Got some carbide insert tools today

[kvom]

I have been wanting to get some carbide tooling for a while, but I didn't want the Chinese stuff carried by Enco and the like. So after some waiting for them to be available, I bought a 1/2" lathe took and inserts plus a 1/2" milling tool with inserts from a poster on PM, "exkenna". exkenna is Curt Payne, whose company is ToolSource Inc., located in Maqdison Al.

Both tools came with 6 inserts each, and each has two types of insert. One is for steel, and the other is coated for aluminum.

Since they showed up in the mail today, I decided to give them a trial run.

The aluminum insert on the lathe with 1" diameter 6061 Al rod turns and faces extremely well. I was running at 1000 rpm and got equally good finishes at .0006/rev and .0012/rev taking .1" DOC. Neither the lathe nor the material seemed the least stressed, and I'm sure deeper cuts would be no problem. I also used these inserts on some brass rod taking .005" finish cuts both turning and facing getting a mirror finish.

The steel inserts worked well on some "mystery steel" (I think it's hot rolled), also taking .1" cuts and getting brown chips. I then tried it on some verk dark metal that had not responded well to HSS. The swarf came off in black granules, so perhaps it's cast iron. In any case, turning and facing proved to be no problem. The final test was some 1.25" diameter round steel that was originally a 1-ton GM axle shaft, possible 5100 series steel. The inserts did cut it, but with quite a bit of chatter. In addition, the stringy swarf came off with a bright purple color and on fire! I decided not to experiment on this any more for the time being.

The milling tool has a single rectangular insert. I did a single test cutting first a .05" slot and then a .1" slot in some 12L14 steel bar at 5 ipm. The tool chewed right through it producing golden chips and a nice surface finish. So it seems that it should be able to take heavier cuts when needed. I haven't tried the coated inserts on aluminum as yet. The tool shaft is 5/8" while the cutting diameter is 1/2'.

I paid $130 for the two tools and the 12 inserts, which seems a fair price for US made tooling.

 

[Hal]

kvon

I put in my order with Curt . It sounds like I might have to wait until he get some more in.
I ordered some lathe tooling but now that you said you picked up a mill cutter I think I'll try one of those also.

It's mind boggling to go through a catalog and figure out what "might" for me.
I'm sure it sold a few tool when the one guy reported he has 60 hrs of cutting on the original cutting point.

Hal

 

[rake60]

The shop I work at allows the employees to buy tooling and inserts at their cost.
That works out to be about 1/2 retail price. The tools are great and the inserts
hold up very well. Then one day a wild off the wall influence convinced me to
order a set of turning tools that were made in India and inserts from the
Pacific Rim suppliers. At 1/4 the cost I expected the tools to be shoddy and
the inserts to be less durable. Fact is the tools were just as good and the
inserts hold up just as well.

The turning tool set cost me $29 and the inserts were $3 each.

Just my personal experiences here.
Others may differ.

Rick