Carbide tools

[Thom Schuck]

hello fellow woodturners,
I have a few “I need help questions”. I am fairly new to turning but have been a tool junkie my entire life. I turn sitting in my wheelchair. I am not real strong. In June I switched from turning on a Shopsmith to the Laguna 1216 lathe. Most of my tools are Sorby, Thompson & Drozda. I bought the Sorby Steady Pro for offboard turning. I also have the Turnmaster Pro tool. I added in the 20” extension on the offboard side of the headstock to give me plenty of room for the SteadyPro. This way I can get my chair right under the work. Whew!
my question is this. Do you know if there is anyone offering the Carbide tool less the handle? Or… online I see where I can buy cutters on the cheap. What I want to know is can I use easy wood cutters on my Sorby tool? Are any of these cutters able to be used in combination with other tools? I would like to have the option of using my TurnMaster tool on just the tool rest but with that big hunky head that tool rest is quite aways from the blank. So I am kind of stuck. I want to figure out an affordable way to make this work. Any ideas? Thank You!
Thom Schuck
Portland

 

[Alan Weinberg]

Look at Thompson lathe tools or google “carbide tools without handles” on Amazon

 

[Gerald Lawrence]

You have asked so many questions it may not be possible to give a full answer without a book but here are a few.

Yes you can get carbide tools with out a handle- Hunter for one.

What kind of Sorby tool. It is doubtful tho that Easy Wood fits a Turnmaster.

Note there are lots of carbide tools out there. IMHO Hunter is best as it is a cutter and not a scraper. Some carbides may be sharpened but it may not really be worth the effort. There is another thread about carbide cutters and one supplier noted is AZ Carbide.

 

[Dean Center]

Thom,
I'm concerned about the distance your tool rest is from the wood. Archimedes told us a long time ago that it's best to have our tool rest as close as possible to the wood, almost always. If you have reduced strength, this would be especially important.

Can you explain more about why you can't get the tool rest closer? Maybe I'm extra dense today, but I'm not clear on what the reason is.

 

[Mark Jundanian]

Do you know if there is anyone offering the Carbide tool less the handle?

Yes.
Easy Wood sells handleless tools. You must order direct from E.W. I suggest calling them for more info. As an added bonus E.W. sells double bevel/negative rake inserts.
Harrison Specialities also sells handleless carbide scrapers. Not sure if they have a NR option. Their inserts are not interchangeable with EW.
The Hunter line is also handleless, but uses an entirely different geometry for the carbide insert, such that the tool cuts rather than scrapes. The tool is also held and operated differently.
Also, the Harrison Specialities Simple Hollowing System might be worth a look for you. I use mine to turn both exterior and interior forms.

 

[Russell Nugent]

Thom,
I'm concerned about the distance your tool rest is from the wood. Archimedes told us a long time ago that it's best to have our tool rest as close as possible to the wood, almost always. If you have reduced strength, this would be especially important.

Can you explain more about why you can't get the tool rest closer? Maybe I'm extra dense today, but I'm not clear on what the reason is.

Probably the design of the turnmaster pro. I had one briefly, hated it and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It has a big collar qt the head and overhangs at least 2 inches and is the catchiest tool I ever used. I've used easy wood tools and they work great when i need a carbide but I found the sorby to actually be dangerous.

 

[Doug Freeman]

Perhaps the best place to start is: there is nothing too special about carbide tool handles/bars. Handles can be whatever the user wants. Bars are just mild steel with an insert mount at the end, some are bent, and some machined down to the insert size. I have made all of my own (which may not be an option for you).

There are 3 basic types of carbide inserts/cutters used for wood: various shapes with a flat top, the Hunter style cupped cutter, and flat top with negative rake edge. Several companies sell inserts, name brand and more generic. I’ve had good luck with AZ Carbide inserts.

For tool bars, there are differences in the screw size/thread to hold the insert. AZ (and possibly others) has a x-reference chart that may help sort out what screws work in a particular bar. IMO any mfr bar can work with the right screw size/design. It can get complicated with all the different designs available.

 

[Richard Coers]

Carbides are just like everything else, you get what you pay for.

 

[Dave Hulett]

can't go wrong with Hunter Tool Systems. all are available without handles

 

[Bill Blasic]

It's simple for me as there is no carbide like Hunter carbide.

 

[Thom Schuck]

Probably the design of the turnmaster pro. I had one briefly, hated it and couldn't get rid of it fast enough. It has a big collar qt the head and overhangs at least 2 inches and is the catchiest tool I ever used. I've used easy wood tools and they work great when i need a carbide but I found the sorby to actually be dangerous.

I agree with Mr. Nugent… it’s that big bulky head that gets in my way. YES! It catches it a heartbeat. I am in it pretty deep money wise. But when it comes to safety, all bets are off. I think I am going to park the tool and go with EW. Did you use it with the SteadyPro? Can I use the SteadyPro with an EW tool? Would that work? For now I am going back to spindle work. Candlesticks And a vase or two. Thanks for the use of the word “dangerous “. I thought maybe it was me. When you don’t have a lot of experience you gotta ask the Big Dogs!
TS

 

[GRJensen]

It's simple for me as there is no carbide like Hunter carbide.

I have to agree with Bill. Mike Hunter's carbide tools are my first choice hollowing ... especially his #1 tool set.