Carbide Turning Tools - What's the verdict?

[Dennis Peacock]

OK, I've been out of the loop for a long while due to job, loss of my FIL, loss of my dad, selling the MIL's house and moving her here, adding onto my house to build her an apartment to live in, and the list goes on and on from there. I've seen some turners using carbide tipped turning tools. What the overall consensus about them? I do have A2 HSS turning tools but some are getting rather short from all the use and resharpening. What say ye??

[Brice Rogers]

I have mixed opinions.

Many of the carbide tools are scrapers (square, round, diamond, etc.) When they are brand new and with a light touch they cut pretty well. But when they dull they sometimes create tear out. They are a bit hard to sharpen. I've sharpened some but they never seem to be as sharp as when new.

I have a round scraper (carbide) that works well for hollowing a hollow form vessel. I also have a square sraper that I use to quickly rough hollow out a vessel.

So, they do work for some applications, but they are hard to resharpen. I see them as augmenting the other turning tools rather than replacing them entirely.

[David Bassett]

I don't think there is a consensus. Certainly there is a lot of heated discussions you can find. To me it seems most of the heat comes from claims about carbide doing everything and making other tools unnecessary. Most of the carbide tools are scrapers and, it seems to me, replace scrapers of similar profiles well. A few of the carbide tools can do shear cuts, but they don't have the same shapes as skews and gouges and, it seems to me, require slightly different technique. One instructor I read said he started all beginners with the scraper style carbide tools because of their low entry cost. (No sharpening, no finding & riding the bevel, etc.) Some found that was enough to accomplish their goals, but he found most went on to learn and master more traditional tools. IIRC- Chris Schwarz is a fan of the Easy Wood Tools precisely because of their low barrier to entry. He admits he isn't a turner and appreciates being able to quickly turn a basic tool handle or table leg without having to spend the time mastering and maintaining a higher skill set.

[Charles Bjorgen]

I own three of Mike Hunter's carbide tools and am fortunate to have had direct instruction from him on using the tools. A misconception is that these are merely scrapers. Having spent a bit of time watching videos by John Lucas on using the Hunter tools I found that it is indeed possible to find and ride a bevel for achieving very nice finishing cuts. The tools I have use the round cutters. I don't know if riding the bevel is possible with the angular cutters on some of the other carbide brands. I don't intend to give up my regular gouges though.

[Thom Sturgill]

The Hunter style cutter is a cup with a sharp edge and cuts well but is very hard to sharpen. Easy Wood Tools (and others) use a flat top carbide scraper. The hunter works similar to a ring or hook tool for hollowing, especially end grain hollowing with the exception that it does not handle chip ejection the same.

In my opinion, the real revolution in turning tools is the Powdered metal/crucible metal steels such as Doug Thompson (V11), or Dave Schwartz of D-Way(M42) are using. Still classic milled gouge shapes with the addition of a milled rather than forged Spindle Roughing Gouge (better tang), these tools get sharper and stay sharper longer. IMHO, they do require either a CBN wheel or diamond hone to properly sharpen though.

[John Keeton]

Thom, I believe Doug's steel is 10V (10% vanadium) and it is Dave Schweitzer of D-Way. I know from your previous posts, that you realize both of these points, but I am chalking it up to not having coffee yet!
Just wanted to make sure uninformed viewers didn't get confused.

[carl mesaros]

I have mixed opinions.

Many of the carbide tools are scrapers (square, round, diamond, etc.) When they are brand new and with a light touch they cut pretty well. But when they dull they sometimes create tear out. They are a bit hard to sharpen. I've sharpened some but they never seem to be as sharp as when new.

I have a round scraper (carbide) that works well for hollowing a hollow form vessel. I also have a square sraper that I use to quickly rough hollow out a vessel.

So, they do work for some applications, but they are hard to resharpen. I see them as augmenting the other turning tools rather than replacing them entirely.

Well said. I agree with each point you have made.
I have two Easy Wood tools, the medium sized round scraper and the v shaped detailer. Outstanding when new but dulled rather quickly and sharpening doesn't quite return the original edge. My biggest problem with them is the cost of new tips $18 or so, quite pricy.

[Stan Calow]

I am a talentless hobbyist with a whole rack of turning tools. I am finding I do 80% of the work with my carbide tools, and have more turning time with less sharpening. Might be different story if I was doing it seriously or making more than basic things.

