I've never been thrilled with the performance of HSS parting blades. Carbide inserts are decent, but the insert holders tend to be the failure point. I have scrap carbide. I could make a sort of angled boring bar holder to go on the quick change tool post, and then grind scrap carbide to shape. Front and side relief could be ground in, and then the holder takes care of top relief. I don't know. This is just one of those thoughts that no doubt kept me out of the good schools.
Solid Carbide Parting Blade
Mar 19, 2022
2 Replies
From the above I'm assuming your piece of ground carbide wouldn't look exactly like the usual carbide grooving/parting inserts, or maybe the holder wouldn't just have a slot the carbide slides into. Or would it look like a fairly ordinary insert and bar arrangement, just beefier?
Re the diameter you could part, would the stickout of the carbide piece be the limiting factor, or would your holder be as thin as the carbide?
Also, when you shop grind a carbide bit, does it stay sharp as long as a factory ground insert does?
Nope. It would look like a parting blade carved out of a broken end mill, and the remaining round stub would lock into a holder. How long the edge lasts? I don't know. Most of my one off shop made carbide tools get used for one job, and then they go in a drawer where I will never remember what I made that tool for ever again.
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