Carbide Inserts terminology

woodguy

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How can I work backward from an insert I have, to inserts on offer by various vendors? I have some I would like to replace but beyond "T" for triangular I'm lost. Somehow there must be a systematic way to describe an equilateral triangular insert with a centre hole with a certain side dimension and thickness. Carbide grades seem to be added on the the specs I see on ebay and other places and are not part of the nomenclature. I could get the inserts from the vendor of the tools, but they are expensive and for obvious reasons the vendor only specifies the inserts by their internal cataloging system.

Is there a rosetta stone for carbide inserts somewhere that would help?
 
OK - I read the web page ( http://www.carbidedepot.com/formulas-insert-d.htm) and it looked good until I got down to the size chart.

Help me out carbide experts.

Triangular with centre countersunk hole
7 degree angle
the upper surface has a "moat" all around the triangle
the sides of the triangle are ~16mm and the inserts are 4mm thick

so it's a TC?H and then what? Looking at the chart and sliding across the top to letter T for triangle and down to 16mm
and then back across to the left I get "3"

so TC?H 3 and then 2.5 for the 3.97mm thickness

TC?H 32.5 and guessing at a .4mm radius tip it would be TC?H 32.51

Assuming these inserts are not high tolerance I suppose I could replace the "?" with an "M" or "U"

TCUH 32.51 or TCMH 32.51

These are the inserts that come with the cheap Chinese set of insert lathe tools like these: http://www.busybeetools.com/products/T{47}TOOL-INSERT-TYPE-1{47}2IN.-5PC-SET.html
 
Thanks for the interpretation.

I use 2 of these tools and the rest just sit there as you say.

As far as whether the inserts are right or wrong etc. I'm not prepared to judge.

I do wonder, if the insert does the work, why the holders vary so much in cost. Some tools are machined in much more complex ways than these simple ones, but tools that do what these do and use the same style inserts can cost as much or more for one tool, than the set of 5 I got with my lathe.

Perhaps I should buy one and try it.
 
This it, Bill?

kennametal-top-notch-boring-bar-S10-NER1-adimage.jpg

I think I have a leftie version of that bar. And an OD holder that uses the same insert, which I can't recall at the moment. I have a small job to run this afternoon sometime, so I'll look at which ones I use. Paddy will probably know right off which insert.

kennametal-top-notch-boring-bar-S10-NER1-adimage.jpg
 
I took a quick look. I have a Sandvik competitor to that Top Notch design. I'll get the insert number later.
 
Dang, things I didn't know could help me out. But then again, I've only been machining for about a year.

Good info to know, thanks guys!
 
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