HSS Lathe tool set recommendations

[no idea]

I am about to take the plunge and finally get a lathe. It is likely to be a new Warco and looking at their website, they don't do many HSS sets, but plenty of indexable (insert type) ones. Does anyone have any recommendations for a set from elsewhere? I am going to either need a 12mm or 16mm bar size depending on which lathe I eventually decide to get. I will also get an indexable set but would like an HSS set too (just to ease myself back into turning, which I haven't done since I was at school 30+ years ago).

I do plan to buy HSS blanks in future to grind my own tools but need something to start me off without having to get caught in the tool grinding/shaping rabbit hole

 

[RichardM]

I have a Boxford set, one missing, I'll sort some pics out later if you are interested.

 

[fizzy]

I am about to take the plunge and finally get a lathe. It is likely to be a new Warco and looking at their website, they don't do many HSS sets, but plenty of indexable (insert type) ones. Does anyone have any recommendations for a set from elsewhere? I am going to either need a 12mm or 16mm bar size depending on which lathe I eventually decide to get. I will also get an indexable set but would like an HSS set too (just to ease myself back into turning, which I haven't done since I was at school 30+ years ago).

I do plan to buy HSS blanks in future to grind my own tools but need something to start me off without having to get caught in the tool grinding/shaping rabbit hole

So much easier with indexable tct tools. No messing around with grind patterns etc BUT they do like to be worked very hard. Perhaps not so easy on a smaller lathe. Surface finish is the biggest enemy. I find the very pointy elongated diamond shaped tips give the best results with light cuts. Often claimed for use on aluminium and brass but give a great finish on steel. One big advantage of tct - you don't need top use coolant unless parting off. Far less mess on a home lathe.

 

[Turbo]

@doubleboost did a great review on insert lathe tools on YouTube.

I bought a set on Banggood for my ML7 hobby lathe and they have been brilliant. No messing around spending hours grinding hss tools. If I ruin an insert I swap it in a few minutes and I'm cutting again.

New tips are cheap enough now so it's not worth using hss for most work.

 

[RaceDiagnostics]

I agree, use inserts, if your a beginner then sharpening your own HSS will put you off using the lathe.

 

[RobCox]

Just buy HSS blanks and put the reliefs in with a bench grinder. You'll end up needing to sharpen tools sooner rather than later. 3 flats is all you need to make a perfectly serviceable tool to face and surface stock. Plenty of videos on youtube showing how to sharpen toolbits, including a particularly enlightening one by ThisOldTony which shows how and why

I'd start with 8mm / 5/16" - less material to remove with the grinder so you'll get results quicker. Also, you won't need the strength and rigidity of 1/2" tools initially, if you can't peel off 0.25mm you won't be chewing off 3mm cuts for a while.

HSS is cheap. If you're just starting you'll make mistakes which will cost more with inserts. Oh, and steer clear of the brazed on carbide sets. They need sharpening to work!

Just my take on it, how I started.

 

[BrokenBiker]

Inserts are definitely the way forward for your every day tools...I use some cnmg, dnmg, wnmg, few different parting inserts and a 5mm radius tool and threading tools with inserts...for the obscure stuff I grind my own as ita juat easier, but the I sent tooling is so much more convenient

 

[Agroshield]

No-one in the UK sells traditional HSS tools ground from a strictly square blank. Those HSS sets that are available are from cranked blanks and often have a curved chipbreaker groove ground in.

These are typical from all the sellers:

Set Of 8 SCT Solid HSS Lathe Turning Tools 12mm Square - Chronos Engineering Supplies

8 PC SOLID HSS. TOOL BIT SET 12 MM SHANK,INCLUDING ONE PC OF EACH: RIGHT HAND TURNING TOOL LEFT HAND TURNING TOOL STRAIGHT CUT TURNING TOOL CORNER RIGHT ANGLE TOOL BORING BAR INTERNAL BORING BAR BLIND HOLES PARTING TOOL THREAD CUTTING TOOL PACKED IN WOODEN CASE CLICK THE IMAGE ON THE LEFT FOR A...

www.chronos.ltd.uk

 

[brightspark]

@doubleboost did a great review on insert lathe tools on YouTube.

I bought a set on Banggood for my ML7 hobby lathe and they have been brilliant. No messing around spending hours grinding hss tools. If I ruin an insert I swap it in a few minutes and I'm cutting again.

New tips are cheap enough now so it's not worth using hss for most work.

hours on sharpening them a few minutes. most dont use them in the home workshop because they probably dont know how to or 2 lazy or havent even tried , same as sharpening hss drills by hand

 

[Keith 66]

^^^^ This, 99% of my turning is done with hss tools 1/4" & 5/16" square & most of that is stainless steel, grinding tools takes minutes & sharpening them just seconds. What is more important is good coolant.

 

[brightspark]

i use a 6 inch disk sander for sharpening them. it takes only a few minutes to touch them up using the tilting table and the correct angle every time

 

[badabec]

Another, spendy, option, is one of these. The diamond tool holder. His sister used to do the UK shipping when I bought mine years ago. Maybe they come fom Oz now.

The Diamond Tool Holder | Eccentric Engineering

www.eccentricengineering.com.au

 

[no idea]

Thanks everyone for the advice. I'll stick with the indexable set first and experiment with HSS blanks later. I hadn't realised that the blank doesn't need to be the same size as the tool holder so I'm grateful for that information RobCox.

I've got a lot of woodworking experience and have been down the chisel, plane iron and turning tool sharpening rabbit hole too many times so I'm going to start simple with metal turning and try and stay there (until I fall back into the trap of enjoying the technical theory rather than focussing on achieving the end result lol).