PixMan wrote:I don't mean to sound negative, but I kinda wish people would just go out and buy a "carbide insert kit" from Enco (or anyone else for that matter) before understanding tooling.
The problem with that theory, and it is proven time and again by questions asked by readers that are obvious to those of us that grind tools, is what constitutes an acceptable carbide insert kit? Your comments, below, betray your suggestion.
It is my opinion, based on inquiries on this forum, often at the admission of the individual concerned, that those that make that decision do so in an attempt to avoid learning the principles of grinding functional tool bits. The net result is that they have no clue what constitutes a proper cutting tool, nor what would be required to achieve their goal. I take an opposing stance----one whereby carbide insert tooling should be considered ONLY when a firm understanding of cutting tool geometry is at hand, so intelligent decisions can be made. Further, depending on the nature of the machine in question, I could just as easily say carbide should NOT be considered at all. It simply is not the panacea that industry has created in the minds of button pushers that have no clue about the intricacies of operating manual machines. For them, it may be true, but hardly true for the small shop with limited resources, limited capacity machines and fractional horsepower spindles. There simply are not enough benefits for an individual to get invested in them when they can be, and generally are, served perfectly well by HSS. The few exceptions that may occur can be addressed perfectly well by the use of brazed carbide. I would offer as examples, a chilled gray iron casting, or machining abrasive materials such as fiber glass boards. Beyond that, it's rare to encounter a material that can't be addressed perfectly well by HSS.
Of course Harold is spot-on that for most folks it's a good idea to learn to grind and use HSS tooling before getting into carbide.
Exactly. For the same reason a person is well advised to learn to play the piano before scheduling their first recital. To do anything less is circumventing that which is required in order for a person to proclaim themselves a machinist.
But I will say that to me it's not always a carved-in-stone must-do thing...IF you get a sound education about selecting and using carbide insert tooling.
My question is---how does one do that? When an individual lacks the fundamentals, it's not easy to understand what is needed, and why. You can spend hundreds of dollars on useless inserts and tool holders based on decisions made when you aren't qualified to make decisions at all.
Again, my advice to anyone starting out is to learn to grind tool bits. Only when that has been mastered will an individual find himself free--------otherwise it's like trying to navigate strange territory without a map. A tremendous amount of frustration can be avoided by doing it right in the first place.
What tooling did you get, one of those 5 or 6 tool kits that all take the same TNMG, TPMT, or TCMT inserts? I try to discourage people from buying those kits, but instead get a couple of good quality toolholders. That's about all you'd need. Half of the tools in those kits never see metal.
Need I say more? A person that lacks the understanding isn't capable of making a sound decision and wouldn't have a clue what constitutes a "good quality toolholder". You're placing the cart before the horse.
Harold
