r/turning • u/captianinsano • Oct 27 '14

I've been wanting to try a carbide lathe tool but rather than spending $130 I made my own.

http://imgur.com/a/tMsm4
22 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

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3

u/bobasaurus Oct 28 '14

Excellent work, looks really useful. The grain in the handle is amazing, too. I made a similar tool a while back:

http://imgur.com/a/XkEEg

2

u/captianinsano Oct 28 '14

I didnt think figured maple would be the best wood for a strong tool handle but the wood where the rod connects is pretty straight (kind of). But your tool looks great. Im going to try to copy the size and shape for my next tool I make.

3

u/drac0linux Oct 27 '14

Very nice! I've been considering doing the same thing for the exact $ame reason$.

2

u/dilespla Oct 27 '14

Cool. I just ordered some carbide cutters and a long rod of 416 stainless. What's the diameter of that one? Have you used it yet?

2

u/captianinsano Oct 27 '14

This is 3/8" steel rod. Im going to make a few more with 1/2" steel rod and 1/2" steel bar. I read that you dont want to have a round rod with the square carbide cutter because it can roll in your hand too easily from a catch so if you have a steel bar with a flat bottom it can sit on the tool rest nice a flat and give you more control to go in straight.

And im going to try to use it tonight for the first time. Ive got a hollow form that I tried using my bowl gouge on and failed miserably. That was my inspiration to make this.

1

u/dilespla Oct 27 '14

Thanks for the info! Looks like I'll need to flatten the bottom for the square cutter, or just buy some square stock. I found 4 different cutter shapes on eBay and ordered all of them, along with enough steel rod to make 4 tools. Now I just need wood for the handles.

4

u/captianinsano Oct 27 '14

Check these out: http://globaltooling.bizhosting.com/products/carbide-insert-knives.html

and these: http://www.carbidedepot.com/detail.aspx?ID=151059

I just found them today but they are way cheaper. Not sure if they are exactly what we would need but they look promising.

Also I just used cheap steel rod from HD. $6 for 3 feet.

2

u/Gnardar Oct 27 '14

A lot of people who make their own tools over at lumberjocks use the same cutters.. Good results

2

u/dilespla Oct 28 '14

Wow. Those are a bit cheaper than what I ordered. I'll have to go back and see what shapes they have. I ordered a square, radius square, round, and the diamond shape. All of these are replacement cutters for the Easy Wood lathe tools. The steel rod is 6 feet for $15.50.

3

u/ronweeber Oct 29 '14

What do you think of making something like this out of a hexagonal bar that way you can get a good flat profile or shear if you want. Am I missing an obvious negative here?

1

u/Gnardar Oct 28 '14

How hard was tapping the rod?

1

u/Gnardar Oct 28 '14

Looks really nice BTW!

1

u/captianinsano Oct 28 '14

It was actually really easy. I bought this tap from Home Depot and it fit the screw that came with the cutter. I used motor oil to lubricate the tap (that's all I had) and it worked just fine. Just go slow and work the tap in a full turn, out half a turn, in a full turn.... keep going until you are through.

1

u/Gnardar Oct 28 '14

Excellent thanks!

1

u/Gnardar Oct 28 '14

So, what was the verdict when you used this? Happy with it?

1

u/captianinsano Oct 28 '14

...I wasn't able to get in the shop last night. Damn responsibilities getting in the way of my fun. Ill update when I can escape out to there and try it out.

1

u/gradyh Oct 28 '14

I wish I would have realized the ubiquity and simplicity of these cutters before I bought the EWT rougher. Don't get me wrong - I love the tool. I would just love it more if it didn't cost so much.

1

u/Clbrosch Oct 28 '14

Where is a good place to get the 1/2" Steel bar?

2

u/captianinsano Oct 28 '14

I got the cheap stuff at HomeDepot. It was only $6 for 3ft. But as /u/joelav posted in /r/woodworking:

"Be careful with that home depot metal. It's plain steel. It's prone to stress fractures from repeated shock. In the future, grab some O1 tool steel from McMaster Carr. It's the same price. It's free machining when they send it to you, so it will work easily. I would not recommend hardening it. If you want the best option, S7 Steel is ideal for this type of application, and probably what easywood tools and other manufacturers use. It's pricey though - $25 for 3 feet of 3/8 round bar."

3

u/ronweeber Oct 28 '14

What do you mean when you say "it's free machining when they send it to you"?

2

u/Clbrosch Oct 28 '14 edited Oct 28 '14

O1 tool steel

a quick search found this place: https://www.hudsontoolsteel.com/catalog/products?shape=flat&cut=nonstock&grade=O1

$16.00 for 18" or $23 for 36" and you could cut it in half to make two tools.

here is the S7 https://www.hudsontoolsteel.com/catalog/products?shape=flat&cut=nonstock&grade=S7 for $13.90 for 18"

this place has "cold rolled steel" for $2.80 for 2" http://www.metalsdepot.com/products/coldfin2.phtml?page=square&LimAcc=%20&aident=

not sure how this steel will hold up. " C1018 Cold Finish Square, is a rolled steel product with close dimensional accuracy, smooth surface finish, and increased mechanical properties and machinability. C1018 Cold Finish Square is a general purpose low carbon steel with good case hardening qualities and is especially suited for cold forming and bending. "

Here are the specs:Mechanical Properties: Brinell = 126, Tensile = 64,000 +/-, Yield = 54,000 +/-

1

u/Clbrosch Nov 20 '14

I just got 36" O1 tool steel at amazon for under $10 I got .48" so about a 1/2 or 13 mm or so. That will make 2 tools at 18" . It is supposed to machine very well.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0050RIWEY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1