Lathe Tooling

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guitarpro1324

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Hey everyone I just bought a 12x36 enco. Just a quick question, where should I buy my tooling? I have an aloris bxa tool post and I believe the holders are 3/4? I'm going to be using this lathe for making pool cues mostly but will chip away at some metal from time to time. Hss or carbide? I think I'm realizing that most people just grind their own hss tooling right?

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Welcome, you'll find lots of things to do with that lathe. You will wonder how you every got along with out it.

HSS is probably a better bet for pool cue type material - and is fine for most metals as well. Before purchasing tooling, confirm the holder size, and where the center height of the lathe is relative to the largest tool. You have to be able to get your tool bit down to center height. If the tool is low, no problem, just shim it up. If it is too high, then things get more complecated (still not a big issue, you just have to cut the tools down or cut your tool holders.
 
The regular BXA holders are 5/8" but they do make a special 3/4" for the BXA. That said there's no reason to buy the largest cutter that'll fit your tool holder. Like David said HSS will give you the sharpest edge but will require you to do your own grinding and honing. You can start with some simple 3/8" brazed carbide bits to make some chips. There is a dealer that makes HSS indexable inserts. These could be honed razor sharp I'm sure.
 
You can use 1/4" tools in your lathe and toolholders if you want. The main reason to use the maximum size is for maximum rigidity in challenging materials or tasks, including heavy cuts. None of that is advisable until you have experience on more moderate materials and cuts.

I am far from the most experienced guy on here (under 100 hours on the lathe) but I can say with confidence that not all hss is created equal. I have some old stuff that is far better than others. In particular I have been most impressed with (in order): Firth Sterling Circle C, Rex AAA, and MoMax. There are currently several large lots of these on eBay. One such lot will last a very long time in hobby use. Once you try to grind that Circle C stuff you'll understand better. :)
 
Oh, I meant to mention that 3/8"-1/2" seems like a good range for you to focus on. More affordable than larger ones but still large enough to take advantage of the power and rigidity of your lathe, easier to grind, and more flexible in terms of tool height for different cutting geometry.
 
So with hss should I just get some blanks and learn to grind my own?

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Inserted carbide tools will hog wood off really fast but I agree that a properly ground HSS tool will likely finish better. You'll be sanding the cues anyway but a finer finish will save time.

I would also go with 1/2" HSS tooling and yes, learn to grind your own tools.
 
There are a number of excellent YouTube videos on the subject including ones from Tom Lipton (Oxtools), Tom's Techniques (different Tom), and Halligan something something.

Also read the book Manual of Lathe Operations and Machinists Tables, published by Atlas back in the day. I've read 3 or 4 books on the lathe and that's the best one, regardless of age. It's discussion on the theory of metalwork is priceless. Every metal cutting tool (other than plasma, oxy-acetylene, and water jet) is a cold chisel. You have to understand what is happening at and in the hundredths of an inch in front of the blade. Great explanations. Let me know if you need a link and I'll find it.
 
Oh, also those lots I mentioned on eBay include bits that are already shaped. They'll probably need to be sharpened and honed, but the basic geometry is already there.
 
Get a trephining tool holder (or make one). The Diamond toolholder works fine- they make both RH and LH versions. Easy to grind -one face, they provide a fixture- cuts wood, metal, whatever. Grind the face, then hone with a few strokes on 2500 grit paper to put a small radius on the edge. Maybe a five minute job to grind the first time, then a few seconds after that to resharpen. Face and turn with the same setup. Haven't used or ground a conventional toolbit since I bought a Diamond...about 20 years ago. Just set it on center and go. Mostly use 1/4 square cobalt HSS, but for hard steel (4140PH for example) a quarter inch round HSS tool will get you a finish you won't believe.
 
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