Indexable Lathe tools

[Veloz2010]

I have a Colchester Bantam lathe and carry out fairly basic machining for which I grind my own tools in HSS. However as I am not particularly good at grinding tools I am contemplating moving over to indexable lathe tools. I have found a few sets ranging in price but do not really know what I should be looking for.

The materials I am working with are free cutting mild steel and ally.

Does anyone have any recommendations based on what they have used or know someone has used?

An option I was looking at is this 9 piece 15mm tool height set
http://www.amadeal.co.uk/acatalog/Lathe_Tools_-_Indexable_Carbide_Manual_12mm_tool_height.html

Hope you can help,
Thanks

 

[shenion]

They look good enough.

I have a 5-piece set, probably Chinese. I do pick up inserts off of ebay when I see name-brand ones cheap.

If you have GCTP, the parting tools for those are stronger.

Internal and external threading tools is nice, one thing I have been looking for.

 

[Bsmith]

I found Kennametal indexable tools good on a wide range of metals, but I have tried a few makes and can't say that I found what I would call a bad indexable yet. When the TCT inserts were beyond use I brazed them onto old hss tools and re-sharpened.

 

[moggy]

just moved over to indexable tools on my lorch schmidt lathe, seem to work well, mostly work in stainless and ally for classic bikes, found when cutting stainless you cant cut too deep as they can sometimes move, my better quality ones dont move though so maybe theres a tip there.
mark.

 

[brightspark]

just moved over to indexable tools on my lorch schmidt lathe, seem to work well, mostly work in stainless and ally for classic bikes, found when cutting stainless you cant cut too deep as they can sometimes move, my better quality ones dont move though so maybe theres a tip there.
mark.

yep dont buy crap tools

 

[shenion]

Just looked again, those 15mm tools seem to have small inserts. Would reduce their capacity (heat) but might get into tight places. They also seem to all be straight for facing left (most common).

My 5-piece has left, center and right tools. If you have a parting holder, I'd get the 5-piece and use HSS for threading.

 

[graffian]

I use inserts most of the time, I have tools by all the usual suspects, they all work. Would the tool companies last long if their tooling didn't work?
The tools on the page you linked to look like the inserts are to big for the stock they are fastened to. look at a proper holder[they all have online catalogs] and it looks like it starts out as a forging with plenty of meat behind the insert and the inserts don't easily move. But about 6 quid a piece for those holders make them pretty cheap, I am guessing here as I have never stumped up proper dosh for tooling;-) They don't say what inserts are used.

Inserts are great, I wouldn't want to be without them.

Whats the problem with grinding HSS? If you have a lathe you need to be able to shape a tool, put some photos up and we can tell you were your going wrong.

 

[MrFluffy]

Ive made my own holders to take odd inserts off ebay in the past. So if you get a big batch cheap of weird inserts, all is not lost.

The only thing ive noticed is when using "budget" inserts with their own tooling, sometimes its possible to ping off the insert from the holder during a bad dig in. Whereas the kennemetal ones chipped the inserts leading edge off. You can decide if you'd rather have a insert pinged at you but still use-able afterwards, or one with the edge chipped off