# Carbide Turning Tool



## mb007 (Feb 7, 2012)

After getting a little inspiration from Bill (Wood Butcher) at the past couple Indy IAP meetings, and watching some videos by Captain Eddie on YouTube, I took a stab at making my own carbide tool. Here is what I came up with! It's made from 3/8 bar stock, a piece of a copper pipe coupler, and a handle made from what I think is Walnut (~30 year old wood given to me by Dad).

Sorry for the poor pictures - the photography area (AKA kitchen table) had to be cleared off for visitors over the weekend!


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## rej19 (Feb 7, 2012)

Nice job Matt!


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## Wood Butcher (Feb 7, 2012)

Very nice indeed.


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## Craftdiggity (Feb 8, 2012)

Looks good.  Have you taken 'er out for a spin yet?


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## glycerine (Feb 8, 2012)

Hey, great minds think alike!!


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 8, 2012)

Great job!

I might be a little concerned about how much of the carbide tip over hangs the shaft.  The carbide tips are brittle and can, and do, chip if you get a catch DAMHIK.

AK


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## jjudge (Feb 8, 2012)

Now -- that looks nicer than mine, that I posted earlier.

Very nice!


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## mb007 (Feb 8, 2012)

Craftdiggity said:


> Looks good. Have you taken 'er out for a spin yet?


 
Thanks Chris!  I've not had a chance to try it out yet - hoping to this week or weekend.  I have some blanks glued up for a cocobolo slimline, so that should provide a decent workout for it!



Andrew_K99 said:


> Great job!
> 
> I might be a little concerned about how much of the carbide tip over hangs the shaft. The carbide tips are brittle and can, and do, chip if you get a catch DAMHIK.
> 
> AK


 
Thanks Andrew!  I didn't think about the overhang as being possibly problematic.  I'll wear my face shield and give it a good workout and see what happens.  Joe's post linked below gives me a good place to pick up cheap replacements for the cutter. :biggrin:



jjudge said:


> Now -- that looks nicer than mine, that I posted earlier.
> 
> Very nice!


 
Thanks Joe!  I wish I'd have stumbled across your post earlier!  As it stands, I think I have < $11 invested, but could've cut out another $5 on the cost of the insert!  Now if we can only track down cheaper round cutters!

Thanks to everyone else for their kind words as well!  I only quoted folks who posed questions or a direct comment that I wanted to reply to, but I appreciate all of your comments!


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## mb007 (Feb 11, 2012)

I had a chance to test it out tonight - I'm very happy with how it turned out!  First test was a cocobolo slim... piece of cake with this tool, and FAST.  Second test was a PR blank.  The carbide was slightly grabby when roughing the blank, but it was still a little faster than using my usual gouge/skew combo.  I'm sure it'll get faster with practice, but it doesn't get easier than this!  The 3/8" bar seemed to hold up well, and felt solid.  I may try making my next one using 1/2" just for comparison's sake, but I wouldn't hesitate to build another with the 3/8".

My only other experience with a carbide tool was my very first pen that I made at the CSUSA booth at the Woodworking Show in 2011.  At that time, I had a dull insert (according to the gentleman running the demo), and it was a very unpleasant experience.  It's amazing how much difference a sharp insert has on my opinion of this tool! :biggrin:


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## glycerine (Feb 12, 2012)

Good to hear.  I have the same experience with acrylic.  I'll usually use my fingernail gouge to rough with...


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## W.Y. (Feb 12, 2012)

Great looking tool and awsome  wood in the handle that looks like figured walnut.

How long do you expect the tip (insert ? ) to keep sharp ? Can it be turned  around and all four sides used one at a time as they get dull ? 

Can they be sharpened in a home shop or are they throw aways  when they are dull . 

I do believe you will see a pleasant difference when you switch to 1/2" stock next time .


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## mb007 (Feb 12, 2012)

William O Young said:


> Great looking tool and awsome wood in the handle that looks like figured walnut.
> 
> How long do you expect the tip (insert ? ) to keep sharp ? Can it be turned around and all four sides used one at a time as they get dull ?
> 
> ...


