HSS or Carbide reamer?

[Keith Glasscock]

I'm finally ready to order that reamer I've been working on for a while...

What material should I use? HSS or Carbide? What are the pros and cons of each?

It'll be cutting stainless barrels only and hopefully will be used several times as I continue to shoot F/TR.

 

[Rustystud]

Most reamers are M-7 tool steel not true HSS. If you are not doing chambers with a CNC operation you are wasting your money paying for carbide. Plus carbide is more brittle and chips and breaks easier than M-7 tool steel. I use a flush system and have a few reamers that have cut over 1,500 chambers with out being sharpened or reground. A properly cared for reamer could last one a lifetime.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Keith Glasscock]

Thanks. M-7 it is!

 

[Robert]

Most reamers are M-7 tool steel not true HSS. If you are not doing chambers with a CNC operation you are wasting your money paying for carbide. Plus carbide is more brittle and chips and breaks easier than M-7 tool steel. I use a flush system and have a few reamers that have cut over 1,500 chambers with out being sharpened or reground. A properly cared for reamer could last one a lifetime.
Nat Lambeth

Nat,

M7 (myHS2-9-2) is a basic HSS, but it is a the first hrand in the HSS range. higher grades are over-carbured HSS and HSS-Cobalt.

Effectively, I have never seen as much chamberings as you mention with a single reamer, but sure the potential is there for a well treated HSS.

Is there not reamers makers who offer TiN-coated tools in USA?. This would make the tool even better at some 90HRC.
R.G.C

 

[X Ring Accuracy]

TiN coated, interesting. Might be worth it.

 

[shortgrass]

TiN coated, interesting. Might be worth it.

Depends on what they charge for coating. Even a reamer used the 'old fashioned way', cut .050", withdraw, clean chamber & reamer, squirt cutting oil into chamber and on reamer (liberally), and cut another .050, and so on and so on, will cut 6 to 12 chambers before needing resharpening. I remember when TiN coating was first used on HSS milling cutters. It helped some,,,,,,,,, then came carbide. I currently have 54 chambering reamers in my tool box, none are coated, none are carbide, none need to be.

 

[Robert]

TiN coated, interesting. Might be worth it.

Depends on what they charge for coating. Even a reamer used the 'old fashioned way', cut .050", withdraw, clean chamber & reamer, squirt cutting oil into chamber and on reamer (liberally), and cut another .050, and so on and so on, will cut 6 to 12 chambers before needing resharpening. I remember when TiN coating was first used on HSS milling cutters. It helped some,,,,,,,,, then came carbide. I currently have 54 chambering reamers in my tool box, none are coated, none are carbide, none need to be.

Shortgrass,

It would be a very small add-on to the cost of a new reamer...
But raising surface hardness from some 65 to 90-95 HRC and reduce friction makes EVERY cutting tool a much better and more accuraate one... Remembber that even GOOD carbide cutting tools and tips are TiN-coated.
This of course should be only for new or resharpened reamers, not valid for used ones.
R.G.C

 

[shortgrass]

You might be right, Robert. Most chambering reamers get 'rubbed to death' from inadequate lubrication, improper speeds & feeds, and lack of chip evacuation. The added suface hardness might help. A pressurized muzzle flush system eliminates a couple of those problems.

 

[jscandale]

HSS reamers work just fine and will last a long long time. I have never spun a bbl over 200 rpm and only advance reamer about .070" before cleaning chips. I don't currently have a muzzle flush system, but it looks like I'll be migrating in that direction before too long.

I wanted to tell you that at the recommendation of a friend, I did buy a carbide finish reamer this fall and it was very nice, cuts a chamber like butter and the finish is fantastic. If you told me ten years ago that I'd be spinning a bbl at 600 rpm to chamber, I would have said you were nuts, but seeing is believing. For the extra $30, I will probably be buying more carbide going forward, but continue to use the HHS that I already have.

JS

 

[Larryh128]

Every cutter that I use today is TICN coated, in my opinion, better than TIN. Tool life is unbelieveable , especially when some of the materials we machine are fairly abrasive. Cost is really not even a factor if you're going to be using them to any degree. Any machine shop probably has a vendor that does their work & could easily send out a chamber reamer or reamers. Cost shouldn't be over $25 a reamer. Adds very little to the overall dimensions.

 

[Rustystud]

Last summer while at Trinidad Speedy told me he had a 6mmPPC reamer with over 1800 chambers cut the conventional way.
Nat Lambeth

 

[Robert]

Every cutter that I use today is TICN coated, in my opinion, better than TIN. Tool life is unbelieveable , especially when some of the materials we machine are fairly abrasive. Cost is really not even a factor if you're going to be using them to any degree. Any machine shop probably has a vendor that does their work & could easily send out a chamber reamer or reamers. Cost shouldn't be over $25 a reamer. Adds very little to the overall dimensions.

Larry,
If made at reamer manufacturer level, PVD coating cost would be much less than what you mention. Also, at this level, the coating thickness (10 to 15 microns) would be considered and reamer sharpened accordingly.
R.G.C

 

[Robert]

Last summer while at Trinidad Speedy told me he had a 6mmPPC reamer with over 1800 chambers cut the conventional way.
Nat Lambeth

Nat,

A quick calculation results for 1500 chamberings in almost 200 feet of cuutting 6BR chambers.. Quite a lot for a plain HSS steel.
Hope Speedy was at least using a rougher to preserve a little his finisher?

Even reamers deserve retirement...

 

[kgunz11]

Robert,
Keep in mind Mr. Lambeth's technique has a lot to do with his reamer life. He's drilling and pre-boring his chamber true to probably 0.010" undersized so the reamer isn't cutting much when it goes in. Right Mr. Lambeth?

 

[Robert]

Robert,
Keep in mind Mr. Lambeth's technique has a lot to do with his reamer life. He's drilling and pre-boring his chamber true to probably 0.010" undersized so the reamer isn't cutting much when it goes in. Right Mr. Lambeth?

Received 5/5 a,d agreed. This is a professional way, a well as high presssure coolant through a rotary coupling at the muzzle (although this does not prevent same care to evacuate swarf as the coolant flow is 'tapped' by the pilot in the bore and can only circulate through the grooves.

My suggestion reamain to have reamers PVD nitride-coated for better cutting capacity and dimensions keeping.

When looking at the quantity of drills, mill cutters, taps, etc, etc avalablePVD coated, even carbide tips, and in general use in the industry, I wonder why this is nt a general manufacturer's offer for chamber reamers.

At reamer makers level, the extra cost should be as neglectible as for other cutting tools...
R.G.C.

 

[kendog]

Never mind the amount of material cut with with those reamers, at 1500 and 1800 chambers at $300 average each, thats almost a half million bucks on one reamer!
There really are rich gunsmiths!