Cutting down HSS tooling to smaller width/depth

[Ben17484]

When I bought my old lathe, it came with anything I wanted to take from the guys workshop (everything I didn’t take was going in land fill). So I decided to load up on all of the HSS tools:

Most of this is 12mm to 20mm tooling. My Lathe takes 10mm tooling (maybe 12mm tooling if I start using the AXA XL tool holders).

What’s the most effective way to reduce these HSS tools down to a size that would fit my lathe. Im not trying to use the existing form of the tool on my lathe, just reduce them down so I can regrind the tool at the 10mm size (I.e use them effectively as blanks)

Would milling them down work? If so, would I need carbide tooling or would HSS end mills be ok? I think using a cutting wheel would be too difficult when taking the depth down?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[markba633csi]

Not practical to reduce them, sell them to someone else and buy smaller-

 

[Ben17484]

Not practical to reduce them, sell them to someone else and buy smaller-

I was worried someone was going to say that

If that’s the way to go, that’s the way to go.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[markba633csi]

If one had access to a surface grinder- yes, perhaps. Better ways to spend one's time though
1/4" or about 6mm is the most universal hobby size- 3/16" is also available but I've never felt the need
to go that small even on my tiny Unimat lathe- 1/4" fits it just fine

 

[benmychree]

You may be able to enlarge the tool holders to fit the bits, but it might be a issue if you were not able to reach center.

 

[Martin W]

You can use a zip cut wheel in a handheld grinder by clamping them in a vise, but I'm not sure it's worth the aggravation.
Martin

 

[WobblyHand]

If it was me, I'd sell off most of the bigger bits, and just buy some 8mm or 10mm x 200mm HSS sticks. Maybe you can find a place to buy a small box of bits. Or look for used smaller bits and regrind them as required. Resizing HSS to the right size would be a long task, unless you have the right equipment. Considering that a HSS bit costs on the order of $5 retail, I wouldn't recommend cutting down big blanks. Surely your shop time is more valuable than that. I found 10mm square x 200mm sticks for sale at around $11USD. You can get 2 or 3 pieces out of a single stick. A while back I bought a box of 50 3/8" x 3" square bits, and it wasn't that costly.

 

[OTmachine]

You can use a zip cut wheel in a handheld grinder by clamping them in a vise, but I'm not sure it's worth the aggravation.
Martin

Or find someone with a surface grinder to remove a couple of mm thickness from the bottom. But, yes I could see taking a 4” angle grinder with a metal cutting abrasive disk to remove material from the non-critical bottom of 1 tool holder.

 

[matthewsx]

Or, store it away for the inevitable time you realize a bigger lathe is in order.

 

[WobblyHand]

Or find someone with a surface grinder to remove a couple of mm thickness from the bottom. But, yes I could see taking a 4” angle grinder with a metal cutting abrasive disk to remove material from the non-critical bottom of 1 tool holder.

If we are talking about removing material from a tool holder, I'd chuck the tool holder in a 4 jaw and shave off the bottom. It's easy and fast, and the bottom will be flat. Lathes don't always have to work on round stock!