Arthur Warner turning tools?

P

PatMiles

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Have any of the good folks on this board used any of the Warner high speed steel lathe tools?
I'm wanting to try something other than carbide and don't have the equipment to grind my own tools at this time so I started looking for steel inserts. Any info will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Pat
 
In the long run you may be better spending your money in a grinder and learning to grind your own. Not much difference in price if your looking at a set of the HSS insert tooling.
 
As Cobra said, all you need is a cheap bench grinder and some HHS blanks. Grinding tool bits is not magic, it just takes a little practice. The only thing you really have to remember is that the cutting edge is the part that sticks out the farthest, everything else is clearance.

There are all kinds of instructions on the ''right'' way to grind a lathe tool bit. IMHO, the right way to grind a tool bit is the one that gets the job done and produces an acceptable finish. If you make a grind, and it doesn't work the way you want it, then try changing it a bit and try again. This is the learning experience.
 
Pat,

I bought a set. While they work as advertized and are super easy to sharpen if I had to do it again, I most likely would not have bought them. I say this NOT because they don't work, but because I have a larger lathe that can take big cuts. These bits, IMHO are better suited for a 9-10" bench lathe.

To sharpen these inserts you take the insert and place the top onto a sharpening stone; a few figure 8's and your done. The threading inserts work real well in steel and aluminum.

Mike
 
I use the Warner inserts a lot for normal turning and facing and find them really fast and easy to use. I also grind my own tools as well plus use a lot of carbide inserts. I have a 14X40 lathe. Very easy to sharpen on a normal flat stone, just oil and move them in a circular motion a few times, and you have a new tool.

Sandia
 
AR Warner tools are very nice quality. One downside is, HSS inserts don't have any kind of ground-in cutting geometry. They don't offer a whole lot because of that, although I will say, especially on a manual lathe that can't get the top speeds needed for carbide-cutting aluminum, HSS inserts work fantastic on alum.

But the thing is, you're not restricted to HSS inserts. I believe AR Warner sells carbide inserts as well, so you have that option as well.

I own a 3/8 TCMT boring bar and a 1/2-shank CCMT turning tool. The tools themselves and inserts are very nicely made.
 
Just to reinforce what's already been said, the warner tools and inserts are nice. They come ready to cut and easy to sharpen when the need arises. Very easy to get down to the last .0005, and work very well for slower speeds and lighter cuts.

Having said aid all that, I also use carbide insert tooling and hand ground HSS tools, depending on the situation. All of these tools have their place, and there are pros and cons to all of em. Hope this helps

Richard
 
I need to order me some my self. Be nice for interrupted cuts and to keep the rpm down on maller stock. I use carbide inserts now on my 9x and there is no reason at all a small machine cant run it. You can cut a fair bit deeper then carbide needs just maybe not as deep as carbide can go.

Right now my hss gets ground on for form tools or anything that might beat up a carbide. Carbides just faster.
 
I use the AR Warner HSS tools on my Taig lathe. They work very nice. When I have to work with harder materials I change out the inserts to carbide.

Chevy
 
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I purchased the A R Warner boring tool, internal threading tool and 5 piece turning tool set from LMS. I and my son use them on a HF 7x10 mini lathe. He is making vape tubes using 22mm od x 150mm 304 stainless. They cut it so well that we will always use them They are high quality and the inserts aren't all that expensive. I grind my own tools for the o'ring grooves and any other special shapes. The AR Warner tools are very well suited to the small underpowered flimsy mini lathe. We really like them.

This is just the opinion of an old mechanic and hobbyist, not a machinist by any stretch of the imagination and should be considered as such.:panic:

Have a great Thanksgiving holiday everyone!
Roy
 
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