Homemade wood lathe tools

[camel2019]

Anyone make their own wood tools?
I’m thinking of take some hss bits I have laying around and some old drill shanks(also hss) and cutting a younger and groove into them and silver solder/brazing them into mild steel stock. I also have some old files I can make scrapers and skews from.

 

[benjo75]

Old files work good.

 

[camel2019]

Old files work good.

I found some old drill bits I can use the shanks from and some hardened shaft I can make gouge's and 3 point tools with.

 

[benjo75]

Harbor Freight has a little box of hss metal lathe bits for about $5. I use them for ferro rod strikers. They would probably make good bits if you could attach them to a handle. There are 5 in each box and they're about 3 inches long.

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-pie...-tool-bits-for-metalworking-lathes-40641.html

 

[SS396driver]

Yup not lathe tools but I made a few adzes and knives use old truck leaf springs

 

[nedsim]

I found some old drill bits I can use the shanks from and some hardened shaft I can make gouge's and 3 point tools with.

The shanks of HSS drill bits are not hard. They're left soft for toughness and so a chuck will grip. You may get away with silver brazing HSS lathe tool bits (I've done it in a pinch), but it's not recommended. If you have a machinist friend who can supply with used end mills, they are hard end-to-end. You can buy "drill blanks", just plain rods, that are all hard.

You'd do better silver brazing carbide lathe or milling inserts to mild steel shanks. The problem then becomes sharpening. A diamond wheel is by far the best option there. I think a CBN wheel will work, but not great for the wheel. You'll see silicon carbide ("green") wheels for carbide, and they work OK for metalworking tools, but I think you'll have difficulty getting a keen enough edge for woodworking.

If you want to play with the carbide I'd be happy to send you a few inserts if you PM me your address. Some would require brazing, some have a hole so they can be screwed down. A friend made some very nice large turning tools with inserts I gave him. He used a lapidary diamond wheel to shape/sharpen the tools.

Is it difficult to mail a couple ounces over the border these days?

 

[camel2019]

The shanks of HSS drill bits are not hard. They're left soft for toughness and so a chuck will grip. You may get away with silver brazing HSS lathe tool bits (I've done it in a pinch), but it's not recommended. If you have a machinist friend who can supply with used end mills, they are hard end-to-end. You can buy "drill blanks", just plain rods, that are all hard.

You'd do better silver brazing carbide lathe or milling inserts to mild steel shanks. The problem then becomes sharpening. A diamond wheel is by far the best option there. I think a CBN wheel will work, but not great for the wheel. You'll see silicon carbide ("green") wheels for carbide, and they work OK for metalworking tools, but I think you'll have difficulty getting a keen enough edge for woodworking.

If you want to play with the carbide I'd be happy to send you a few inserts if you PM me your address. Some would require brazing, some have a hole so they can be screwed down. A friend made some very nice large turning tools with inserts I gave him. He used a lapidary diamond wheel to shape/sharpen the tools.

Is it difficult to mail a couple ounces over the border these days?

I have some carbide inserts here as well as some hss square blanks that I found in a tool box that was on the curb. I see a lot of guys quickly tack weld hss with tig.
I don’t have tig have a stick welder a mig and verouis torches including a small jewelers torch that I was going to use for the brazing.
I did find some steel rods that I had in the scrap bin think they came out of a pressure washer pump their very hard and about 7/16 or 1/2.

 

[camel2019]

Yup not lathe tools but I made a few adzes and knives use old truck leaf springs View attachment 1012364View attachment 1012365View attachment 1012366View attachment 1012367View attachment 1012368View attachment 1012369

I have some springs around as well never really crossed my mind for wood lathe tools their a little thin for most stuff.

 

[Lightning Performance]

I have some springs around as well never really crossed my mind for wood lathe tools their a little thin for most stuff.

The springs work great for tools. I'm eyeing up a few for a 3" large slick. Big trucks have fat stacks with fat leaves. Old train cars have crazy leaf springs in them.

Don't forget coil springs can change shape also with a hot forge.

Brazing paste or brass rod might be a better fit for gas or forge welding. Just a thought with some flux.


@SS396driver
That adz came out nice.

 

[camel2019]

The springs work great for tools. I'm eyeing up a few for a 3" large slick. Big trucks have fat stacks with fat leaves. Old train cars have crazy leaf springs in them.

Don't forget coil springs can change shape also with a hot forge.

Brazing paste or brass rod might be a better fit for gas or forge welding. Just a thought with some flux.


@SS396driver
That adz came out nice.

Don’t think the train yards will let me in with torches . For hss tooling you want sinker brazing lower temp less likely to temper the hss. for my tools made from files I will just grind the files to shape and put a handle on I do have some broken/cut files that I could use pieces of these will get 309 stainless welding rod since I can heat treat high carbon steel here.

 

[Lightning Performance]

Don’t think the train yards will let me in with torches . For hss tooling you want sinker brazing lower temp less likely to temper the hss. for my tools made from files I will just grind the files to shape and put a handle on I do have some broken/cut files that I could use pieces of these will get 309 stainless welding rod since I can heat treat high carbon steel here.

Cool work around with the SS rod and treatments.

Oh btw they do sell diamond strops for honing the edge.

 

[camel2019]

Cool work around with the SS rod and treatments.

Oh btw they do sell diamond strops for honing the edge.

I figure welding file steel to mild need something ductile for rod and I’d rather not use up my really expensive nickel rods.