Insert tooling -- strategy

[davidpbest]

About my book "Introduction to Indexable Tooling for the Metal Lathe"

Some of the members here on Hobby-Machinist ask questions about my book “Introduction to Indexable Tooling for the Metal Lathe”. So, I thought I would post some sample pages from the book, to give an overall flavor of the writing style, and include the complete Table of Contents as an attachment...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[SouthernChap]

About my book "Introduction to Indexable Tooling for the Metal Lathe"

Some of the members here on Hobby-Machinist ask questions about my book “Introduction to Indexable Tooling for the Metal Lathe”. So, I thought I would post some sample pages from the book, to give an overall flavor of the writing style, and include the complete Table of Contents as an attachment...

www.hobby-machinist.com

And that, my friends, is the sound of a microphone, hitting the floor.

@durableoreo - honestly, buy David's book. It's worth every penny.

 

[Eddyde]

IMHO, Carbide insert tooling is a great complement to HSS.

 

[durableoreo]

...for hobbyists on a budget like myself, HSS and brazed carbide tooling...

A good, if not inevitable, point. My favorite jobs involve making a custom tool. However, I'm not sure there's much money in that. Being capable of making a cutter is important but it does draw time and attention away from the paying part of the job. I hate to admit it but you can't do everything. You can do almost anything but not all at once.

Thanks for the information, @OCJohn. I had previously though mostly about accessibility but I see there are many other dimensions.

Based on the feedback, I will try some different inserts, rather than starting over with a particular brand.

 

[Rex Walters]

I’m sure David’s book is wonderful and answers all of the OP’s questions, and insert tooling nomenclature and options are definitely complex and confusing.

But googling “index tooling guide” also turns up quite a few free resources useful for hobbyists. After all, tooling vendors WANT to sell inserts and minimize returns or lost customers — confusing as it is, they try to make it as understandable as feasible.

If you aren’t a hobbyist and have serious time/production constraints, then insert tooling and CNC seems much more critical.

For a manual hobby lathe, John’s “TPU/TPG suffices for my needs” comment seems helpful.

 

[GeneT45]

If you're going to buy triangular inserts, get the good ones. For some reason the worst inserts made seem to be some/most of the import Txx.
I'm very much a proponent of HSS, though I own (and occasionally use) insert tooling as well. Import stuff is a high mix, and I'd recommend seeking out some specific recommendations before throwing money at low cost toolholders. Some of them are fine, some of them are garbage. Even more so with the inserts themselves. I've found some great import tooling, but also wasted money on junk that was frustrating to try to use. If you go down this road, I'd recommend buying at least one quality brand name toolholder and appropriate quality inserts (pick a general use shape, like Wxxx that you can use for a lot of things) to help you establish a baseline. Many years ago I bought one of those 'complete' lots-of-piece sets of insert tooling and for the next several years believed the guys that said you needed CNC speeds to make inserts useful. No. You don't. I bought junk and didn't know enough to know the difference.

GsT

 

[Provincial]

For just trying it out, I recommend buying one of the sets that use TCMT inserts. Check ratings to see if other buyers find them acceptable. There are enough inserts included with most sets to get enough use to see if they will work for you. Either 1/4" or 3/8" square holders, whichever will work with your machine.

What you are doing with this is determining if carbide seems to be compatible with what you want to do. If it seems to work, but the surface finish isn't good enough, or the inserts don't hold up, it isn't necessarily the tool holder design or the insert form. Get some good quality inserts and try some more.

If you are getting the performance you would like, but the insert form isn't working for you, look for holders/inserts that will match your requirements. At least you won't have spent a lot of money on something that doesn't work. You will find that the insert set will come in handy at times, so it won't be a total loss.

 

[MikeInOr]

I don't think the brand of the holder, or the insert really makes much difference for hobby use, on hobby machines where the speeds are quite low and there isn't a need to maximize efficiency. The cheap, imported tool holders direct from China on eBay, from Amazon, or places like AliExpress work just fine as do the inserts. What I do is buy a pack of inserts with a holder and if I like their inserts, buy a bunch of them the next time I order something.

For smaller machines stick to an insert with positive rake. CCMT, TCMT and DCMT insert styles would probably cover 99% of most facing, turning and boring. In many cases you can find both turning/facing and boring holders that use the same inserts, so that helps cut down on the total number of insert styles you need to keep on hand.

A kit like this will set you up for turning, facing and boring for very little money.

4pcs 12mm CNC Lathe Turning Tool Holder Boring Bar CCMT09T304Carbide Inserts Set | eBay

4pcs T15 wrenches. 1 SCLCL1212H09.

www.ebay.com

$21.50 for a lathe index tooling set with a boring bar? Haha... you have got to be kidding me!
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That is the best finish I have EVER gotten on stainless steel. Actually I have had such bad results with stainless that I figured turning stainless was just beyond my capabilities... until now. $21.50 for that set of indexable lathe tooling has got to be the best deal I have purchased all year! Tons better than the brazed carbide cutters I have been using. My set just arrived in the mail today so I had to try one on the most difficult metal I have worked with.

Thank you!

A "STRONGLY RECCOMEND" from me!

4pcs 12mm CNC Lathe Turning Tool Holder Boring Bar CCMT09T304Carbide Inserts Set | eBay

4pcs T15 wrenches. 1 SCLCL1212H09.

www.ebay.com

 

[G-ManBart]

That is the best finish I have EVER gotten on stainless steel. Actually I have had such bad results with stainless that I figured turning stainless was just beyond my capabilities... until now. $21.50 for that set of indexable lathe tooling has got to be the best deal I have purchased all year! Tons better than the brazed carbide cutters I have been using. My set just arrived in the mail today so I had to try one on the most difficult metal I have worked with.

Thank you!

A "STRONGLY RECCOMEND" from me!

4pcs 12mm CNC Lathe Turning Tool Holder Boring Bar CCMT09T304Carbide Inserts Set | eBay

4pcs T15 wrenches. 1 SCLCL1212H09.

www.ebay.com

Nice!

Last week I brought home a South Bend Heavy 10 that was too good of a deal to pass on. The first thing I did was order a Bostar AXA QCTP kit for it and one of these turning kits to get things started. I don't know how they make money on them at this price, but I'm not complaining!

 

[Liljoebrshooter]

Now buy some inserts like this that are the proper size and you will really like the finish you get.
Joe