HSS Turning Tools

The lnger than usual length of the cutting edge chipbreaker groove on the Arc lH & RH tools suggests they are designed to be sharpened very easily by beginners - just take a bit off the end, maintaining the front rake.

Will leave a sharp corner, but a few strokes with a stone can correct that.

Don't forget, most beginners will be using these tools for cuts of 1mm or less.

Neil

Good question Jason,

I do know that before we started to stock these (yesterday), I have been directing beginners for about five to six years to Chronos, who also sell these, and so far, I have failed to hear a complaint from anyone to whom I had made this suggestion. Before you say anything - it is true that a beginner will not know the difference between the quality of an Eclipse blank or one of these. However, they all get results, good, bad or ugly. Also, how many beginners will be able to afford an Eclipse blank and know how to deal with it once they have one in their hands?

We have been selling Chinese blanks for over ten years now. So far no complaint for the price at which we are selling them. (I bet now that I have said this, we will get a complaint on Monday). Now we are selling them pre-ground. I am sure that some of the shapes/top rake etc., may creat an issue, but we wait and see.

Ketan.

I forgot to add, I dont know how good the HSS on these cutters is in comparison to the Eclipse blank. At the end of the day, hopefully it does the job at at least a fifth of the price of an Eclipse blank, which should be good enough for a beginner. Once the beginner is used to a pre-ground 'economical' HSS tool/set, it is up to him/her to try out an Eclipse blank and compare.

The only place I have a comparison with Eclipse is with a magnetic chuck, and there I can honestly say that what we sell is equal to or better than a like to like Eclipse magnetic chuck!

K

Edited By Ketan Swali on 14/09/2013 11:32:02

I have three tool holders that I started with, left, right, and straight, they are for 1/4" sq HSS tool steel, and they do most of my work. I have got other HSS tooling, from 5/16", to 5/8", got that stuff at the local second hand shop for about $NZ 1 each piece. I'v also made a couple from old HSS flat bits found by the railway track, there's a photo of one of those in my album. This tool was mostly roughed out with the angle grinder. Ian S C

I have followed the various links, In general I find not following can cause me confusion into the future. I have looked at the Arc set, it seemed to arrive on their site whilst I was composing my original post.

I don't know why the impression that I was a beginner came from, as the thread seems to have become about the needs of such a person.

Where I worked until recently the culture was such that a test of newbies to the company included the ability to off-hand grind tools, including Morse drills. No skill, no job. Most of the 'old-man's' staff had been with him 25 years or more.

The thing that is new to me is the much smaller sizes than I have been used to, mainly working on special aluminium alloys in 'suck-squeeze-bang-blow' machinery so scaling down is my main concern. Hence my questions.

Jerry

Well Jerry,

The issue of chip breaker grove and relationship to beginners came up, so the thread went off in that direction I guess. But then again, we are all virgins = beginners to a certain extent until we use something for the first time . So I am sure that beginners will find this thread useful now or in the future. Also, changing from big machines to small/baby machines is a total different experience, even though you understand the principals. We have sold plenty of replacement gears to customers who use big machines during their day job, and then come to introduce the same feeds and speed on a small hobby machine in the evening, only to end up breaking tools and/or sacrificial gears. We reaaaaaly love these type of customers. Some of them are reading this thread.

Geoff, who is our time served engineer still learns something new every day (just as I do). The 'old man' at your old place must have known a thing or two. I will pass on his tip to Geoff just so that the next person who applies for any engineers job at ARC does not pull wool over his eyes by saying that they were a qualified bla bla engineer at 'some famous U.K. engineering place', only for us to let go of said person after a week or two because they fail to deliver!

Ketan.

Ketan I've just thought of a nice little money spinner for you. Give JS a pile of HSS blanks and get him to grind them into simple R/H tools. You can sell them for £2.00 more than a basic blank, Give JS a pound and a pound for yourself and everybody wins.

You could even do as the wood working boys do with their turning chisels and start a John Stevo signature series and charge even more

J

Edited By JasonB on 14/09/2013 12:56:59

Good idea Jason, but I dont think JS works for a pound a piece anymore!. He still owes me two pounds

Here you go Jerry a rough and ready shelf. Two bits of contiboard to make the basic "L" shape, tuck it up behind the top lip and retain with a couple of screws.

Thank sfor the shelf picture JasonB. Good idea. I've always been short of space near to the point of use.

Jerry

I'm gobsmacked, what can I say in the defence of the two quid he owes ME ?