averse to grinding my own tools, do it all the time, but for this really want something i can sharpen in 2 minutes and use for years without re-profiling the blade.

iwananew10K I think this one for 85 bucks is exactly what i want,
thanks

made here with pride.
Kit #28 3/8 inch Parting Tool
need to choose between the 3/8 or 1/2" and make sure either one accepts the .032 blade option.

btw, it's amazing how hard these things are to find, even with google it's like looking for Unicorn poop

Toolznthings · Aug 2, 2019

I have their cut off tool and it works very well. 1/6" and 1/32" blades.

https://www.arwarnerco.com/

9finger · Aug 2, 2019

I may have an OLD Starrett thin HSS parting tool laying around. I'll check.

rons · Aug 4, 2019

I bought a few Micro 100 cutoff tools. The HSS shattered where the carbide was attached to the HSS blank. That was parting off a 1" diameter aluminium piece at about 350 rpm.
I'm using my old HSS blanks. Have not bought a new blank yet because all the stuff they have in stock is chinese junk.

thermite · Aug 4, 2019

iwananew10K said:
Probably not what you want hear, but IMO for your purpose you would be far better off to grind from square HSS blanks, you get the thinness you want in a much more stable tool that doesn't require a special holder.

Close, but slow cigar. for all the grinding from a square blank will demand.

What you want is salvaged power hacksaw blade lengths. Big and deep ones. Worth chopsawing up NEW blades, actually. They are as little as five bucks and up, each, so many PHS having gone-over to coldsaws or bandsaws.

Thin section across, plus very DEEP (that's important..). Already that shape..

Very little grinding needed to put what you need for your particular material into the working edge. Fast and dirt-cheap to have "many", each ground for different plastics, even shiney-wood and "real" wood. Steel and bronze, too... if you have the coolant for it and a bit of patience.

Provide FULL support clear out to directly under the contact edge - or even a tab beyond.

About as thin a waste-line as one can sustain without egg-walking to hand razor-saw the material off.

Limy Sami · Aug 4, 2019

Warning to Thermites M/C hacksaw blade idea, …..some are Bi metal - as in a strip of HSS welded to the edge of a carbon steel blank.

I know for sure Sandvik blades are mainly Bi-metal

thermite · Aug 4, 2019

Limy Sami said:
Warning to Thermites M/C hacksaw blade idea, …..some are Bi metal - as in a strip of HSS welded to the edge of a carbon steel blank.

I know for sure Sandvik blades are mainly Bi-metal

Easily have seven or eight varieties counting pitch and gullet shapes as well as makers-of amongst the 50-60 18" X 1 1/2" - or Metric equivalent - I laid by for the Kasto whilst they were cheap and plentiful. There's a TON of stuff they can be "donors" for, worn or new, besides sawing.

Pretty obvious the side with the teeth is the HSS part on the welded ones. MOST hand HS blades are Bi, gar-ron-teed side stresses abound. PHS, with precise guidance, not as often, but yazzz... pays to pay attention...

michiganbuck · Aug 4, 2019

If having a surface grinder you might experiment with putting on a top radius to a parting blade so the cutting edge has the effect of a positive rake angle. We made parting blades with a 1/4" to a 1" radius on the top edge. Some we made with this scallop and the exit angle going to one side with wishing chip ribbon to go a certain direction.
Yes some guys do this by hand on a bench grinder to a blade or tool bit.
Some parting blades we made with side taper going down both side of perhaps 1 ot 2 degrees.
Others we made with flat sides bit wider at the top to the width needed, so perhaps the sides below the tool with would be flat ground undercut .005 or so.
Being exact square to the part and at the best position to center is very important.
I used a cold air gun for some grinding..that might help for plastics parting.(?)
Cold Air Guns, Nozzles | Industrial Spot Air Cooling Equipment

Guest · Aug 4, 2019

Limy Sami said:
Look for Swiss lathe or sliding head lathe tooling.

I have some that are only .040 wide, but they don't support a very deep depth of cut. Even the .062 wide will only cut off 13/16 stock.

Limy Sami · Aug 5, 2019

Dualkit said:
I have some that are only .040 wide, but they don't support a very deep depth of cut. Even the .062 wide will only cut off 13/16 stock.

I agree, that's often the problem with them Dual, ...BOTOH the OP didn't say what dia' he wanted to part.

thermite · Aug 5, 2019

Limy Sami said:
I agree, that's often the problem with them Dual, ...BOTOH the OP didn't say what dia' he wanted to part.

Nor if it might be thinwall tube o/e cavity at the parting line... a beloved case, relative to solids, anyway.

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