Indexable lathe tools - recommendations please

Make sure that the tooling you buy takes commonly available tip styles.

Years ago I invested Stellram tooling and whilst I am very happy with it, they will only take Stellram tips.

Bob

What kind of lathe do you have?

Warco WM280

If you're after a starter set,just buy a turning tool,facing tool and a boring bar,you can always get the others as needed.Spend the rest on some inserts.

The Glanze lathe tools that I've bought seem okay.

Allan

The Glanze tools as sold by Chronos are quite nicely made. They aren't industrial quality stuff, given that they don't have replaceable carbide anvils under the inserts, but you aren't likely to be pushing them as hard or as much as a production machine, so can probably cope with tools that cost 1/4 as much as the top end ones...

It isn't stated, but it is implied that the WM280 can handle 16mm tools. If so, get a set of 16mm Glanze tool holders and (from Jenny) a box of CCMT06020{2,4,or8} inserts. If it won't handle 16mm, then the 12mm will still make plenty of swarf. Also get a slack handful of 3/8", 1/2" or 5/8" HSS blanks from any of the usual suspects. If they claim some percentage of Cobalt, they're more likely to be honest, even if you aren't likely to need it. The smaller sizes will work perfectly adequately and be a lot less effort to grind. May be worth asking at the Warco stand before parting with money. Get (or make) some shims to adjust the height of the tools. My first set was made by drilling and tapping some pieces of key steel, mounting them on a faceplate near the periphery, then facing them to the desired height (tool height doesn't matter much when facing if you are away from the centre)

If you don't have a bench grinder, get one. Then get a decent aluminium oxide wheel for it (manufacturers generally install bits of scrap paving slab or similar!).

Have fun :-)

Mark Rand RTFM

I meant "may be worth asking what size tools it'll take" but edited it into meaninglessness :-(

Mark Rand RTFM

I have 8mm Glanze tools to fit in my QC holders. They seem fine, though I thought the tips originally supplied might have been a bit crumbly.

I don't know the lathe, but I'm guessing it's similar to a Boxford.

Why I asked it that the rigidity and power of the lathe is important for the choice of tools, and especially the choice of tips. Some comments:

Tools:

I'd avoid the RDG tools - I bought a set of five and broke two tools in a short period.

The Glanze tools aren't bad, although they seem a tad expensive for what they are - however they are made in small numbers, and I'm maybe comparing the price to things made in mass quantities.

I don't know how well the Glanze tools would stand up to frequent use in a powerful lathe.

They are entirely satisfactory for any reasonable use in a minilathe. I haven't broken one in a Boxford, and while it doesn't seem an immediate threat I have the feeling that I might someday (12 mm tools).

I don't think 16 mm Glanze tools would break in a Boxford or similar lathe [*]. However, I note that Warco say that the maximum tool size for the WM280 is 12 mm. This of course depends on the toolholder used.

It doesn't (shouldn't) happen often, but for us model engineers a tool has a life which is probably limited by such an accident (or getting "lost") - so maybe it makes economic sense not to spend so much on a Greenwood tool if a Glaze one will last until it dies in an accident, and does the job well enough.

On the other hand, there's a special joy in using a well-made top quality suitable-for-the-job tool - and we don't do this for the money (what money??)

On the third hand, you could buy a milling table or a lever-lock tailstock for what you saved on a set of Greenwood tools - there's

Tips:

For a less powerful lathe, the Chronos tips don't work well. You need a sharper tip. For a minilathe, even my beefed-up minilathe, they are pretty well useless.

Even in a 1.5 HP Boxford, a sharper tip will be useful.

Normally tips are made for industrial use in large high power lathes, and they aren't particularly sharp - some of them are not what you might call sharp at all!

This increases tip life for industrialists, but you need a lot of power and rigidity to drive them properly, more than the average hobby lathe supplies.

Getting sharper tips - well, there's the rub. I hear Greenwood reliably do nice sharp tips, but they aren't always the right sizes for non-Greenwood tools.

I have had some successes, but not reliably or repeatably. Maybe others have some suggestions - I'd be interested too.

-- Peter Fairbrother

I've had success using inserts rated for aluminium rather than steel. Also, on the Glanze holders, using a CCMT060202 rather than 060204. This gives a sharper cutting edge and a smaller radius on the end. Both help little lathes. The down side is that they are a bit more fragile and won't last as long as the more rounded ones rated for steel if you start flogging them into harder steels, but they still give a good account of themselves. An example is here:-

Also, for finishing cuts, don't be afraid to wipe a diamond hone along the edge to clean them up.

Mark Rand RTFM

No connection, but between today and Thursday, if you manage to order 5 separate items, and use a promotional code of CAT35 with the order, they'll cost £2.17 each inc VAT. Downside is that you'll get clobbered for about £5 for shipping for a small order.

Mark Rand RTFM

Bob

Richard

Thanks Richard,

Much obliged. I have emailed J&L for a paper copy as the online versions are so small that I can't read the Stellram part numbers.

Cheers

Bob