Boring in the lathe - imbecile question

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Because I'm not clever enough to make such a thing - I'd end up with something that wasn't actually effective. I expected someone to come up with the "sharpen your own HSS" line - I understand for tiny cuts they can give a better finish than carbide, but I don't really know what I'm doing regarding the sharpening

You don't have to be clever just have a go just keep trying to grind it and have a go with it at some stage it will cut and then you are on your way. You do not just have to take tiny cuts you can takes cuts as big as your lathe will take before stopping If you have a model club near you join and just ask someone to tell you the chap that can grind tools and then ask him to show you. Most people will show you. I am going to a club to give them a talk on grinding tools. The only tip tool I have is one that someone gave me.
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Don't worry about it. The important thing is to make lumps of perfectly good metal into piles of swarf and to have un whilst so doing :-)
Mark Rand RTFM

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Oops. Typo.
Where's the f'in fun in that...
Mark Rand RTFM

Robin wrote:
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In the larger sizes I prefer to use taper shank drills that fit directly in the socket in the tailstock barrel.