Touching up a carbide tool

[Skedaddle Shooter]

I just got this micro 100 boring bar. What would you guys use to touch up the edge periodically? I am assuming it would be a diamond stone?

Thanks,

Joe

 

[WSnyder]

For a little touch up I have F in the shop. I have some of the C's that I use for putting on a radius. They work on HSS too. F gets laid on the bench and C is held by hand. They say you can use them dry but I use a mix of water and alcohol. That said if you are careful with the little Micro 100's they'll go a long ways without touching them.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

 

[Skedaddle Shooter]

For a little touch up I have F in the shop. I have some of the C's that I use for putting on a radius. They work on HSS too. F gets laid on the bench and C is held by hand. They say you can use them dry but I use a mix of water and alcohol. That said if you are careful with the little Micro 100's they'll go a long ways without touching them.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

Thanks, is their a grit that you prefer for honing the edge?

 

[55fairlane]

Diamond wheels or better yet, send them out to a cutter house for regrind, the keen edge will last longer with the correct geometry on the cutter egdes

 

[VA_XTC_Shooter]

Diamond wheels or better yet, send them out to a cutter house for regrind, the keen edge will last longer with the correct geometry on the cutter egdes

Any recommendations on cutter house for boring bars and end mills?

 

[boltfluter]

Any recommendations on cutter house for boring bars and end mills?

I use Sasquach tool grinding for all my sharpening needs. A personal friend of mine, and father and son team that do fantastic work! They are in Homedale, Idaho. Not sure what there turn around time is these days but they have never let me down.
Paul

 

[boltfluter]

For a little touch up I have F in the shop. I have some of the C's that I use for putting on a radius. They work on HSS too. F gets laid on the bench and C is held by hand. They say you can use them dry but I use a mix of water and alcohol. That said if you are careful with the little Micro 100's they'll go a long ways without touching them.

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

I have several of the c's in my shop. As William mentioned, great for light tune up's, and I have yet to wear one out in 20 plus years of use. I also just received a nice diamond wheel for more serious sharpening. Good luck.
Paul

 

[Skedaddle Shooter]

I have several of the c's in my shop. As William mentioned, great for light tune up's, and I have yet to wear one out in 20 plus years of use. I also just received a nice diamond wheel for more serious sharpening. Good luck.
Paul

Thanks, it sounds like if I’m careful, this tool will last me a very long time given the small volume of work I anticipate. I have our shaper heads and larger router bits professionally sharpened but with this boring bar just costing $40 I didn’t think it made much sense to send it out. I’ll get a couple stones to try if necessary and if that doesn’t work I’ll just get a new one.
Appreciate the feedback.

 

[LVLAaron]

These little solid carbide indexables are my favorite.

SOLID CARBIDE C06K-SCLCR06 INDEXABLE LATHE BORING BAR 6 MM SHANK | eBay

• Shank length: 125mm. • Wrench: T8.

www.ebay.com

j

I use cheap polished inserts (CCGT).

 

[Skedaddle Shooter]

These little solid carbide indexables are my favorite.

SOLID CARBIDE C06K-SCLCR06 INDEXABLE LATHE BORING BAR 6 MM SHANK | eBay

• Shank length: 125mm. • Wrench: T8.

www.ebay.com

j

I use cheap polished inserts (CCGT).

Thanks @LVLAaron, I have a steel boring bar that size but just ordered this carbide one and the inserts. I was looking to improve my tooling for trueing the prebore on my chambers once done with predrilling and before sending the finish reamer in. This tool should work better for that I suspect due to the increased rigidity. I just made a couple test passes with that little Micro 100 and once I got the speed up and used the power feed on the cross slide it put out a great finish that was burr free. I look forward to trying this boring bar once I get it.
Appreciate the help.

 

[Skedaddle Shooter]

I have several of the c's in my shop. As William mentioned, great for light tune up's, and I have yet to wear one out in 20 plus years of use. I also just received a nice diamond wheel for more serious sharpening. Good luck.
Paul

Thanks @boltfluter, I ordered a couple of the stones to try. I also looked at a couple 6” diamond wheels. What configuration and grit did you get for your use?

 

[LVLAaron]

Thanks @LVLAaron, I have a steel boring bar that size but just ordered this carbide one and the inserts. I was looking to improve my tooling for trueing the prebore on my chambers once done with predrilling and before sending the finish reamer in. This tool should work better for that I suspect due to the increased rigidity. I just made a couple test passes with that little Micro 100 and once I got the speed up and used the power feed on the cross slide it put out a great finish that was burr free. I look forward to trying this boring bar once I get it.
Appreciate the help.

Get some of the polished CCGT inserts. I use this tool for the pre-bore and crowning. If you order inserts from china they're a buck a piece. I use a fresh one for each barrel.

 

[WSnyder]

Thanks, is their a grit that you prefer for honing the edge?

I have medium, fine and extra fine in the eze lap plastic handle. I have 240 and 600 in the flat rectangular. I probably use the 600 most often for touching up an edge.


Either one of these will do better if you crunch a tool but touching up an edge here and there is done by hand.

 

[TaperPin]

A 3000 grit flat diamond disk just flat on the bench cuts carbide quite well for little touch ups and adding a radius to the cutting point. Those cheap 6” lapping disks can be cut into whatever shape needed with an abrasive cutoff wheel from the back side. Be careful hand sharpening with coarse-ish or even a medium diamond stone/disk because you can develop micro cracks on the edge - with a loupe if there are little chips in the edge from sharpening, there are even more cracks you can’t see and it dulls quickly. It’s from individual diamonds putting too much pressure on the sharp thin carbide edge.

I turned the case hardened .060” skin off some Thomson linear shaft with some aluminum inserts resharpened by hand - that made me a fan of hand sharpening old inserts if there’s time.

 

[boltfluter]

Thanks @boltfluter, I ordered a couple of the stones to try. I also looked at a couple 6” diamond wheels. What configuration and grit did you get for your use?

My friend gave me a 4" diamond wheel he no longer used on his new machine. I want to say 400 grit but honestly I am not 100% on that. Sorry.
Paul