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Carbide turning tools

Hunter tools. Look at my videos and see what you think. Go to YouTube and type in john60lucas/Hunter. Have been teaching classes with the new Viceroy. Excellent tool. You can find a.demo of that too by typing in john60lucas/Viceroy
 
What do you plan do with them?

I have the #4 hunter a a couple of the smaller ones on hollowing bars.
Almost never use the hollowing ones-too slow

The #4 is a great finishing tool.

I use Gouges most of the time.
 
I have carbide tipped negative rake scrapers, and they work extremely well. Bought them from a club mate, and he told me they were made for him.

But for scraping, works well.
 
Ross, I've had good success using a skew (negative rake) on all forms of plastic and resin turnings.
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Then within the realm of carbide tools I recommend the neagative rake carbide scrapers from Easy Wood. These were created for turning acrylic, although they also do a great job on wood (tremendous improvement in end grain tear out).

To my knowledge Easy Wood is the only source of these inserts. They do sell a set of small tools with the tips already mounted, otherwise the inserts and tools are sold separately.
 
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By the way Easy Woods also sells handle-less tools to mount their carbide inserts. These have a 1/2" shank and can be used in a free hand tool holder or an articulated arm hollowing hollowing rig. They are only available direct from Easy Wood and they don't promote them on the Easy Wood web site, so call.
 
Just throwing out my opinion for others to contemplate.....

Those who are considering getting carbide tools.....by all means, get them, so you can form your own opinions based on what really counts......your own experience! I have several of the Hunter carbide tools, that I seldom use anymore. The one basic flaw to carbide tools, is the moment they start to dull, even the slightest bit, it isn't as sharp as it was......or, a freshly sharpened traditional tool. The turner will invariably keep using expensive carbide tool inserts for much longer before they toss it, and replace.

My advice is worth exactly what you paid for it, but it's my feeling that turners would be much better off to learn sharpening traditional tools to a keen edge......and, sharpen about 10x as often as he ever thought it would be necessary. That's the real problem right here, that word "necessary" is what will be the downfall of many turners. You never sharpen because it's necessary......always sharpen to keep the keen edge that a freshly sharpened tool has. I know, I know......it's really difficult to drag yourself away from your work right in the middle of a task......but, if that becomes part of your routine, it can become habitual.....and, the overall results can be amazing! The only thing that really counts, is a tool finish that requires little sanding, because that is what assures geometric integrity.....and, geometric integrity is the only thing that allows the possibility of crisp, aesthetically appealing multiple details........:D

Now, it's pretty easy to prove me wrong......if you toss your carbide inserts every time you pick up your tool.....but, that could get a little expensive! :rolleyes:

-----odie-----
 
I tend to agree with odie. I have HSS tools from harbor Freight. Before I start, I hit the low speed grinder for a couple of seconds. After that, I dress the edge with the DMT coarse diamond file.
 
I agree with Odie. Some of the Hunter tools however will.do things others won't. The #4 makes an incredible bottom feeding gouge. It and the #5 will.cut the bottom of a box cleaner than any other tool. They are also the best tool.ive used for undercutting a bowl rim. Hunter also has some tools I call.back cutting which may not be the real.name. they let you do a bevel rubbing cut up the side of hollow forms and under rims.
 
Ditto.... the hunters have a place in my tool rack and they are great for some jobs.

Also i’m Sure everyone know the tips rotate so you get either 2 or 3 brand new edges depending on how you use it.
The hunters stay incredibly sharp for a long time.
 
Havent done it yet this morning but I'm pretty sure I have a brand new cutter to replace my Hercules cutter that has been used by my students. I will make some cuts, replace the cutter and make some more so i can see the difference. My experience with the Hunter cutters is they hold a sharp.edge far longer than the EZ wood cutters.
 
Check out Simon Hope tools at Hopewoodworking his stuff is really good and I am also a fan of Hunter stuff. I'm from a slightly younger generation of turners--not young just only been turning 8 years or so! But I like carbide tools a lot, I find uses for them that I don't have other tools for at least not as obviously to me--the round cutter is very versatile for me and I can make 'square edged' cuts with a square cutter carbide quite readily. And just an FYI, from my experience I have found Woodpecker carbide tools to be very grabby for some reason--I turn a lot of resin/wood combo blanks and Easy Wood tools standard carbide tips work wonderfully for me, but I have both the 'pen size' Woodpecker and the full size Woodpecker tools, and the pen size ones specifically grab so bad on pen blanks in general for me. Woodpecker stuff is usually super quality IME, but their carbide stuff-at least the ones I have--are something funky......
 
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I had time to play this morning. I first did some cuts with my freshly sharpened Thompson 1/2" bowl gouge. Then I made some cuts with the Hercules that has been well used. I believe I've roughed out 2 big bowls with it and then taught 2 4 hour classes and one 8 hour class where it was used Probably done more than that with it. The cuts were about like a bowl gouge that's been used a little. Not bad, probably need 150 or 120 grit sanding. I then made a cut with a freshly sharpened 40/40 gouge. Cleaner than my Thompson which has a 55 degree bevel. I put a fresh cutter in the Hercules and got cuts that were about the same as the 40/40. then I used my spindle gouge. This was curly maple and the curls don't cut clean with any of the tools so far. 220 grit would clean them up at this stage. I pulled out my Thompson 3/8" spindle gouge. I have found that the smaller rounded tip will cut this kind of wood cleaner and it did. then I pulled out my Mini Hercules that has the 6mm cutter. It cut just as clean as my spindle gouge and this tool has been used a while and I did 2 demos and used it a fair amount this weekend. I have always been impressed by how the 6mm cutters cut.
 
john lucas said:
I had time to play this morning. I first did some cuts with my freshly sharpened Thompson 1/2" bowl gouge. Then I made some cuts with the Hercules that has been well used. I believe I've roughed out 2 big bowls with it and then taught 2 4 hour classes and one 8 hour class where it was used Probably done more than that with it. The cuts were about like a bowl gouge that's been used a little. Not bad, probably need 150 or 120 grit sanding. I then made a cut with a freshly sharpened 40/40 gouge. Cleaner than my Thompson which has a 55 degree bevel. I put a fresh cutter in the Hercules and got cuts that were about the same as the 40/40. then I used my spindle gouge. This was curly maple and the curls don't cut clean with any of the tools so far. 220 grit would clean them up at this stage. I pulled out my Thompson 3/8" spindle gouge. I have found that the smaller rounded tip will cut this kind of wood cleaner and it did. then I pulled out my Mini Hercules that has the 6mm cutter. It cut just as clean as my spindle gouge and this tool has been used a while and I did 2 demos and used it a fair amount this weekend. I have always been impressed by how the 6mm cutters cut.
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Thanks, John.......Keep in mind that the same tool in the hands of different turners may produce different results.....! :D

-----odie-----
 
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