# Cutting Hss Blanks



## BillWood (Aug 27, 2015)

Hello,

I am vaguely aware of various methods used to cut HSS tool blanks

1. Notch the hss on the corner of grinding wheel, put in vice, cover with rag, tap with hammer

2. Some sort of abrasive wheel in a dremel - I tried this and the wheel wore away to nothing, very quickly,  in a 1/4 hss blank

3. Very thin wheel on a bench grinder ? Keywords for this type of wheel ?

4. Very thin wheel on an angle grinder ? Keywords for this type of wheel ?

5. This morning I was able to use an el cheapo diamond blade in the dremel - worked very well

6. Carbide parting tool on lathe ? Not sure about this one - anybody done it ?

Is there a way I havent listed ?

Bill


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## John Hasler (Aug 27, 2015)

I use a cutoff wheel in my angle grinder to rough out parting tools.


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## T Bredehoft (Aug 27, 2015)

I'm not sure what you're cutting, if making lathe tooling, I use a grinding wheel and a pot of water, the grinding wheel removes a little metal and puts heat in it. The pot of water takes the heat out so I can take a little more metal off.


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## Bill C. (Aug 27, 2015)

BillWood said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am vaguely aware of various methods used to cut HSS tool blanks
> 
> ...



Depending on the width and length of your stock try abrasive cutoff saw and a large pot of water.  Cut it oversize if it turns blue on the cut edges, that is called the heat affected zone.  I don't know to many who have cut their own blanks. The manufactures must cut their stock somehow then use a surface grinder to finish their blanks to size.  By-the-way most blanks are parallel but are not squared. 

Good luck and post some finished photos


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## BillWood (Aug 28, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> I'm not sure what you're cutting, if making lathe tooling, I use a grinding wheel and a pot of water, the grinding wheel removes a little metal and puts heat in it. The pot of water takes the heat out so I can take a little more metal off.



Sorry about the confusing post.

Am talking about pieces of very hard strong steel that are mounted in a metal lathe toolpost and used to shape the metal that is spinning on the lathe - I have various pieces up to 4" long and up to 0.5" square and I sharpen them on a grinding wheel exactly as you describe. What is the correct name for them please ? (I call them HSS tool blanks but I can now see that that could mean anything)

What prompted the question was that recently I ground a piece of 1/4" square HSS at an angle of 30 degrees ( see photo) - took me aaaages to grind it and was wondering if there is a way of rough cutting it first and then grinding to finish it. By the way the angle was a mistake - should have been 30 degrees the other way ie 60 degrees to longtitudonal axis of tool.

Another example - it takes me a long time to grind a 60 degree threading tool.

It would take me a long time to grind the parting tool shown in attached photo called Example..

Cutting the slits shown in the two photos was done as an experiment with a dremel diamond blade and compared to my grinding wheel was  quite fast and would very quickly give me a rough shape that I could finish on a white Alox wheel. My roughing wheel is a 36 grit grey wheel that came with the grinder - my finishing wheel is a 120 grit white Alox wheel.

Bill - and yes I got into a confusing mess with the below photos.


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## martik777 (Aug 28, 2015)

Good to see someone grinding their own tool bits! A 1/4" blank shouldn't take more than 5 mins to grind a threading tool, maybe a 2-3 more mins for a parting tool.

Here's a video:


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## Tozguy (Aug 28, 2015)

Bill,
If you are doing the roughing on a grey wheel it will take forever!
The best wheel for roughing is a white AOx. I will get back here with the specs for the one I use. It actually makes grinding fun.
Also, how often do you dress the wheel?
Mike


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## Tozguy (Aug 28, 2015)

The white AOx wheel mentioned above is a HK2A80H12. it does not load up like a grey wheel. It still needs to be dressed regularly like any other wheel.
BTW your photos are great. Why are you cutting the tools so short?


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## Tozguy (Aug 28, 2015)

To cut a HSS blank in half I would use a thin kerf (.040'') cut off wheel for steel in a 4.5'' angle grinder.

Re your question about carbide parting tool on a lathe, not sure it relates but some of us have cut sections out of a carbide circular saw blade for wood to use as parting tool on lathe.


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## BillWood (Aug 28, 2015)

Tozguy said:


> The white AOx wheel mentioned above is a HK2A80H12. it does not load up like a grey wheel. It still needs to be dressed regularly like any other wheel.
> BTW your photos are great. Why are you cutting the tools so short?



Thanks for the specification for the AlOx roughing wheel. I will try it. Didn't realise AlOx was better for roughing as well as finishing.

I dress the grey wheel whenever I think it is too glazed - too shiny - too much metal in it. I dressed it before I started and halfway through whilst cutting that 30 degree angle.

Am cutting the tools short to fit into a tangential holder that I built - see photos in POTD thread. This particular one was a mistake - I cut 30 degrees but should have been 60 - or in other words I cut the 30 the wrong way. 

I should be able to use it for something - not sure what yet - maybe a drill press circle cutter ?

I was wondering if people use carbide tools to cut hss on lathe - I have seen a post about that somewhere - somebody turned a square bit into a round one - and wondered if a carbide parting tool would be a valid way of cutting up a HSS toolbit.

