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Carbide bit holder recommendation

Rickoo

Plastic
Joined
Jan 19, 2021
There are lots for threads associated with using carbide tools on south bend lathes with lots of recommendations to not use carbide and stick with HSS. Others have used carbide successfully with the usual recommendation to ensure positive cutter geometry and sharp edges.

I have used a set of tools similar to the ones that you linked to on my Heavy 10 and was not satisfied with the cut quality or surface finishes I could achieve. I would save your money.

Arthur R.Warner makes tool holders that accept HSS inserts that folks have used with success. I have used their parting blade and really like it. I can’t comment on their holders yet but hope to get one soon.

I have had good success with my Heavy ten using Aloris AXA-16 and AXA-12 tool holders with TPG321 carbide inserts. The inserts are readily available and usually inexpensive. I have been using them with Kennametal inserts with good luck. There are lots of cheaper brand interests available but I cannot comment on their quality. The 12 and 16 holders have positive geometry, the 12N and 16N are negative geometry and I don’t think they would work as well but I have not tried them. If you get the 16 you don’t need the 12.

For boring, I have been using a 3/8” solid carbide boring bar with Kennametal CCGT060202HP inserts with great results. The inserts have a hooked sharp point that provides positive geometry. The inserts are recommended for aluminum but I use them on steel and they work well. I don’t take heavy cuts (.010” DOC / <.003” per rev feed) but the surface is really good. Used it on hardened steel the other day and the cut was simply amazing. Not an inexpensive tool but will probably last my lifetime in my hobby shop if I treat it right.

Your mileage may vary but I hope this helps.

Ben
 
Ditto.
That set is crap.

HSS is straightforward, and the Warner tooling is great if that's what you want to use.
Carbide has more of a learning curve with speeds/feeds, but I use it exclusively.

FWIW, I like the profiling inserts- VBMT, DCMT as they're pretty versatile. Inserts like WNMG offer multiple cutting edges per insert and are more economical.

1/2" is pretty stout for a 9" machine- I use them on my larger 11" Sheldon but I use 3/8" on my 9" SB. Better check before purchasing to be sure you can get it on-center.

Take a look at Shars, reasonable prices and decent quality.
 
Agreed. I wasn't contemplating buying that set. Just posted it so you folks would know what I was looking for. I have a relative with the same machine who went from HSS to carbide and said he would never go back. I have very little experience with either.

Really just starting out after restoring my machine. It came with a Phase 11 quick change tool post and four or five tool holders. They look like one for a parting bit, a few for turning. a knurling unit and a boring bar holder. I was looking for a set of bit holders and carbide bit inserts (and boring bar) for general purpose.

Not so familiar with some of the abbreviations you folks are using. Need to learn and was hoping to pick up a "decent" quality/cost effective set of bits/holders to learn on. Hope that's a bit more clear.



Ditto.
That set is crap.

HSS is straightforward, and the Warner tooling is great if that's what you want to use.
Carbide has more of a learning curve with speeds/feeds, but I use it exclusively.

FWIW, I like the profiling inserts- VBMT, DCMT as they're pretty versatile. Inserts like WNMG offer multiple cutting edges per insert and are more economical.

1/2" is pretty stout for a 9" machine- I use them on my larger 11" Sheldon but I use 3/8" on my 9" SB. Better check before purchasing to be sure you can get it on-center.

Take a look at Shars, reasonable prices and decent quality.
 
I second the vote for the AR Warner holders & cutters . I have had the 5 piece 3/8's set for several years now . I haven't used all the cutting edges yet or the spare cutter that came with the kit . easy to sharpen & if ya want ya can get carbide inserts to fit the SR Warner tool holders . But for me I don
't see the need for carbide on my 9A . The Warner cutter have been able to take anything I can dish out with great success .
animal
 
Sounds good. AR Warner looks like a decent quality set. Thanks.


I second the vote for the AR Warner holders & cutters . I have had the 5 piece 3/8's set for several years now . I haven't used all the cutting edges yet or the spare cutter that came with the kit . easy to sharpen & if ya want ya can get carbide inserts to fit the SR Warner tool holders . But for me I don
't see the need for carbide on my 9A . The Warner cutter have been able to take anything I can dish out with great success .
animal
 
I'd recommend a set of SCLCR turning and boring tools, plus a box of 10 CCGT inserts as posted above. The 06/22.51 size in 3/8 holders would work fine. You can combination sets all day for $40-50.
 
The set you pictured is what I have but made by H.B. Rouse (USA). Most of those cheaper import sets are copies.
I save this set for the final turning stages on something that has to look good.

ARNO USA Rebrands H.B. Rouse, American Made Line of Carbide Cutting Tools and Inserts

In between finish cuts I use those brazed carbides. A chip happens, then I just grind it down. You can get a lot of mileage out of those brazed carbides. Sometimes I forget about that H. B. Rouse set
because the brazed bits are doing so good. When grinding carbide you can get it hot as heck, just don't cool with water. Use a shank to draw away heat.
 
Skipped.

I've had good results with some Kennametal WNMG holders.

Pricy up front but only $1 per cutting edge thereafter. $60 for a pack of 60 cutting edges. I just use Carbide Depot's in-house Carbi-Universal brand general purpose inserts. Maybe not the best of the best for everything, but certainly good enough for 95% of the things being done in a home shop. Tool post grinder or emery cloth for the other 5% where a positively immaculate surface finish actually matters.

Carbide Depot
 
Avoid that set you linked. Go for one of the sets like these.

4Set of 12mm Shank Metal CNC Lathe Turning Tool Boring Bar With Carbide Inserts | eBay

4 Set 12mm Shank Lathe Boring Bar Turning Tool Holder Set w/ 10X Carbide Inserts | eBay

I have purchased a full assortment of turning, boring and threading tools off eBay and Aliexpress for my Heavy 10L. They have all been of good quality

I bought a set like that from AliExpress and did not get good holders. Only 1 out of the 4 holders would properly seat the insert. I could see an air gap between the seat and the insert so matter how many times I reset and tightened it. I filed a complaint to AliExpress and they promptly refunded my money and full and never asked for the holders back. I recut the seat (not the 7degree angle) and it works great now. But I went ahead and ordered some higher quality holders. That being said I've been using cheap Chinese inserts and getting good results. They may not last as long (although I've more expensive inserts wear out prematurely too), but I like that I can get a variety of types for dirt cheap. Usually $0.50 or $1 per insert.

If you buy more expensive holders they won't come in a set, you'll have to wade through their catalogs to get the model number for each one and then fine who has the best price with shipping included. Kennemetal, sandvik, Korloy, inscar are all good. Toolmex or tmx are also decent for a better price. For threading tool holders look at carmex.

I get good results with CCMT/CCGT inserts. I use 1/2" shank and 32.5x size on my heavy 10 although you may want to consider 3/8 shank and 21.51 size inserts for the 9a. The nice thing about those inserts is you can use them in external holder as well as boring bars. They would be CCMT060204 for ISO/metric sizing, or CCMT21.51 for ANSI/imperial. The last 04 on the metric and the last 1 in the imperial just denotes the radius at the tip of the insert. But CCMT060204 and CCMT21.51 are the exact same insert. Usually if buying import holders they'll use the ISO designation, and if buying higher quality holders in the US they'll use the ANSI/imperial measurement. Likewise the import holders will use an ISO name like SCLCR1010 (10mm x 10mm shank) vs imperial SCLCR06 (06 being 6/16 or 3/8")
 








 
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