what kind of steel?

[Frank Fusco]

What kind of steel is a good turning tool normally made of? I know I see the ads for HSS but need to know what it really is called in steel-speak.
I have an idea for a turning tool I want to make for myself. If it works, might get the bro-in-law to make in quanitity at his big machine shop.

[Bill Boehme]

HSS is what it is called. There are different grades and M2 is what is normally used for turning tools.

Bill

[Sam Kennard]

HSS = High Speed Steel

[Bill Boehme]

HSS = High Speed Steel

Thanks, Sam. I guess that I lept to a confusion when I assumed that Frank knew that the abbreviation stood for "high speed steel", but wanted to know if there was an alloy name. Well, anyway now Frank knows as much as I do about HSS and maybe more.

Bill

[Frank Fusco]

Thanks, Sam. I guess that I lept to a confusion when I assumed that Frank knew that the abbreviation stood for "high speed steel", but wanted to know if there was an alloy name. Well, anyway now Frank knows as much as I do about HSS and maybe more.

Bill

I dinno no nuttin' before, now I'm edyoukated. ;)
Really, thanks. That's what I need to know.
Now, to find some.

[W.C. Turner]

Before you get the HSS, you might want to do some research, on this site, for starters. Just use the "Search" function above.

My meaning is that HSS is very hard, and the average home tool maker doesn't have the capability to re-heat them, to the proper temperature for tempering. That's why most home tools are made from more forgiving metals.

Now, someone else needs to chime in here, that has much more knowledge on this subject.

[Bruce Page]

Frank, I don’t know what you’re inventing but keep in mind that you can’t machine HSS except for grinding or using an EDM (electrical discharge machining).
M2 is a good grade but back in my machinist days, M42 was the best.

[Curt Fuller]

At the local surplus junk store I found a bin full of some kind of bits, they were called reamers. They were in various sizes from 1/4" to about 3/4" and 6-12" long. I bought a couple to play around with and ended up making a few small hollowing tools and cutter tips for a larger homemade hollower. They had M2 marked on them and were so hard that a hack saw wouldn't even scratch them. I had to use a die cutter to cut them. But since I've made them I haven't had to resharpen them yet. Whatever that stuff is it's hard and holds and edge for a long time.

[Frank Fusco]

Frank, I don’t know what you’re inventing but keep in mind that you can’t machine HSS except for grinding or using an EDM (electrical discharge machining).
M2 is a good grade but back in my machinist days, M42 was the best.

OK, thanks for the warning. As is embarrasingly obvious, I am not a machinist or steel savy. My (former :o ) plan was to buy a hunk of the stuff, hacksaw to rough shape then use bench grinder to finish, then sharpen.
I am fairly capable of hardening the cutting edges. I do that with some gun parts. (propane torch, Kasenit, oil)
Can M2 be hacksawed?

[Bruce Page]

Can M2 be hacksawed?

Nope. As I recall, it has a Rockwell "C" hardness somewhere in the 60's - very hard

[Frank Fusco]

Nope. As I recall, it has a Rockwell "C" hardness somewhere in the 60's - very hard

I once had a similar 'plan' to make knife blades from an old sawmill blade. Was going to use one of those round diamond grit things in a hacksaw. I couldn't even make the rust shiny with it. Oh, well. Enneybody want to buy an old sawmill blade? :o

[David Foshee]

Frank,
Back in my machinist days we made a hammer out of something they called Drill Rod then hardened it.

Drill rod is steel with a high cardon content not sure what your steel suppier may call it but all you need to get is some steel that has a high carbon content but has not yet been through the hardening process.

Or get the hard stuff and use the grinder to form it just don't over heat and quench it.
good luck

[Bill Boehme]

For making your own tools, you might want to try O1 carbon tool steel. The first thing to do is anneal it and then work it into whatever you need. Next heat it to cherry red and quench it in olive oil -- stirring constantly. Finally, temper it by heating it in the oven at about 480 deg. F for about 30 minutes or until the metal is straw colored.

I have made scrapers using slabs of HSS. If you can find pieces about 10 inches long X 1.5 inches wide X 1/4 to 1/2 inches thick then it is ideal for making scrapers.

Bill

[Gary DeWitt]

Used planer knife blades can be made into good tools, if you have an angle grinder or some abrasive wheel blade set up to cut them. They're very hard. O1 tool steel comes anealed, so it can be cut and drilled as needed, but then it must be hardened and tempered to use it. I have a bunch of rods from a machine shop that went out of business which were used as plug gauges, hardest stuff I've ever seen and I bought it cheap by the pound. I grind them into tools now and then.