• Beware of Counterfeit Woodturning Tools (click here for details)
  • Johnathan Silwones is starting a new AAW chapter, Southern Alleghenies Woodturners, in Johnstown, PA. (click here for details)
  • Congratulations to Paul May for "Checkerboard (ver 3.0)" being selected as Turning of the Week for March 25, 2024 (click here for details)
  • Welcome new registering member. Your username must be your real First and Last name (for example: John Doe). "Screen names" and "handles" are not allowed and your registration will be deleted if you don't use your real name. Also, do not use all caps nor all lower case.

Carbide Cutters for Oneway EasyCore

Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
227
Likes
156
Location
Midland, MI
About a year ago there was discussion on the forums about the new, carbide cutters from Oneway for their EasyCore system. It seemed like those who tried them loved them, but the jury was still out on how long they stayed sharp and if they could be resharpened.

So, I'm interested to hear from those who have tried the carbide cutters. How long do they stay sharp? Have you found a way to resharpen? Are they an economical alternative to the HSS cutters for general purpose use, or a pricey option to save for difficult woods?

Thanks,
Dave
 
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
Messages
135
Likes
151
Location
OKC, OK
I've found the standard HSS cutters to dull very quickly and be challenging to sharpen properly. If doing a lot of coring, the carbides would come in very handy.
 
Joined
Jan 24, 2010
Messages
3,058
Likes
900
Location
Cleveland, Tennessee
Didn't someone have a thread or post about a fixture to sharpen carbide cutters??? If they could be sharpened, could be saving some $$$. But it's real easy to replace them i n a few seconds. Save to old ones to be sharpened later?
 

Bill Boehme

Administrator
Staff member
Beta Tester
TOTW Team
Joined
Jan 27, 2005
Messages
12,884
Likes
5,168
Location
Dalworthington Gardens, TX
Website
pbase.com
Didn't someone have a thread or post about a fixture to sharpen carbide cutters??? If they could be sharpened, could be saving some $$$. But it's real easy to replace them i n a few seconds. Save to old ones to be sharpened later?

The shape of the Oneway coring cutters doesn't lend themselves to being sharpened with a conventional jig. However, Oneway will be more than happy to sell you a little holder for the cutters to make sharpening easier. Since Tormek has now come out with diamond sharpening wheels that they say are good for sharpening carbide, that could ease the back pocket pain of buying carbide cutters, but maybe not the pain of buying the diamond wheels.

Tormek has a tool that is part of its bowl gouge jig for sharpening HSS scraper cutters. I suppose that round and square carbide cutters could also be sharpened on a diamond wheel.
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,435
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
Still don't know why they don't, but I had them send me one of their old HSS cutters that was hardened, but before they ground that spear point on it. I taper ground the sides and left the nose square. It cuts way better than their spear point. I was chatting with their rep at the Symposium in KC and he told me the spear point keeps the blade from drifting as you cut. Well, let's just say that I don't agree with that at all. Drift is determined by the arc of the cutter arm. Spot on arc of a circle with the Oneway blades, not 'close' like the McNaughton. When I had that cutter sold to me, and told them my results they said it was too aggressive for the general public. Not sure I agree with that either. To sharpen it, you just lightly hone the nose bevel. Don't have to take it off each time....

robo hippy
 
Joined
Nov 22, 2009
Messages
227
Likes
156
Location
Midland, MI
Thanks guys for the input. I'm still interested to hear from anyone who has tried the carbide cutters in an Easy Core rig.

Here's how the math looks to me. The HSS bits cost about $33. One video demo I saw on line from someone who claimed to core a lot said he can sharpen a HSS bit 22 times before it's kaput. With my recent experience, I can core 1 large bowl or 2-3 smaller bowls before needing to resharpen. I'm more likely to core large than small. So say 1.5 bowls on average per sharpening, 33 bowls before wearing out the bit, about $1 per bowl for the cost of the HSS cutter.

The carbide bits cost $50. If they can be resharpened effectively with a diamond hone, it seems like they should easily be good for 50 bowls, so not more expensive in the long run and much more convenient. If they're dull after 10 bowls with no way to resharpen, that's a different story.

I've not been able to get my HSS bits sharp with a diamond hone. However, they had already been sharpened on an 8" CBN wheel so the top had a hollow grind from the wheel shape. If the carbide bits are really flat on top, it seems like the diamond hone could work. I'm not really interested in buying a diamond wheel or a Tormek at this point.

Anyway, that's where I'm coming from with my question. I'm curious to hear what folks think.

Thanks,
Dave
 
Joined
Aug 14, 2007
Messages
5,435
Likes
2,792
Location
Eugene, OR
What I find strange about the Oneway is that all coring blades and cutters are scrapers. In almost all situations, scrapers perform best with a burr. With the Oneway set up, you have to sharpen the top of the cutter bit, which does not leave a burr on the cutting edge. With the bit they sent me, a honing on the face, with a coarse hone/220 grit leaves a good butt. I would guess I could get a couple hundred on that one before it got to the face of the cutter support blade. Not sure what metal they use for that bit. I think it is considerably harder than M2HSS. I retipped a couple of my McNaughton coring blades with tangung, and will get way more than 50 sharpenings per cutter. Tantung isn't quite as hard as carbide, but like stellite (used on Woodcut bowl coring blades), it sharpens fine on standard wheels or CBN.

robo hippy
 
Joined
Apr 20, 2006
Messages
1,265
Likes
992
Location
Erie, PA
What bugs me about a burr on a scraper is this, they say the burr disappears almost instantly yet in video after video or in a live demo they cut and cut. Two or three or four passes yet the burr is supposed to be gone. I have been using the Big Ugly both roughing and finishing with great results and have not sharpened it since I got it from Robo. For me the burr thing is a non starter.
 
Joined
Feb 8, 2014
Messages
1,173
Likes
611
Location
Evanston, IL USA
I can say yes, the carbide cutters do last considerably longer. How much longer, as in how many more blanks vs HSS, I can't say. I do know that I needed to resharpen or replace the HSS pretty much after each set of bowls and maybe even before getting a whole set, depending on the wood species.
 
Joined
May 8, 2019
Messages
319
Likes
142
Location
Funen, Denmark
Dave, sorry if I derail your thread, but it seems, not too many have experience to share on the carbide cutters yet.
While we wait for that:
Reed, would you mind sharing a photo of the nose profile on your cutter? How wide is the square nose?
 
Back
Top