Where to shop for quality metal lathe tools?

[mickri]

I used pvc pipe to practice on.

 

[Nesse1]

Since your machine has an AXA toolpost, you would do well with 3/8" cutting tools.

I recommend posting a Wanted To Buy post, asking the members here for some High Speed Steel 3/8" blanks. I made a similar post a while back, and a wonderful member here made me a great deal on a nice handful of cutting tools.

Next step, of course, look up some of the threads here on how to grind yourself a nice cutting tool. This step is part of learning the craft.

Another great option, on top of the above, is to buy a Diamond Tool Holder. This is like a cheat code, shortcutting the learning process, and getting to cutting chips right away. I bought one and love is. It's a supplement to learning to grind your own, though.

The Diamond Tool Holder

 

[GeneT45]

Since your machine has an AXA toolpost, you would do well with 3/8" cutting tools.

I recommend posting a Wanted To Buy post, asking the members here for some High Speed Steel 3/8" blanks. I made a similar post a while back, and a wonderful member here made me a great deal on a nice handful of cutting tools.

Next step, of course, look up some of the threads here on how to grind yourself a nice cutting tool. This step is part of learning the craft.

Another great option, on top of the above, is to buy a Diamond Tool Holder. This is like a cheat code, shortcutting the learning process, and getting to cutting chips right away. I bought one and love is. It's a supplement to learning to grind your own, though.

The Diamond Tool Holder

I have a couple of diamond toolholders (from back when Bay-Com was around and sold them in the U.S.). I loved them at the time, but came to like the Wemberly better. https://www.tripodhead.com/products/toolholder-main.cfm It's kind of a go-to of mine for fine material removal. You can download the manual at the link and see what it's about. The one they sell is small (no problem for an AXA-sized lathe) I think it's a 3/16" HSS blank. And yes, it's a "cheat code" as well. Both are great tools, but neither is a substitute for learning how to grind, just a quick way to get started.

GsT

 

[GT-6 Racer]

Very much this. While this site is HOBBY Machinist, there are many members who are current or past professional machinists. There are some hobby machinists here who work to extreme levels of precision out of need, or simply because they find it fun to work to 0.0001" tolerances even when 0.01" would be perfectly adequate. I think a lot of us are tool junkies, who might be a little too free to add a new tool even if we don't "need it". It runs the other way too, some are simply cheap frugal and refuse to spend more than the bare minimum.

It really helps when you to start to learn the personalities behind the names. Most are offering good advice, but it helps to know the POV that advice is coming from.
Like me personally all I care about is that a tool is more accurate than I am, and I still think more like a woodworker than a machinist so...

The hunt for accuracy is addictive, watch some of Robin Renzetti's You tube videos. Once you get on that path there's no more "good enough", that's why some of us get crazy and seek out Moore jig borers and grinders, 10EE's and Deckels and other old high accuracy machines. Just to drive ourselves nuts really striving for 0.0001" accuracy even when it's not necessary. But air-tight slip fit assemblies & sliding joints with no play are soooooo satisfying. Beware, then the grinding bug bites and a surface grinder is in the mix and you are then hunting for a cylindrical grinder ...
but I digress...

Careful with old negative rake lathe tooling from eBay. It needs massive rigidity, deep cuts and big power to work properly and give good surface finishes. I made this mistake. Same for the cheap import stuff. I use a lot of HSS and have started switching to high positive indexable lathe tooling. so much better especially on small parts. Stick with high-positive modern tooling on small machines or run HSS. Haas tooling when on sale (which is usually) is very cost competitive. most is import but good quality. unless milling tough or hard material HSS is perfectly fine in both lathe tools and endmills. I even have a shell mill that takes 4 HSS 1/4" square bits.

most of all keep trying and have fun. As skills grow you likely will find yourself wanting higher accuracy and collecting more precise measuring tools. a viscous and delightful circle.

Industrial auctions are fantastic source of high-quality tools and instruments. most time I buy at 0.01-.10% of new, just be careful with what you are buying.

