Lathe Inserts

This forum is dedicated to those Hobbyists Interested in CNC machining & 3D Printing in their home shops. (Digital Read Outs are also topical, as is CAD/CAM as it relates to CNC)

Moderator: Harold_V

Magicniner
Posts: 532
Joined: Thu May 30, 2013 4:40 am

Re: Lathe Inserts

Post by Magicniner »

Harold_V wrote: I still maintain that unless a guy is involved in large production, using a CNC, there's no real need for insert tooling---
If a guy isn't making any money and/or has plenty of time I'd agree, but inserts are cheap and time isn't ;-)

- Nick
SteveM
Posts: 7763
Joined: Mon Jun 27, 2005 6:18 pm
Location: Wisconsin

Re: Lathe Inserts

Post by SteveM »

Curtis at latheinserts.com used to work for Kennametal and now sells stuff on his own. He can give you good advice on what will work, particularly insert setups for those of us with smaller lathes. He frequents practicalmachinist.com. You can find him by his handle ExKenna.

He has dead sharp polished inserts for aluminum that work really well. They work so well, in fact, that I need to get a stronger toolholder. I can part aluminum without using backgear, but it trashed my first toolholder.

You can reach him at Curtis at latheinserts dot com (do the usual replacements).

There is also AW Warner, who sells inserts made of HSS that fit into standard toolholders. Nice thing is that resharpening is just laying it face down on an oilstone and rubbing it. You can get Warner inserts from littlemachineshop.com.

Steve
Post Reply