# Which parting tool to get for mini lathe?



## muscleflex (Feb 5, 2015)

Hi all,
Can anyone just please tell me which parting tool is better?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-T-TY...307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234a44f04b

or this:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Mini-Lath...mm-/141031590854?ssPageName=ADME:L:OC:US:3160

The latter is the one I have but I find the blade is very hard to keep upright vertically, it tends to lean away from the holder.. so just wondering if the first link I showed is better?

Thanks


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## Karl_T (Feb 5, 2015)

I'd suggest you keep looking.

There is a "T" type HSS cutoff blade with a slight groove in the top to direct chips off the sides. These work WAY better. You'll need a holder just for this blade.

Cutoff is easily the most difficult operation on small lathes. This tool will really help you.

Karl


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## John Hasler (Feb 5, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> Hi all,
> Can anyone just please tell me which parting tool is better?
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-T-TY...307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234a44f04b
> 
> ...



I don't like that second design at all.


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## John Hasler (Feb 5, 2015)

Karl_T said:


> I'd suggest you keep looking.
> 
> There is a "T" type HSS cutoff blade with a slight groove in the top to direct chips off the sides. These work WAY better. You'll need a holder just for this blade.
> 
> ...



I tried grooving my parting tools: the chip just developed a thick spot in the middle.  They work well enough without it, though.


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## Karl_T (Feb 5, 2015)

Update, I looked on MSC for the best cutoFf tool. I'd suggest this one #02644094

http://www.mscdirect.com/browse/tn/...f-Blades?navid=12105904+4288191326+4288191186

I don't see the grooved top for sale anymore. Go with the parallel style.

When i still used HSS cutoff (years ago) I HATED the taper ones. They like to bind and go CRUNCH.


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## Bill C. (Feb 5, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> Hi all,
> Can anyone just please tell me which parting tool is better?
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/MINI-T-TY...307?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item234a44f04b
> 
> ...



I personally like the first one.  The thing is they must be dead on center or a hair under center to cut properly.  A simple way to center one that I have used is to take a small face cut on the end of the stock. If there is a tip on the stock then the holder needs to move up until it disappears.  The best method is to make a tool height gauge to help speed up tooling setup.  Basically it sits on a parallel laying across the ways.  That is one advantage of owning your own lathe, once it is set it will be good for about all your tooling.  

Also parting metal needs a lot of coolant in my opinion. Another tip, when parting a drilled part or tubing use a small rod in the drill chuck inserted in the hole as a part catcher.  Saves digging parts out of the chips.


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## n3480h (Feb 5, 2015)

I bought mine from Little Machine Shop and I use it in a QCTP on my 7x14 mini.  It appears to have a hollow ground top, and it's very easy to sharpen if/when necessary.  As long as it is square to the material, extended just long enough to make the cut through, and at or slightly below the material's centerline, it works very well. I've used it with no issues on plastics, aluminum, brass, and steel.

However . . . first attempts to use a cutoff tool were miserable and sometimes a little dangerous.  That's when I followed the advice of several seasoned members here, and the problems disappeared.  Thanks guys.

Tom


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## muscleflex (Feb 5, 2015)

What advice were they?



n3480h said:


> I bought mine from Little Machine Shop and I use it in a QCTP on my 7x14 mini.  It appears to have a hollow ground top, and it's very easy to sharpen if/when necessary.  As long as it is square to the material, extended just long enough to make the cut through, and at or slightly below the material's centerline, it works very well. I've used it with no issues on plastics, aluminum, brass, and steel.
> 
> However . . . first attempts to use a cutoff tool were miserable and sometimes a little dangerous.  That's when I followed the advice of several seasoned members here, and the problems disappeared.  Thanks guys.
> 
> Tom


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## Dan_S (Feb 5, 2015)

I'm with Karl.

A P-1-N, P-1, P-2-N style blade will work better for you. They will help prevent chatter because of the relived T bottom, and because cutting face will be narrow.
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=12801482&PMAKA=308-0608
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=946057&PMAKA=397-7600
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INSRIT?PARTPG=INLMKD&PMPXNO=5496853&PMAKA=890-9963


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## muscleflex (Feb 5, 2015)

Thank you. What is a T bottom blade?


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## n3480h (Feb 5, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> What advice were they?



As long as it is square to the material, extended just long enough to make the cut through, and at or slightly below the material's centerline, it works very well.

Tom


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## Dan_S (Feb 5, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> Thank you. What is a T bottom blade?



