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What inserts do you like and why?

My first 3 phase wiring job was to repair a failed install of a rotary 3 phase converter.

The master electrician had wired it improperly and blew 2 or 3 of the capacitors inside the converter. I rewired it from scratch, replace the components and it worked fin for 40 years. In this case, I might be the professional, even though I wasn't paid for the work. Certainly the guy who tried to bill for the work wasn't. Unfortunately both the client and the master electrician were friends of mine, and I had recommended him for the job. Very awkward.
 
Susquatch said:
Most boring bars have a minimum ID Dimension for holes they can bore. And yes, some inserts increase that minimum dimension.

I have often ground away the bottom of a bar to get the required clearance. For a home ground bar it's no big deal. But it hurts a bit when you paid good money for the the bar.
Click to expand...
I've had to grind the heads of some boring bars as well, with small boring bars it's de rigueur. You can also raise the bar, but then rotate it so that the tip of the insert is on center. This also gives you added clearance below the tip.
 
I would think that hobbiest would be something like without papers whereas a professional has his papers to prove his training. I belive this can be proved by the option of challenging the course to receive your papers.
 
I think separating remuneration from certification is important to this way off-topic discussion :)
For example an amateur athlete vs a professional athlete is about remuneration and not certification.
Whereas a certified electrician/engineer/dentist/doctor can do work for free and it has no bearing on the status of their certification.
 
Dabbler said:
@VicHobbyGuy When I machine soft materials that can gaul, such as soft brass or some bronzes, I modify the twist drill or lathe tool to provide neutral rake.
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Thanks, Dabbler. I have a duplicate set of drills just for brass (and aluminum, too as it can be as 'grabby' as brass) that I've slightly modified - they definitely do work better. I was surprised how much better the 'for aluminum' inserts worked on bronze and brass than what I'd been using, and they do stay sharp. But I'll try your suggestions.
 
Susquatch said:
I have often ground away the bottom of a bar to get the required clearance. For a home ground bar it's no big deal. But it hurts a bit when you paid good money for the the bar.
Click to expand...
Well, it was good money, but very little of it. :) Probably $10 from AliExpress. I ground away as much as I dared, then decided to switch to a home ground HSS boring bar made from a 6mm (?) HSS round blank (also from AliExpress). And, no, I'm not posting a pic of that one-it's really crude but it got the job done with a lot of light passes.
 
VicHobbyGuy said:
Well, it was good money, but very little of it. :) Probably $10 from AliExpress. I ground away as much as I dared, then decided to switch to a home ground HSS boring bar made from a 6mm (?) HSS round blank (also from AliExpress). And, no, I'm not posting a pic of that one-it's really crude but it got the job done with a lot of light passes.
Click to expand...

Aw, come on..... Post a pic! I'll show you mine if you show me yours! LMAO! Ya, we all have our uglies. Lots of light passes with an ugly piece of home ground HSS is often the secret to a great result! Glad it worked out!
 
Sorry to get in on this thread so late. This discussion has provoked me to examine more closely what I already have and to study up some more on indexable tooling. I've been wanting to get the aforementioned book by David Best for a long time. Now I finally have it in hand.

The tooling I have is all what I would call "legacy" tooling; ie it came with my lathe. It was assembled by a professional machinist so any semblance of intelligent choices was not my doing. Although in my estimate the quality is top notch the problem is it's very old. Many of the holders are by Valenite which was a North American manufacturer no longer in existence. Some of the inserts used may no longer be made either although I suspect substitutes probably exist. (a number of inserts were also included so in some cases the holder came with a supply that will last my lifetime in any case) This all however compounds the complexity of the question; are these tools useable and what others would complement this collection? In particular there is only one indexable boring bar of 3/4 inch diameter (by Kennametal). A few HSS bars were included. I'm thinking some more indexable boring bar sizes might be a good idea.

What do you all think? What other tooling would you recommend to add to this collection???

indexable1.JPG


indexable2.JPG
 
Canadium said:
What do you all think? What other tooling would you recommend to add to this collection???
Click to expand...
Do you have a collection of HSS tools as well? I'm a complete beginner, but I wouldn't want to give up my A.R. Warner HSS parting blade (.040" ?). My insert parting tool can't reach very far into a workpiece, and it's wider.

I have a very small 7x lathe, and I find that the 'for aluminum' inserts work better for me, even on steel since they are sharp enough to take light cuts.
 
VicHobbyGuy said:
A.R. Warner HSS parting blade (.040" ?).
Click to expand...

AR Warner makes a parting tool? I'm VERY interested!

Can you post a few photos?

Btw, I heard they are not answering calls or emails right now. It's a small family business. I hope they are ok.
 
VicHobbyGuy said:
Do you have a collection of HSS tools as well? I'm a complete beginner, but I wouldn't want to give up my A.R. Warner HSS parting blade (.040" ?). My insert parting tool can't reach very far into a workpiece, and it's wider.

I have a very small 7x lathe, and I find that the 'for aluminum' inserts work better for me, even on steel since they are sharp enough to take light cuts.
Click to expand...

This shows most of my HSS bits for both my small and my larger lathes. This again is "legacy tooling" that came with my machines.

xHSScutters.JPG
 
@David_R8 posted the following info about his favorite inserts on another thread.

David_R8 said:
One minor bit of advice on insert tooling @curmudgeon
I have a set of import tool holders and associated inserts. The tool holder are generally OK but the inserts are about as durable as crackers. I splurged and bought a brand name tool holder and inserts and noticed a really big difference in cut quality and durability.
I can't seem to access my KBC acount at the moment or I'd give you part numbers.
Click to expand...

David_R8 said:
Alrighty, managed to get back into my KBC account.
This is the tool holder: https://www.kbctools.ca/itemdetail/1-428-103237
And these are the inserts: https://www.kbctools.ca/itemdetail/1-244P-931
Click to expand...
 
I just made reference to Stephan Gotteswinter's Shop Tour video in another thread. This same video also was the source for another seemingly earth moving revelation for me. He states there between the 51 and 54 min marks that there is no longer any need for HSS. "Carbide is it". He gets around the limitations of carbide inserts by modifying the inserts (or worn out solid carbide cutters) on a grinder. The result surpasses anything that can be done with HSS according to Stephan.
 
I've been resharpenng inserts for years - it works very well. The edge the you make with hand grinding is more fragile and breaks down quicker than a factory edge, but it is sure worth it!

When you have a 15$ Kennemetal insert, it is a nice bonus to get twice the cutting time on it.
 
And these are the inserts: https://www.kbctools.ca/itemdetail/1-244P-931
Click to expand...

It would be interesting to see a head-to-head test between these KBC Korloy inserts and the same (?) "Korloy" inserts from AliExpress, since there's a 10x difference in price between the two.

Thinking about the Gotteswinter statement about (modified) carbide inserts: it has been mentioned before that using the 'for aluminum' carbide inserts can work quite well for small lathe/hobby users. The cost (from AliExpress,not KBC!) is not much, so perhaps worth an experiment.
 
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