How To Use Carbide Wood Turning Tools

Since these are more of a scraping tool than a shearing one you will have more sanding to do.

How to use carbide wood turning tools. The carbide insert tool should be at center and parallel to the ground With a firm grip on the tool place it on the toolrest and advance it until it contacts the wood. I made sure to keep the bar cool by dipping the rod into a cup of water everytime the metal started to change colour or when I. With carbide tools right you keep the tool.

Carbide tools are introduced to the wood at a 90 angle. This steep impactful angle scrapes and tears out wood fibers violently even with a sharp edge. Carbide wood turning tools dont leave as much of a smooth surface as traditional woodturning tools.

Conventional HSS tools like the spindle roughing gouge shown above have the cutting edge ground like a chisel. Carbide turning tools are more forgiving than traditional woodturning tools and when Im a little unsure of sticking my nice Sorby bowl gouge into a. The round shaped carbide tool works well for the bowl interior but not well on the exterior.

Will let you know how it goes. I made the tool using 58 x 58 square bar and it allows me to extend it quite far beyond the tool rest also absorbs a lot of shock. You must use care when handling them so that you dont cut yourself.

When turning wood bowls this is primarily a problem in the trouble zone areas. Be aware that the carbide inserts are razor sharp. Usually a piece of 12 steel round or square notched out in the end to accept a small square round or triangular carbide cutter that is screwed onto the steel shaft and the far side of the shaft has a long wood handle.

In use you angle the tool so the bevel rides the wood then tilt the handle up to begin the cut. I then used a file to make it as flat as I could and a little shaping on the bench grinder to make sure the carbide insert is the actual thing that will cut the wood not the steel bar. Carbide turning tools can be used for both spindle and bowl turning.