Carbide inserts for hollowing tools?

[Steve Estabrooks]

Pete,
All I did was lay the insert flat on the stone, topside down on the stone and a few swipes on the stone. I did not touch the sides. You should be able to feel the insert is sharp. All it does is take the factory honed edge off so there is a sharp edge. A lot of the metal carbide tools they break the cutting edge a little to make stand up to the stresses of cutting metal.
Steve

[Bill Jobe]

You do sharpen them by honing the top. The ones with the trough are for metal cutting.

The trough I believe is for chip breaking. May also allow more coolant direct contact with cutting edge.

Just curious, anyone try turning wood with ceramic tips?

[Peter Blair]

Thanks Steve I asked the question because most of my metal cutting carbide bits have a little 'river' next to the edge and it would seem to me that if I did as you suggest it would flatten off the cutting edge and the cutting edge on my wood carbide cutters are SHARP!

[John K Jordan]

Thanks Steve I asked the question because most of my metal cutting carbide bits have a little 'river' next to the edge and it would seem to me that if I did as you suggest it would flatten off the cutting edge and the cutting edge on my wood carbide cutters are SHARP!

The only ceramic and carbide bits I've successfully sharpened were flat on the top. I have a number of 3"x8" diamond plates up to 1200 grit which are perfect for this.

I mostly use them to sharpen expensive ceramic cutters for shearing the llamas and alpacas. (the companies that sell the cutters say they can't be sharpened.)

JKJ

[Peter Blair]

Thanks for the information John. So often we hear what can and can't be resharpened but often the makes don't realize just how resourceful we turners can be!