Just about to order a Diamond Tool Holder

[GLCarlson]

Agree, especially comments about Wemberly. Got one of the first ones sold, tried it, went back to the Diamond in a few weeks. Wemberly is just too hard to maintain vs the Diamond. Works OK.

 

[umahunter]

Awesome

 

[Tozguy]

They are BETTER than their advertising. I've had one for 20 years or so, ever since I saw Kouhoupt's review- it's my go-to lathe tool, don't use anything else except in a special purpose pinch. Cheap, cuts anything, great finishes if you'll polish the tool. Buy both the left and right versions. Dirt cheap to run, too- a 3" stick of quarter inch square cobalt M2 lasts forever.

My sentiments as well. The Diamond holder from Bay-Com is quality stuff, versatile, fun to use. After you see for yourself the price looks a whole lot better. We recoup some of the price by savings in inserts or HSS over time.

The Diamond holder is versatile but it doesn't do everything (they are the first to admit it). It doesn't keep me from grinding HSS and carbide tools. But with the Diamond holder I don't hesitate to interrupt a job to touch up the cutting edge as soon as needed.

 

[george wilson]

I could be wrong,but I think I recall seeing that same type tool used wayyyyyy back,many years ago. Like,in the early 20th. C..

I like to grind my tools. The problem with the diamond tool is you will get a continuous,long chip. Not the handiest thing in the World. If you grind your own tools,you can make a chip breaker tool easily and not have 3 or 4 foot long chip rolls going all over the place.

That said,I'm sure the tool does a great job. But,I urge everyone to learn to grind your tools. You need both RH and LH tools,cutoff tools and specialty tools such as threading and form tools. Learn how to grind them.

 

[Tozguy]

George,
Have you used the Diamond tool holder?
The vendor makes it amply clear that it is not the only tool you will ever need. For what it is designed to do, what is preventing us from grinding the tangential tool to suit the job just like for conventional tools?
Chip formation is a function of several controlable things but choice of tool holder is not one of them. i don't understand why you blame the Diamond tool holder for making 'bad' chips.

 

[george wilson]

I didn't say bad chips. I said long,continuous chips. If you like long,continuous chips they are not bad. And,with Christmas coming,you can cut the long,spiral chips up,spray them gold,and make icicles to put on your Christmas tree!! We actually did that one time for the museum's Christmas party. But,we used brass.

 

[MikeWi]

I bought the RH version of the tool when I got my lathe, as I wanted to be able to concentrate on learning the lathe first. With this kind of cutter, there's no skill required to get good performance from the tool bit, so if there was a problem I knew it was somewhere else. I like it, but recently started grinding my own (bought a 'lot' of tool bits on ebay), and I find myself using those more often than the tangential cutter now. Still use it though.

 

[george wilson]

Try inserting a piece of brown paper bag paper on the surfaces where the HSS bit meets the holder. Paper will hold like crazy. I have used it for holding slippery metal in vises,to keep a tool post from rotating under pressure,etc.,. The paper MUST be clay free,hence the BROWN,non polished old paper bag paper. News paper is clay free too,but the paper bag paper is more robust against tearing and letting go.

Powdered rosin is a good anti slip product,too. I'd try the paper first. It's less messy than getting rosin on your fingers.

About learning to sharpen your tools: It is the little skills(maybe not so little),I'll say ancillary,that make the difference between an ordinary machinist and a great one.

 

[Jim Dobson]

Enjoyed reading everyones replies.

 

[Tozguy]

I didn't say bad chips. I said long,continuous chips. If you like long,continuous chips they are not bad. And,with Christmas coming,you can cut the long,spiral chips up,spray them gold,and make icicles to put on your Christmas tree!! We actually did that one time for the museum's Christmas party. But,we used brass.

My apologies if I misinterpreted this part of your post (no. 24)'' The problem with the diamond tool is you will get a continuous,long chip. Not the handiest thing in the World''.