Bill


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## Tozguy (Aug 28, 2015)

Just for the record, I believe that the grey wheels are AlOx also. It is the binder that gives it the color.
I do the finishing on a SiCa (green) 100 grit wheel. Then hone with an EZ lap paddle.


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## JPigg55 (Aug 28, 2015)

Not exactly on the same subject, but where do you get your blanks from ?
Searching around, most I've found are pre-cut lengths 2"-3" and not the best reviews.


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## ericc (Aug 28, 2015)

I have a whole bunch of short ones if you want to trade.


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## T Bredehoft (Aug 28, 2015)

Patience, Grasshopper, nothing good is easy, nothing easy is good.  Take your time grinding your tools, don't expect experience to happen over night, it takes years.


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## JPigg55 (Aug 28, 2015)

Haven't bought any, but looking to.
Would ranter find a source of longer blanks that could be cut to the desired length.


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## brino (Aug 28, 2015)

I found the regular dremel cut-off wheels so brittle that they are almost useless.
In my distant past I was able to find some that were abrasive in a fibreglass mesh; those were great! ...but I do not have a current source.

For thin blades for the angle grinder try searching "thin cut-off wheels".

-brino


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## John Hasler (Aug 28, 2015)

brino said:


> I found the regular dremel cut-off wheels so brittle that they are almost useless.
> In my distant past I was able to find some that were abrasive in a fibreglass mesh; those were great! ...but I do not have a current source.
> -brino


I buy those at Mills Fleet & Farm.


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## Dinosaur Engineer (Aug 28, 2015)

Check Ebay for angle grinder stands. These convert a 4.5" angle grinder into a cut-off saw. Cutting HSS blanks is then a doddle. The stands can be had for about £8.


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## BillWood (Aug 28, 2015)

Thanks for all replies.

My HSS blanks came with my 2nd hand lathe so I don't know where they came from. There are usually bulk buys available on ebay of used HSS lathe bits.

I didnt realize that I could use angle grinder thin wheels to cut HSS - I've got one of those angle grinder stands so I will have a go.

I'll replace my roughing grey wheel with a coarse grit white wheel.

Regards

Bill


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## Tozguy (Aug 28, 2015)

Thin cut off wheel

http://www.kbctools.ca/default.aspx?page=item+detail&itemcode=1-632-61584&catlist=9431


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## atunguyd (Aug 29, 2015)

I buy hss tool stock from ctc tools in Hong Kong (google them).  In this side of the Indian Ocean they are just too expensive 

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## martik777 (Aug 29, 2015)

I stopped buying from CTC because the shipping is too high. Try these: http://www.ebay.com/itm/4x-High-Spe...-8mmx-200mm-/261898111067?hash=item3cfa58085b

4 pieces of 8" 8X8mm tools bits for $8!   At CTC the same order is $34   (16 + 18 shipping)   Quite a difference!

Also, check out  the cutoff (2x8mm) and round bits (useful for boring)


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## BillWood (Dec 3, 2015)

Tozguy said:


> HK2A80H12



Am having a bit of trouble understanding this specification.

Do different manufacturers have different systems ?

i.e. see explanation of system on this page http://www.smithy.com/machining-handbook/chapter-8/page/4

What would the equivalent Norton wheel be ? Am guessing an 80 grit white Alox with a hardness of K ? I can buy Norton wheels in Australia.

Bill


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## Tozguy (Dec 3, 2015)

Bill,
Based on the code system from the link you provided, the wheel in question would be Alox, 80 grit, grade H, density 12.
From what I understand all manufacturers use the same basic code but have options to add their own letters or numbers  before or after the standard specification. Have you contacted your Norton supplier for help?
Hope this helps, Mike


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## Billh50 (Dec 3, 2015)

When I need to cut a HSS bit for a boring bar I use these.


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## kingmt01 (Dec 3, 2015)

Interesting read. I'd like to see that tool holder you made if you have a direct link to it. The POTD thread is huge.


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## BillWood (Dec 4, 2015)

kingmt01 said:


> Interesting read. I'd like to see that tool holder you made if you have a direct link to it. The POTD thread is huge.



http://www.hobby-machinist.com/thre...in-your-shop-today.14637/page-206#post-325049


There is a link in that post to other discussions regarding tangential holders that you might find interesting.

Searching this forum on the term tangential will probably bring up a heap of other diy tangential toolholders.

Bill


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## kwoodhands (Dec 18, 2015)

JPigg55 said:


> Haven't bought any, but looking to.
> Would ranter find a source of longer blanks that could be cut to the desired length.


I bought 4" and 6" blanks from Wholesale tool in various thicknesses.Several are 1/4" x  1/2 ,3/8" x 1/2 .Most are 4" long.


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## rock_breaker (Dec 20, 2015)

T Bredehoft said:


> Patience, Grasshopper, nothing good is easy, nothing easy is good. Take your time grinding your tools, don't expect experience to happen over night, it takes years.


+ 1
Ray


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## TOOLMASTER (Dec 20, 2015)

this rockwell grinder with thin blades go thru hhs like butter..locks, drill bits, hand cuffs, safes..ect.


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