Author Topic: 1/8" lathe bits  (Read 4262 times)

DFHicks

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1/8" lathe bits
« on: March 26, 2016, 07:37:42 PM »
I want to order some of these for gravers and have done a Google search.  There is a noticeable difference in price.  MSC is a little over $2.00 each while Enco and Grainger are less than a dollar.  These are also below a dollar at Victor Machine Exchange (New York City) but there is a $25.000 minimum order.  Shipping is not included in these figures which could shift the price significantly.  My guess is that the dollar price is for bits made in China.  The MSC product could be despite the higher price.  Without getting into a company endorsement scenario what are some thoughts on this?  In other words what works for you.  Also I am planning on getting 10 of these so there won't be a quantity discount.
Thanks,
Greg

Offline T*O*F

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #1 on: March 26, 2016, 08:23:33 PM »
I use the ones from Enco and have not had a problem with them.  You can also order an 1/8" collet from Lindsay to sharpen them using his templates.  They get them from multiple suppliers and I have found on occasion that some are not ground to true 1/8" tolerances, but these are easily trued by stoning the offending side.  They are fine if you are doing H&C work.
Dave Kanger

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Offline Mark Elliott

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #2 on: March 26, 2016, 10:26:23 PM »
Make sure you get cobalt steel bits.   They hold an edge a lot longer.   I am now buying the 3/32" bits from Lindsay.   I use the bits in holders I made from drill rod. 

Offline kutter

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #3 on: March 27, 2016, 02:29:27 AM »
Pick one that meets your price and go for it. You are using them for gravers,,not their intended use as lathe tool bits.
As the latter they may get so-so reviews from a pro machinest, but I've yet to find any that didn't do a decent job as a chaser being wacked w/a 1oz hammer.
I like the 3/32 sq bits,,just a personal preference. Less material to remove in making/shaping a point. The slight difference in size makes a big difference to me when working with them too, not so bulky for lack of a better word.


With what you will encounter while cutting on most muzzle loaders you build, just about any HS Steel or Cobalt alloy bit  will do, prefering the latter. Stays sharp longer and sharpens just as easy as HSS.
Lots of proprietary names for the different tool steels, but you are cutting mainly brass, CRS and 12L14 so it doesn't take much to conquer them.

I'd stay away from the carbide tool bits. Though they'll cut much harder steel than any HS tool bit will, they take special sharpening wheels and hones. They aren't the answer to all problems though.
If a gun or gun part needs carbide gravers to be cut,,then it's a miserable piece of steel for engraving to begin with IMHO. That from some one who has cut more Win21 receivers than I care to remember.

Offline flinchrocket

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #4 on: March 27, 2016, 05:58:55 AM »
The graver I use is 1/16 sq. I have not used 3/32 bits, but I have a 1/8 sq and it is way to big. I have
considered getting some 3/32 from Lindsey and making a tool holder. I have already made a sharpening
fixture and that alone improved my engraving 100%. I'm sure a tool holder will also be an improvement.
« Last Edit: March 27, 2016, 06:00:06 AM by flinchrocket »

DFHicks

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #5 on: March 28, 2016, 07:08:29 PM »
Thanks for the information. The comments regarding the smaller gravers make sense but I have the 1/8" mandrel for the Lindsay template.  This is a hobby for me so I will stick with what I have.  It's good to know that the blanks in the lower price range will be just fine for my use. I will order some soon.
Regards,
Greg

Offline T*O*F

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #6 on: March 28, 2016, 08:40:24 PM »
Greg,
I don't know if you get Enco's sale catalogs, but they frequently have the 1/8" bits on sale.  Sale pricing varies but some time back I bought a quantity of 10 for less than $1 apiece.
Dave Kanger

If religion is opium for the masses, the internet is a crack, pixel-huffing orgy that deafens the brain, numbs the senses and scrambles our peer list to include every anonymous loser, twisted deviant, and freak as well as people we normally wouldn't give the time of day.
-S.M. Tomlinson

DFHicks

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #7 on: March 29, 2016, 03:29:25 AM »
T*O*F;
Thanks, I'll watch for a sale on these as I am not in a big rush.
Greg

Offline dogcatcher

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #8 on: March 29, 2016, 04:08:22 AM »
I bought a dozen a few weeks ago, the regular price for the round in 1/8x2 3/4 was $1.29.   The stock number is Model #383-7000.  

ENCO also has their surface hardening compound Cherry Red on sale at $22.95.  Which is their brand of Casenite.  That is a $7 savings.
« Last Edit: March 29, 2016, 04:13:53 AM by dogcatcher »

Steve-In

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #9 on: March 29, 2016, 06:10:50 PM »
You might check local suppliers in your area.  MSC has outlets in several cities and it would save you shipping.  Ask a machinist where his shop buys local, can't hurt.

Offline Acer Saccharum

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #10 on: March 29, 2016, 07:36:29 PM »
Few bits are made in the USA. It's all India, Pakistan, Mexico, China. Even Cleveland 'Mo-Max' HSS is Mexican made.

The 1/8 bits are cheap, but they require labor to get down to small sizes I like for finer engraving. So I spring for the 3/32 bits when I am making cutters for my pneumatic engraver.

I use the 1/8 square bits for hammer engraving. They are big enough to see, and easier to sharpen by hand because you can 'feel' the flats on the stone when trying to find the right angle. A good size for those trying to engrave without spending much money.
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Offline jerrywh

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #11 on: March 29, 2016, 08:09:06 PM »
 I will give you guys a professional tip about graver sharpening. If you have a lot of trouble breaking tips, put a very small flat in the belly of the heal. it only needs to be about .003 or .005 wide. That makes the point much stronger. Most of the old German engravers who used hammer and chisel did this as was told by Frank Hendrix. I do it when cutting very hard steel and it increases the life of the tip by 200% to 300%
« Last Edit: March 29, 2016, 08:10:12 PM by jerrywh »
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Offline horologist

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Re: 1/8" lathe bits
« Reply #12 on: March 31, 2016, 03:17:08 AM »
Even Cleveland 'Mo-Max' HSS is Mexican made.


Alas no more. I ordered some last October and all were labeled "Made in China"
Nothing like paying premium top grade prices for Chinese bits.
Won't fall for that one again.