Like this.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-16-Sq-S...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4d272689f6


The top of the blade is thicker than the bottom, and this particular one has the grove in the top karl & John Mentioned. This one is 2mm wide, you might be able to find a 1.5mm or 1mm wide version. The narrowest one I listed above was only 1mm wide.


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## Karl_T (Feb 5, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> Thank you. What is a T bottom blade?



I did some more looking and found this website that describes what I call the T blade with grooved top:
http://www.sommatool.com/catalog/cutting.tools/ttype_cutoff_blades.asp

They work WAY BETTER that the taper style.

Karl


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## muscleflex (Feb 6, 2015)

That's great! Thank you. I shall place an order!

Can Parting tools be used to turn my rod as well? With my intended purpose of creating a channel (maybe 1mm deep using the parting tool), can I then widen that channel across to maybe around 5mm using just the parting tool?



Dan_S said:


> Like this.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-16-Sq-S...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4d272689f6
> 
> 
> The top of the blade is thicker than the bottom, and this particular one has the grove in the top karl & John Mentioned. This one is 2mm wide, you might be able to find a 1.5mm or 1mm wide version. The narrowest one I listed above was only 1mm wide.


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## caster (Feb 6, 2015)

Aside from the tools merits and e-bay auction where the price will undoubtedly rise, I have an aversion to the second tool based on price.  The auction is at 6.60 pounds / $10.10 versus 118.50 pounds / $181.30 or 18x the price.  Certainly the first is under priced but the second seems overpriced.

Caster


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## muscleflex (Feb 6, 2015)

Yeah I don't know why that happens with the prices. Whether they do it on purpose to bait people in or something... I got mine from this same seller (the first link) and i paid around £8 I think...



caster said:


> Aside from the tools merits and e-bay auction where the price will undoubtedly rise, I have an aversion to the second tool based on price.  The auction is at 6.60 pounds / $10.10 versus 118.50 pounds / $181.30 or 18x the price.  Certainly the first is under priced but the second seems overpriced.
> 
> Caster


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## Karl_T (Feb 6, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> That's great! Thank you. I shall place an order!
> 
> Can Parting tools be used to turn my rod as well? With my intended purpose of creating a channel (maybe 1mm deep using the parting tool), can I then widen that channel across to maybe around 5mm using just the parting tool?



You bet cha!  (Minnesotan talking - add the accent yourself)

I used a parting tool about two weeks ago to make a pulley groove. Put the compound to the left 28. made a cut, then 28 to the right, made a cut.  This after a couple stabs in the middle to ruff it out.


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## muscleflex (Feb 7, 2015)

I've just been checking - this is too big for my tool holder 
I've contacted the seller to see if he has small ones



Dan_S said:


> Like this.
> http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/5-16-Sq-S...Home_Garden_PowerTools_SM&hash=item4d272689f6
> 
> 
> The top of the blade is thicker than the bottom, and this particular one has the grove in the top karl & John Mentioned. This one is 2mm wide, you might be able to find a 1.5mm or 1mm wide version. The narrowest one I listed above was only 1mm wide.


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## Dan_S (Feb 7, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> I've just been checking - this is too big for my tool holder
> I've contacted the seller to see if he has small ones



how so? the shank is 5/16", that's thinner than your current 10mm tool.


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## muscleflex (Feb 10, 2015)

Dan_S said:


> how so? the shank is 5/16", that's thinner than your current 10mm tool.


I'll have to recheck. When I checked the other day, the blade holder looked to be too big for my toolpost to fit... I could be wrong and I hope I am coz this looks good!


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## muscleflex (Feb 11, 2015)

Dan_S said:


> how so? the shank is 5/16", that's thinner than your current 10mm tool.




Hi Dan - what is a shank?


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## Dan_S (Feb 11, 2015)

muscleflex said:


> Hi Dan - what is a shank?




The shank is the part of the tool that goes into the tool holder, and gets clamp down on with set screws to secure it.


I've highlighted the shanks of your tool and the one I linked to in red.


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## muscleflex (Feb 11, 2015)

Ahh perfect! That's where i got confused. Your link said height of tool was 20mm which is too high for my toolkits.
I'll place an order for the one you linked.
Thank you very much for the help!



Dan_S said:


> The shank is the part of the tool that goes into the tool holder, and gets clamp down on with set screws to secure it.
> 
> 
> I've highlighted the shanks of your tool and the one I linked to in red.
> ...


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