Carbide tools

[Brian McInturff]

So, I'm a tool hound and have god knows how many gouges. Well when Craig Jackson first came out with the Easy Rougher a few years back I bought one. Used it briefly and thought ok not a big deal. I set it aside and didn't pick it up again. A couple weeks ago I guy on another board had a few items to sell me and wanted to know if I was also interested in an Easy Rougher and Easy Finisher. The price was too good to pass up so I bought them. I decided to try the Easy Finisher today and would have to say I was really impressed. So I started playing around also with the Easy Rougher and the 2 different cutters you can get with them as I have both. I guess I'm a convert to the Carbide cutters for a lot of the work now. I found that they work really well on M3 pen blanks and the Trustone pen blanks and did an excellent job on segmented pen blanks. The bowl blanks I tried it on were a piece of maple root ball, a Red Mallee blank, and some spalted oak. I'd post some pics but the camera bit the bullet 2 weeks ago in Indiana when the -20 degree weather was there. I was there for work and needless to say the camera sacrificed itself when I fell on that white stuff that was covering the ground.
Brian(who's glad to be back home at Myrtle Beach)

[Tim Thiebaut]

I have been thinking about picking one up just to try it out, a carbide tool that is, I am just not sure which type I want to get at this point. Any recommendations for someone that is looking to try one out, maybe something not to expensive but yet would allow me to do finishing cuts, maybe some bowl work...I dont know. I am saving up for a hollowing rig so I am not worried about HF's at this point, I will worry about those once I get a rig, but would be nice to have a carbide tool to try out....oh and as far as being a tool hound, I think most people in this forum are as well!!!

[Gary Max]

Have you looked at ebay. It's just a steel rod with a cutter screwed on the end. Not really many reason to pay for brand.

[John Keeton]

I would have to differ with Gary a little on this. While I do not now own a carbide tool, I did have one that was homemade by someone and used the cutters from Global. After seeing the profile and design of those cutters (intended for use on a planer blade), and having looked at the cutters on other tools, including the Ci tools, there is a difference in them. The Ci tool cutters have an entirely different design.

Notwithstanding that, I still do not feel compelled to own one, but I do think there is a difference in the several brands out there. Apparently Craig did come up with a better mouse trap on this one!

[Gary Max]

Personally I think they are a waste of money and I own a couple of them. You can buy the cutters from many different places.

[Brian McInturff]

Gary, I thought the same thing. But as the saying goes, you get what you pay for. There is a difference in cutters. I know the argument over Carbide tools has been beat to death over the years but I will say this: On the M3 pen blanks I would dull a tool and have to grab another one or resharpen the one I was using several times during the turning process. The carbide cutter blew through the blank like butter. Matter of fact it went through everything yesterday without rotating the cutter once. So I kind of look at it as all the time saved from sharpening as a huge bonus. Time equates to money for me as I get so little time in the shop anymore with all the traveling I do for work not to mention the breaks I have to take because of my back.

Tim,
I think I would save the money and put it toward the hollowing rig and then get the carbide tool afterwards. I'm hesitant to say one tool maker over another but for an all purpose I would probably sway more to the round cutter, then the radius cutter, and lastly the straight square cutter.

[Gary Max]

Brain---John doesn't make pens and Tim asked about bowls. Not really the same as M3

[David Warkentin]

I made my own square cutter one and it works very well. Think I bought cutter from Carbide Depot. One of my first tool purchases was a Cio from Craft Supplies on their recommendation. Like them both...

[Allen stagg]

I have all three of the Easy tools and I really like them. I don't use them exclusively and like my Elsworth Signature Gouge for much of my work, however, I rough using the carbide tool and use the others every now and then on different things and mostly shaping with the Easy Finisher and once basic shape is made, use my Ellsworth for finishing. I find I spend less time sharpening and more time on the lathe. I don't have any issues with using them is allowing me to turn more and sharpen less.

[Brian McInturff]

Gary,
My point was about your comment on them being a waste of money. The M3 comment was about the durability of the cutter over conventional gouges. The Spalted Oak I was turning is an HF and the Red Mallee was an average size bowl. Overall, I was just posting about my experience using them. I never was big on Carbide cutters, same as you, but I'm willing to admit they have their place. I figured it was worth posting since you posted about the cutter that broke on you the other day. Of course, based on your comments it would appear it was a random carbide cutter and possibly on a knockoff tool or home made tool- Hence my comment on you get what you pay for(Just speculation on my part). I have noticed a growing trend and popularity to the carbide cutters and I think they are here to stay and not a flash in the pan. Rockwell tried Carbide tips on some of their tools back in the late seventies(I think), they were braised on like the tips on a saw blade. Obviously that didn't last long and were short lived.

[Steve Harder]

I'll place myself in the middle ground of this discussion.

I've found the generic square planer inserts mounted in DIY handles to be very effective at roughing -- but I haven't found any generic replacement for the Ci0 round insert mounted in DIY handles or holders. The Ci0 excels at getting a very smooth and uniform final pass on finish turnings. It consistently removes tool marks and surface undulations that I would otherwise have to sand out. Works well on inside and outside. I save it for final work, so one insert does quite a few bowls.

Most of the time I use it mounted in an elbo style arm - which gives me excellent control of fine movements - I don't have to control the up/down of a hand held tool, I can concentrate on making light passes in the horizontal plane. That round insert will just "kiss" the surface of the bowl. The round insert has helped me improve my turning, and get beyond some of the learning curve frustrations I was having.

[Don Alexander]

my Uncle has a Hunter round carbide tool that works ok but is prone to some spectacular catches i have an Easy finisher and an Easy hollower
both of which cut impressively smooth and catches are nearly nonexistent (never had a catch on them unless i was getting tired and tool control was beginning to slip a bit in which case a rest period was called for)

as for being "worth it" , thats a very personal thing as far as i can see; for me they are definitely worth it because i can concentrate on turning instead of sharpening , i get consistently better results and the learning curve was pretty easy, on my limited budget these tools were a substantial investment, however i use them for 90% of all my bowl/HF turning so at least for now i have had to buy fewer tools thereby actually saving me money up front
might not be worth it to other folks but to me so far they have definitely been worth it