 

[davidpbest]

The hunt for accuracy is addictive, watch some of Robin Renzetti's You tube videos. Once you get on that path there's no more "good enough", that's why some of us get crazy and seek out Moore jig borers and grinders, 10EE's and Deckels and other old high accuracy machines. Just to drive ourselves nuts really striving for 0.0001" accuracy even when it's not necessary.

This is so true. But it's disappointing to know that you actually settle for 0.0001" accuracy.

 

[GT-6 Racer]

This is so true. But it's disappointing to know that you actually settle for 0.0001" accuracy.

I know, I’m a little ashamed. I have a couple of electrical indicators that measure down to 5 millionths. It shows me how poor some of my work is. Although, there is some hope of small surface flatness in the 10-20 millionths range off the grinder if I’m really careful. Unfortunately I don’t have a dedicated metrology room so really measurements down in this range are difficult and pretty suspect. I do have reasonable temperature control, but no absolute standards at that level so, it’s all relative. It’s pretty cool to be able to measure the dimensional changes caused by touching things. For any budding accuracy addicts, Moore’s books are a must read.

 

[tobnpr]

I'm not one in the "grind your own" HSS camp except for specialty profiles when I need something I can't buy.
It's a skill definitely worth having, but IMO it's best done when one has some experience under their belt and an understanding of the geometry involved. Getting nose radius and angles correct is critical to performance, and I found it a bit frustrating when I was learning- I wanted to learn to face, turn and thread before I learned how to grind tooling.

Depending how much you end up using your machine you might end up with carbide, but I found that AR Warner's HSS inserts are the best of both worlds. HSS for easier cutting on smaller machines, and the convenience of inserts. Being HSS, you can also sharpen them with a stone when they dull.

Tool Kits

 

[WobblyHand]

First post in the Beginner's forum is on grinding your own HSS tooling. It's an epic thread (long) but contains a lot of good information. It's how I learned to make my own.

I also use AR Warner 3/8" shank tooling, but with small ground inserts (TCGT). They work very well even on tougher materials. I buy the inserts off eBay or AliExpress, depending on how long I want to wait. At the slightest sign of finish degradation, I change edges, which 90% of the time fixes the issue.

Having both kinds of tooling available is a good strategy. Helps to get stuff done, and you get to learn something along the way.

 

[ChazzC]

First post in the Beginner's forum is on grinding your own HSS tooling. It's an epic thread (long) but contains a lot of good information. It's how I learned to make my own.

I also use AR Warner 3/8" shank tooling, but with small ground inserts (TCGT). They work very well even on tougher materials. I buy the inserts off eBay or AliExpress, depending on how long I want to wait. At the slightest sign of finish degradation, I change edges, which 90% of the time fixes the issue.

Having both kinds of tooling available is a good strategy. Helps to get stuff done, and you get to learn something along the way.

I use the 3/8" 80° insert holders with CCMW 2-1.5-0.1 (or 0.5) T-15 inserts (only have been able to find from A.R. Warner). I also use these holders with the carbide equivalent inserts (CCMT) for steel & Aluminum, but mostly use the T-15.

 

[SouthernChap]

I'm not one in the "grind your own" HSS camp except for specialty profiles when I need something I can't buy.
It's a skill definitely worth having, but IMO it's best done when one has some experience under their belt and an understanding of the geometry involved. Getting nose radius and angles correct is critical to performance, and I found it a bit frustrating when I was learning- I wanted to learn to face, turn and thread before I learned how to grind tooling.

Depending how much you end up using your machine you might end up with carbide, but I found that AR Warner's HSS inserts are the best of both worlds. HSS for easier cutting on smaller machines, and the convenience of inserts. Being HSS, you can also sharpen them with a stone when they dull.

Tool Kits

Yep, this a very good point. They're a nice place between carbide and grinding your own.


Even here in the UK we can get the AR Warner inserts (albeit via Little Machine Shop). I ordered a kit and unfortunately didn't realise that the supplied inserts were something like 8mm nose radius, so unsuitable for my little 7x (and I only had a couple of inserts and I didn't fancy trying to regrind to get to the 4mm that suits a mini lathe) but I've since ordered the 4mm nose radius inserts and they're great. I might get myself some 2mm to see what they're like for deeper cuts on free machining mild steel.