[George Conklin]

Hi Dennis,
Good to see you post again. Sorry to hear about some of life's painful issues you have been dealing with.
My opinion on carbide tools is that they make turning just so darned easy. I was resistant to try them at first, but finally gave in and find them useful.

I use my "traditional" turning tools probably 70 + % of the time, but there is that time when I do reach for the carbide tool and I'm glad I have it. When I do any type of hollowing, they are my go to tool. I'd probably use them more if I wasn't concerned about dulling and having to buy expensive replacement blades.

[John Grace]

I have many tools both of traditional gouges and carbide tools and they all serve a purpose for me. While all of the above comments are valid I would add the following. A tool's value is, to some extent, relative to the need and the hand wielding it. Meaning...carbide certainly can have a shorter learning curve, and as such, you can produce finished pieces relatively fast and in some cases high quality when sharp and done 'just so'. Traditional gouges have a somewhat steeper learning curve relative to use as well as sharpening, but in the end, are more versatile in my opinion. It's February in 2016...if you plan on making one or two bowls this entire year then perhaps carbide is a better path for you. If you plan on turning more and more, then perhaps it's worth spending the time to learn traditional gouges and sharpening and going that route.

[Reed Gray]

Well, there is nothing that they can do that a standard scraper can't do, well, standard scrapers are easier to sharpen.

robo hippy

[Ray Bell]

Poor excuse, but I discovered early on that I have neither the skills or patience to use the traditional tools. I was never good at technique or sharpening. After buying my first EWT I quickly decided carbide was the way to go, and use these exclusively. They do have their down sides, one being the cutters are expensive, and secondly the pieces seem to require a lot more sanding after turning, but again this may be just me. Other folks may be able to get quality finishing cuts with them. I have a friend that has been turning considerably less time than I and has taken the time to learn how to use the traditional tools. His finishing cuts are always smoother than mine.

[John K Jordan]

In my opinion, the real revolution in turning tools is the Powdered metal/crucible metal steels such as Doug Thompson... IMHO, they do require either a CBN wheel or diamond hone to properly sharpen though.

Dennis, what kinds of things do you like to do?

I agree the V10 Thompson tools are amazing. I also have most of what Mike Hunter sells. I like both of them, often for different purposes but often either will work. I really like small Hunter hollowing tools for hollowing small things (duh) and the larger Hercules tools for inside since they are so sturdy and cut cleanly. For bowls and face things I often use the Hunter tools for much of the work but I personally have better success with the V10 bowl gouge with a steep bevel for finish cuts inside. For spindle work I prefer the Thompson spindle gouges. You can get amazingly clean cuts with the Hunter in the bevel-rubbing mode. If I had just one I'd get the Hercules, depending on what kinds of things you liked to turn.

BTW, I like the Hunter tools over the several other types of carbide I've tried.

As for the sharpening, I do use CBN wheels now but for years I sharpened the Thompson tools easily on either a standard grinding wheel or mostly, the Tormek with water wheel.

JKJ

[Thom Sturgill]

Thom, I believe Doug's steel is 10V (10% vanadium) and it is Dave Schweitzer of D-Way. I know from your previous posts, that you realize both of these points, but I am chalking it up to not having coffee yet!
Just wanted to make sure uninformed viewers didn't get confused.

No I think its more the fact that I'm down with a bad cold.

[Dennis Peacock]

George Conklin - Thank You for welcoming me back among the living.
I have had a very extended break from woodworking in general to include woodturning. I'm fighting my way back to doing both once again.

John Jordan - I'm a bowl turner who also likes to turn platters as well as tops for kids.

The hardest lesson I've had to learn in the past 3 years is how to stand with a child who has just attempted suicide. I "never" dreamed that I would ever have a child that would even come close to considering such a thing as suicide. I've also had to learn how to love them through some of the ugliest circumstances faced in their life. For sure not what I dreamed as a young married man of how it would be with my own kids.

On the flip side, my daughter and son-in-law just announced to us today that the LOML and I will be grandparents for the very first time.......it's going to be a "girl"!!! Needless to say that we are EXCITED!!!!!

For some odd reason, it feels really good to be back among my woodtuning friends once again.

Oh, I'm a traditional woodturner who has all kinds of HSS M2 turning tools and can sharpen them just fine. I was just wondering about the carbide turning tools since I've never seen them, held them, nor used them.

Thanks for all the info so far. I appreciate it greatly.