 
Thanks William!  I'm pretty sure the handle is walnut.  My dad doesn't think that's what the gentleman said it was when he initially stashed it away - but I agree with you and think it's walnut. 

The insert can be rotated when a side gets dull.  I don't know how many pens I can do with one insert.  If anyone out there can speak to this, I'd be curious to hear!  My guess is that I'll probably get 15-20 pens from one insert.  You can sharpen them with a diamond stone when they get dull. However, you can buy them online for less than $2 apiece, so I may just stock up for now since I don't have a diamond stone.

I'm looking forward to trying a 1/2" bar on a future one.  The only little drawback is that the 3/8" is pretty narrow, and if you're not cutting in the dead center of the insert it will want to tilt on you.  It's very manageable, but something you have to think about when using it!


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## W.Y. (Feb 12, 2012)

Thanks for the explanation.

I thought that a carbide tip would turn a lot more than 15 to 20 pens 

I was  thinking of making one for myself . Not for pens but for much bigger turnings. I made well over 300 pens until the market for them dried up in my area but I still enjoy turning a wide variety of other things and give them all away. Some also go to charities and silent auctions.  
I am trying to keep away from anything that requires hardware kits to finish them off.


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## williamcr (Feb 13, 2012)

> The insert can be rotated when a side gets dull. I don't know how many pens I can do with one insert. If anyone out there can speak to this, I'd be curious to hear! My guess is that I'll probably get 15-20 pens from one insert. You can sharpen them with a diamond stone when they get dull. However, you can buy them online for less than $2 apiece, so I may just stock up for now since I don't have a diamond stone


 
Where did you find inserts for less than $2 dollars a piece?


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

jjudge said:


> Now -- that looks nicer than mine, that I posted earlier.
> 
> Very nice!


 


williamcr said:


> > The insert can be rotated when a side gets dull. I don't know how many pens I can do with one insert. If anyone out there can speak to this, I'd be curious to hear! My guess is that I'll probably get 15-20 pens from one insert. You can sharpen them with a diamond stone when they get dull. However, you can buy them online for less than $2 apiece, so I may just stock up for now since I don't have a diamond stone
> 
> 
> 
> Where did you find inserts for less than $2 dollars a piece?


 

Have a look at jjudge's post, he bought them at Global Tooling.

AK


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## Mack C. (Feb 13, 2012)

Andrew_K99 said:


> jjudge said:
> 
> 
> > Now -- that looks nicer than mine, that I posted earlier.
> ...


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## glycerine (Feb 13, 2012)

Mack C. said:


> Andrew_K99 said:
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> > jjudge said:
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## glycerine (Feb 13, 2012)

mb007 said:


> William O Young said:
> 
> 
> > Great looking tool and awsome wood in the handle that looks like figured walnut.
> ...


 
Honestly, sometimes you might WANT that tilt.  You might try a hex bar instead of square.  I made one from round stock and I probably angle mine just as much as I hold it flat.  Now, with a square bar I'm sure it's easier to keep the tool flat WHEN you WANT to, but you just just might find that you also WANT to hold it at an angle.  Just something to think about...


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

Mack Global's website shows cutters with a radius on the corners and/or the whole profile is a radius.  Lots of options there.  I might look into it as I have been using the $13 EWT inserts from LV on my home made tool.

AK


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

glycerine said:


> mb007 said:
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> > William O Young said:
> ...


 
I agree, the one I made uses a square bar but I tend to tilt it slightly for more of a skewing cut. Works better most of the time IMO.

AK


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## mb007 (Feb 13, 2012)

williamcr said:


> > The insert can be rotated when a side gets dull. I don't know how many pens I can do with one insert. If anyone out there can speak to this, I'd be curious to hear! My guess is that I'll probably get 15-20 pens from one insert. You can sharpen them with a diamond stone when they get dull. However, you can buy them online for less than $2 apiece, so I may just stock up for now since I don't have a diamond stone
> 
> 
> 
> Where did you find inserts for less than $2 dollars a piece?


