Last question on carbide tools, I promise :)

[George Farra]

Hi All

My question relates to carbide inserts. Are you strictly relegated to using cutters made by the specific tool maker? For example, can EWT cutters be used on Harrison tools? I like the value that Harrison offers but haven't ordered yet on concerns that cutters may one day become unavailable.

Thoughts?

Thank you

George

[Thom Sturgill]

For the most part the cutters are off-the-shelf items. I believe that the first carbide cutters used the cuttters from planers and jointers that used spiral cutting heads with numerous removable carbides, these were either square or square with slightly rounded faces. Capt Eddie (currently recovering from issues related to brain surgery) sells replacement cutters for some tools much cheaper that the tool makers. Not sure about any quality difference as I do not particularly use carbide cutters. He does not appear to have cup shaped cutters, and some club members said his wore out faster, but were still cheaper in the long run. But that was several years ago and he has probably improved what he is selling.

[Bruce Lewane]

In my experience, the short answer is no. Carbides in general are a cottage industry. As far as I can tell only EWT's cutters have been standardized. (Thank you Captain Eddie and a few others.) Every producer knows that the tool is a one time purchase where as the cutters are a ongoing business. It behooves them to make the sizes different so that only their cutters fit their tools. Good business model. On the other hand, if you have some time on your hands and a good internet connection, you can get on Alibaba and have a few hundred cutters made in China for less than a dollar a piece. It's a brave new world.

[allen thunem]

give global tooling a shot

[Shawn Pachlhofer]

global tooling is the way to go.

you may have to order your cutters 10 at a time, but they are also MUCH cheaper than buying individually from EWT or Harrison

[Leo Van Der Loo]

Carbide has been used in the metal industry for literally decades, the Carbide inserts are of a later development, but still quite a few years, as these are made for automated and CNC lathes.

And there are of course standards so that the best insert can be installed, for what is to be machined,and to exchange tips when worn out or changed for different material, as these come in many forms and layered and coated types and depending the material to be machined, like Alluminium and Stainless Steel or Brass and carbon steel, plastics and other manmade material will machine not alike and so special material compositions and shapes have been developed, some of these shapes can also be used for wood, and are used for that.

Wear-fastness is of course not as important with wood than with high-speed machining of harder and tougher metals, shapes that cut, rather than shear are better but have to be able to be held in handheld tools.

Anyway there are literally hundreds of different carbide insert types and shapes and these are made in standardized sizes etc etc., and these have all been developed for industrial uses, not for a few wood turners.

Carbide inserts.jpg

[Dave Cullen]

Hi All

My question relates to carbide inserts. Are you strictly relegated to using cutters made by the specific tool maker? For example, can EWT cutters be used on Harrison tools? I like the value that Harrison offers but haven't ordered yet on concerns that cutters may one day become unavailable.

Thoughts?

Thank you

George

As others have noted, there are suppliers of cutters other than the OEM sources. I have used them with good results. As for your specific question, the EWT cutters are quite different in design than the Harrison tools. EWT tools are scrapers, whereas the Harrison cutters have a bevel and can be used in shear cutting.