Sharpening carbide inserts?

[KeeponDragon]

A coworker is a wood turner (dead tree carcasses are his jam)
We were discussing our tooling needs and uses between our two disciplines
He brought up sharpening, which I hadn't even considered. These Ali-xpress inserts are cost effective enough to almost not bother.
But he offered his kit for tuning edges, so I gave it a go last night.
Found a wore out insert in the swarf under my lathe, gave it some love on the 600grit card. It worked. Or at least I think it did. I didn't check what material the pin I turned was made of.
I'll shoot a quick video tonight...if I have time lol

 

[Dabbler]

I do it all the time. Kennemetal inserts are too expensive to not reuse at least 2 or 3 times!

 

[KeeponDragon]

Ok, so no video...but you can see it works not half bad...
I maybe put a dozen passes on each edge of the insert.
Wasn't trying for big DOC or anything. Ok, one pass at .020, but that was one time
@Dabbler thanks for commenting sir, nice to know im not the only cheap SOG here...

 

[Tom Fitzpatrick]

Could you describe the process in words if no video available. I'd be interested in trying it. Plus where do you get the sharply cards from. Thanks.

 

[Tom Fitzpatrick]

Found Sharpall products on Amazon.ca.

 

[VicHobbyGuy]

Found Sharpall products on Amazon.ca.

https://www.sharpal.com/product/diamond-sharpening-stone-fine-600-grit/
I've always used water as lubricant on my diamond sharpening tools. I notice that Sharpal says to use dry, and @KeeponDragon is using oil. Opinions?

 

[Tomc938]

Thanks for this! I came into possession of some nice looking brazed carbide cutters and was looking for something to touch them up with. Was o no luck a big me but I find expensive diamond stones and belts. I’m going to give these a try!

 

[TorontoBuilder]

My brother sharpens carbide inserts all the time because that is how he was taught at the shops he worked in.

 

[LenVW]

True about the cost of Carbide Inserts.
If your edge sharpening produces a ‘Like New Insert’ . . . Cool !!
I am going to investigate the process.

 

[Alawishes]

Thanks for this! I came into possession of some nice looking brazed carbide cutters and was looking for something to touch them up with. Was o no luck a big me but I find expensive diamond stones and belts. I’m going to give these a try!

I’ve had good luck using a green stone on my grinder. I read everywhere to wear a mask when grinding carbide!

 

[KeeponDragon]

Could you describe the process in words if no video available. I'd be interested in trying it. Plus where do you get the sharply cards from. Thanks.

Hullo Tom, I purchased the 2 cards from KMS Tools here in Kelowna. They were on clearance, so it was a bargain at 35 bucks or so for the pair.
All I did, really, was a few drops of oil on the card, then ran the card against the insert in the same direction that stock in the lathe would travel against the cutting edge...
if that's NOT the correct way, someone will let me know right lol

 

[Chipper5783]

Sure. It depends on the insert design, how worn / damaged - oft times they can be touched up a few times. I picked up a “carbide” grinder at auction. It is branded Carbaloy, but made by Ex-Cell-O. The new wheel was very expensive, but it does an awesome job.

 

[LenVW]

Sure. It depends on the insert design, how worn / damaged - oft times they can be touched up a few times. I picked up a “carbide” grinder at auction. It is branded Carbaloy, but made by Ex-Cell-O. The new wheel was very expensive, but it does an awesome job.

I was a machinist at Ex-Cell-O’s Special Tooling Division (1980-84). We made all sorts of Boring Heads, Insert Cartridges and Automotive Indexable cutters.
I did not know about the carbide grinders, but, there was about 10 grinding stations that finished the carbide inserts that Ex-Cell-O provided with its tooling.
I like to hear more about the ‘Carbaloy’ unit that you mention (Literature or Photos).

 

[LenVW]

Update for Carbide Sharpening . . .

Insert resharpening has had some definite drawbacks. The traditional insert-resharpening process has been a downsizing process that retains the original shape of the insert but grinds it to the next smaller standard size.
The machinist must accommodate the smaller size, resorting to such things as shimming the insert and going to a different tool body.

But . . .
If you are using carbide brazed to a mild steel base, you should be able to touch up the carbide portion to produce a desired cutting edge with a PFERD grinding wheel.
PFERD bench grinding wheels are made of green silicon carbide in a vitrified bond. These products are particularly suited for carbide and non-ferrous metals like titanium.

PFERD has a warehouse in Mississauga . . .
and Whitelaw Industrial (Woodstock, ON) do inventory some products.

 

[Chipper5783]

I was a machinist at Ex-Cell-O’s Special Tooling Division (1980-84). We made all sorts of Boring Heads, Insert Cartridges and Automotive Indexable cutters.
I did not know about the carbide grinders, but, there was about 10 grinding stations that finished the carbide inserts that Ex-Cell-O provided with its tooling.
I like to hear more about the ‘Carbaloy’ unit that you mention (Literature or Photos).

Carboloy Grinder. Is is an Ex-Cell-O style 48. See page 8 http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=26259

I had to make the miter gauge. The 10” diamond face wheel was 2x the cost of the grinder! I rarely use the radial wheel, the existing is an 8” wheel in poor condition (wheels are expensive). The good sized table is very great. A nice feature when grinding carbide on a diamond is that you don’t need to push very much and there is much less heating of the tool. Usually I’m using it for just touching up a tool, so heating would not be an issue anyway. When shaping a brazed carbide tool, I’ll sometimes take quite a bit off - the tool will still heat up, but much less and grinds faster than my green wheel.

Another capability, using the old diamond wheels is to shape bench stones (I.e. to create a curved surface for stoning the ID of a bore).

 

[LenVW]

Carboloy Grinder. Is is an Ex-Cell-O style 48. See page 8 http://vintagemachinery.org/pubs/detail.aspx?id=26259

I had to make the miter gauge. The 10” diamond face wheel was 2x the cost of the grinder! I rarely use the radial wheel, the existing is an 8” wheel in poor condition (wheels are expensive). The good sized table is very great. A nice feature when grinding carbide on a diamond is that you don’t need to push very much and there is much less heating of the tool. Usually I’m using it for just touching up a tool, so heating would not be an issue anyway. When shaping a brazed carbide tool, I’ll sometimes take quite a bit off - the tool will still heat up, but much less and grinds faster than my green wheel.

Another capability, using the old diamond wheels is to shape bench stones (I.e. to create a curved surface for stoning the ID of a bore).

I believe Ex-Cell-O made these grinders from 1927- 1937.
Thanks for the reminder to look at VintageMachinery.com.

 

[Janger]

Smith's 2-Sided 325/750 Grit Diamond Combination Sharpener

Smith's Diamond Combination Bench Stone features coarse and fine grit sharpening surfaces. These surfaces contain multiple layers of micron-sized monocrystalline diamonds and a unique sharpening surface with an overlapping oval hole design. This innovatio

www.kmstools.com

I also resharpen carbide lathe inserts with a diamond file. The handle on this style make it easier to use.