WTB HSS Blanks - 1/2", mostly

Red96

Red96

H-M Supporter - Gold Member
H-M Supporter Gold Member
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Apr 24, 2022
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So it's time I got off my butt and put some time and effort into getting more proficient at grinding and utilizing HSS tooling. I'm looking to buy some good old HSS blanks that somebody might have lying around. Maybe a few 3/8 and 1/4 stuff to have around for what might come up too.

Dave? You probably have buckets of them?! (BTW, really loving the tap wrench you sold me)


Thanks in advance,
Dave H
Snohomish WA
 
Red96 said:
Dave? You probably have buckets of them?! (BTW, really loving the tap wrench you sold me)
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Hey Dave . Yes I do have a "few" . Send me an alert from now on as I found this post by mistake . Back to bits . What do you need ? :p
 
I would strongly recommend very few 1/2" blanks until you're very proficient. 1/4" blanks to start with, and a host of 3/8" blanks - all assuming you have a large stout machine. You can even start with 3/16" blanks. Why? Because 80% of your grinding practice is going to be wholesale, tedious, bulk material removal where you're learning nothing. The last 20% will be when you get your edges and angles, etc. Save those 1/2" grinds for after you know what you're doing.

I have a 1440 lathe, weighs ~4500#, I use mostly 3/8" HSS and even a few 3/16". I have ground some 1/2" cutters, but I can't remember when I last used one.

GsT
 
GeneT45 said:
I would strongly recommend very few 1/2" blanks until you're very proficient. 1/4" blanks to start with, and a host of 3/8" blanks - all assuming you have a large stout machine.
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Big difference grinding a 1/2" vs a 1/4" bit for sure . Need a grinder that can do so also or you hands will be hot AND hurting after a few . :)
 
I love ground HSS, it's my number one choice for 95% of my lathe work. I take a lot of pride in the art form of grinding, and it is rewarding to run a tool that sings as smooth as a string concerto. I went through a brief period where I set ebay search alerts for blanks and "machinist lots" or estate lots until I had 50 lbs or so of excellent blanks, with lots of premium stuff along with the name brand general purpose tungsten/moly stuff. It's nice to have a variety to suit the work. Anyway, In the end, I was averaging about $3 per blank and passed on lots that were above that. So that's my secret, and I'm stocked up so I don't mind sharing... not worried about competing with y'all for auction lots anymore! :rolleyes:

The Traditional Tools Group (Inc.) -- Document View

This page is about working with traditional tools.
www.tttg.org.au

This link is to the best information source on tool steel that I have ever come across, and I am a fanatical reader. I refer to it often. It will help you identify what you're looking at and what it is good for. There are certain alloys and brands of tool blank that are seriously holy grail finds that get mixed in with random lots, and are either expensive or unattainable when they are identified by the seller. One more tool for your toolbox on your journey to learning the most versatile and cost-effective way to tool your lathe.
 
Since you got me thinking, I jumped over to ebay and snagged 8 pieces of 1/2" Tantung G, NOS for $8/each. That's a steal for some of the hardest working tool bits out there, it machines like carbide but without chipping on interrupted cuts or peeling off grotty corrosion layers on your stock. So yep, it's still out there!
 
I buy used HSS bits already ground at tag sales. The grind is usually worthless but people price piles of HSS cutters really cheap. Just cut off 3/8" and you have a blank. I recently bought a cigar box full of HSS cutters at a small engine show for $5. They were 5/16" thru 1/2".
 
Red96 said:
So it's time I got off my butt and put some time and effort into getting more proficient at grinding and utilizing HSS tooling. I'm looking to buy some good old HSS blanks that somebody might have lying around. Maybe a few 3/8 and 1/4 stuff to have around for what might come up too.

Dave? You probably have buckets of them?! (BTW, really loving the tap wrench you sold me)


Thanks in advance,
Dave H
Snohomish WA
Click to expand...
yep, you can't have them. :grin:

I hoarded a few pounds. I mostly use it for form cutting these days. Grinding is easy, just takes about 5 minutes to 20 minutes depending.
 
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