 
As other have said, check out global tooling (link in jjudge's post).  radiused cutters are $1.56 I believe, but you have to purchase 10.


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## mb007 (Feb 13, 2012)

Andrew_K99 said:


> glycerine said:
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> > mb007 said:
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I've rounded the edges of the bar slightly (when sanding), and it does make it very easy to tip on the side to make a skew-like cut.  That is one advantage of the smaller bar (and why I intend to keep using this size, even if I do make a 1/2" tool).


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## Mack C. (Feb 13, 2012)

mb007 said:


> williamcr said:
> 
> 
> > > The insert can be rotated when a side gets dull. I don't know how many pens I can do with one insert. If anyone out there can speak to this, I'd be curious to hear! My guess is that I'll probably get 15-20 pens from one insert. You can sharpen them with a diamond stone when they get dull. However, you can buy them online for less than $2 apiece, so I may just stock up for now since I don't have a diamond stone
> ...


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## glycerine (Feb 13, 2012)

Mack C. said:


> mb007 said:
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> > williamcr said:
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## mb007 (Feb 13, 2012)

Mack C. said:


> I'm not able to find radiused cutters on the Global site. They describe their cutters as having radiused corners, which is much different than a radius cutter of 2" or 4".


 
Ooh, good call Mack!  I think you're right about this one.  Thanks for catching that - will save me some headaches.  Check out the one that is titled "For Titan Spiral Shear Heads -- 15mm x 15mm x 2.5mm - 4-edge - 8 Radius" on the same page @ GLobal.  That one appears to have a radiused edge.  If you click the picture, it'll show you the design of the cutter.

Good catch!


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

mb007 said:


> Mack C. said:
> 
> 
> > I'm not able to find radiused cutters on the Global site. They describe their cutters as having radiused corners, which is much different than a radius cutter of 2" or 4".
> ...


 The 15x15x2.5 for the 'Byrd' head has a 100mm radius and round corners.

AK


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## mb007 (Feb 13, 2012)

Andrew_K99 said:


> The 15x15x2.5 for the 'Byrd' head has a 100mm radius and round corners.
> 
> AK


 
Thanks Andrew!  The 'Byrd' is 100mm (about 4") and the 'Triton' is 150mm (about 6").  The 100mm would probably make it a little easier to avoid digging in on the ends of the cutter, since it has a little more curve than the 150mm.


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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

mb007 said:


> Andrew_K99 said:
> 
> 
> > The 15x15x2.5 for the 'Byrd' head has a 100mm radius and round corners.
> ...


I think I am going to order some of those 'byrd' cutters to try, I like the idea of having the corners rounded as well as the whole cutter, should help eliminate any grabbing you get at the corners.

AK


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## Mack C. (Feb 13, 2012)

Andrew_K99 said:


> mb007 said:
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> > Mack C. said:
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## Andrew_K99 (Feb 13, 2012)

I was just about to cut an order for 10 of the 15x15x2.5mm 'Byrd' cutter only to find out that shipping to Canada was $20 ($2/cutter) for a $23.50 order!

I wonder how many Canadian's would be interested in a mini group buy of these cutters?  Shipping for 150 was only $30 (20¢/cutter).

It'd work about to $3.50/cutter or less for 10 cutters shipped.

I'd be happy to run it ... maybe I should post a thread as a feeler to see how many would be interested.

AK


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## sbell111 (Feb 14, 2012)

Mack C. said:


> The ones from Global are straight across the cutting edge. They have a tendency to dig in, at least that's been my experience.
> 
> Cutters with a 2" or 4" rad. are much easier to use if you cut with the trailing edge of the cutter. They cost in the range of $6.00 - $7.00 ea.
> 
> inserts



Global makes the exact inserts that you linked to.  The 4-inch radius BT inserts are $2.35 each when bought in a box of ten.  The 2-inch radius ones are available from them, but are a special order item.


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## sbell111 (Feb 14, 2012)

glycerine said:


> mb007 said:
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> > William O Young said:
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I'm definitely going to use a hex bar on my next one.


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