Carbide Cutting Tools?

[JR49]

What's the difference (if any?) between cemented and brazed cutting tools? If there is a difference, why would you use one over the other? Also, as a reference, I have some of the cheap H.F. carbide tools. What are they? Thanks, JR49

 

[randyc]

What's the difference (if any?) between cemented and brazed cutting tools? If there is a difference, why would you use one over the other? Also, as a reference, I have some of the cheap H.F. carbide tools. What are they? Thanks, JR49

Carbide tools are made by a process called "sintering" where carbide particles are mixed with a binder material, molded under pressure and high temperature to form the desired shape. "Brazed" just describes the method of attaching a carbide cutter to a steel shank or other toolholder like a saw blade (it would expensive to make the entire tool from carbide). "Cemented", I think, is a misnomer and refers to the binder material and the process by which it is bonded to the carbide particles.

Without seeing your HF tools, it's not possible to identify them but it's likely that, if they are lathe turning or boring tools, they are carbide cutters brazed to a steel shank.

 

[T Bredehoft]

Where I erred, I equated 'cemented' with glued, and also 'brazed' with glued. Ergo, cemented meant brazed, not sintered, because sintering requires heat and pressure and cementing doesn't. [Not in this thread, but another.]

 

[JimDawson]

The HF tools are brazed carbide, in other words, the carbide is brazed on to the shank.

 

[kingmt01]

I love those HF cutters. They allow me to turn & learn on my budget. I can't wait to be able to afford some good indexable tools tho.

 

[Ebel440]

Cemented is the piece of carbide itself. It's particles of carbide held together with cobalt I believe.

 

[JR49]

Thanks to all for clearing this up for me. Kingmt01, for learning on a budget, there is nothing better IMHO than HSS blanks. The process of learning to grind HSS tools is what gave me the valuable knowledge of how any tools cut and form chips. Also the satisfaction you will feel , as the tool you ground from a blank, cuts STEEL, and forms perfect curley chips, is great. Happy machining, JR49

 

[kingmt01]

Thanks to all for clearing this up for me. Kingmt01, for learning on a budget, there is nothing better IMHO than HSS blanks. The process of learning to grind HSS tools is what gave me the valuable knowledge of how any tools cut and form chips. Also the satisfaction you will feel , as the tool you ground from a blank, cuts STEEL, and forms perfect curley chips, is great. Happy machining, JR49

I'm doing that also. Only thing I seen to have a problem with so far is that parting bar. I burn it before I know it. Then have to grind it down & go again. In getting better at it tho.