Anyone on here like me ?

[Wood spinner]

I have never owned or ever thought about buying or using a carbide tool ,

Am I alone in this ?

[Bill21]

I’ve never bought one but I have made several of my own. I’m sure today’s ubiquitous HSS tools were considered far too expensive when they first came out and as we all know you can get a keener edge on some of the earlier tool steels than you can on HSS even if it doesn’t last as long. 

[bodrighywood]

I buy tools whe I need them or I see them in a boot sale or some such. I don't see the point in buying 'special' tools to replace ones I already have. Aren't going to  make me a better turner. Maybe if I need a new skew in a decade or so when the ones I have are all too short I might look at carbide LOL

Pete

[tinyjames]

All my tools are HSS and that the way I like it. lets face it carbide tools are just scrapers as most are used as a peel cut or scrapers.

some one will come along to prove me wrong lol

James

[Paul Hannaby]

I was unsure whether that question should have started "Is there" or "Does"!

I do own a carbide tool. I made it myself a few years ago for the cost of the cutter. I think in 5 years or so I have owned it I have probably used it twice and one of those was pointless!

Even when I turned some resin I found a gouge worked better than the carbide tool.

[Mark Hancock]

I own 2 carbide tools. Both are Munros; one being the latest version of the Munro hollower (I think called the Wundercut?) which I don't like particularly and the other a prototype articulated carbide hollower. The latter is great when doing hollow forms with an opening less than 1/2 inch simple because as previously mentioned they scrape rather than cut so don't produces shavings but dust which is easier to clear out with a small opening. For any other use I have no time for them

[John D Smith]

 I also own the same as Mark Hancock which is the Roly Munro hollowing large and small sets I first used one of these when I went on a AWGB Training session which I must say was great I then ordered these when I had another go with Mark's when he was demonstrating at Yandies show I have found these very good over the years.

                                                    Regards John 

[Bill21]

Some Carbide tools don’t just scrape, in the same way that scrapers don’t just produce dust. 

https://youtu.be/hKdqiAc0jx4

[Bryan Milham]

Like Mark, only hollowers, but I do also own the Simon Hope rig with a 8mm carbide ring cutter.

[Wood spinner]

Well it looks like I am not alone , I have never found a turning job I could not do with standard tool / traditional tools 

[bodrighywood]

Woodturners were creating amazing things for millennia using just basic tools. Even bowl gouges as we know them didn't exist u til 50 years ago. New steels, modern tools and lathes won't make us better turners or more creative just poorer. Some do make things easier I agree but for the time being I'll just wear out the tools I have got LOL

Pete

[Lazurus]

I have a couple, both of which cut not scrape the Simon hope sphere jig, and the Lyle JAMIESong deep hollowing rog, both excellent tools IMHO.

[Bill21]

Well it looks like I am not alone , I have never found a turning job I could not do with standard tool / traditional tools 

Maybe you just don’t turn very much?

A while back I turned some items from plywood for a club competition. It seems it was a rather tiresome exercise for those members that attempted the challenge using HSS tools. For those of us though that used carbide it was a relatively easy task.

Some time ago one of my Ten Pin bowling balls cracked obviously making it unusable. After some thought I turned a rather nice and unique bowl from part of it. All using carbide tools as the plastic was rather abrasive.

My home made sphere jig also wouldn’t work without a carbide insert.

[Wood spinner]

You may be correct , I don't turn as often as I did and also not plywood , Or 1/2 of a bowing ball

[Bill21]

You may be correct , I don't turn as often as I did and also not plywood , Or 1/2 of a bowing ball

It’s also very handy to rough out hard abrasive woods with carbide then refine the shape and clean up with HSS tools, saves keep going to the grinder.