Useful info John. When I worked in the industry I used coolant on carbide tips. I know people have told me not to but I found that my work was getting hot so that's the reason I did it but the secret is not to spray coolant on a hot piece of work because it might break the carbide. I always got away with it.

Refreshing to watch videos of someone who really knows what they are talking about. Just diving into your channel. Great stuff.

Thank you for you videos. I am enjoying your clear explainations and the more indepth topics you are covering.

Good job tackling the big question. When people ask me for advice in their home shop I give pretty much the same advice. 1. Tool steel and the skill of grinding good profiles is a must in a manual machine shop. There are many times you'll need a one of cutter or can't get the right cutter in time. 2. Qualify your equipment. How capable are your machines? 3. What materials will you be cutting? 4. If you are going to use indexable carbide, try to minimise the amount of different profiles. Look for boring bars, facing holders, face mills etc. that take the same insert. 5. Don't waste cutting edges. CNMG's are a perfect example as you can buy off the shelf holders to use up the 'uncommon' corners. These holders can even be used in a shop made fly cutter. 6. Buy nice. Quality tools wear the badge 'quality tools' for a reason. Even if it takes you a little longer to get the cash together for them, the rewards are worth it.

Merciful Volvo - look at that pile of Nordic Carbide. Impressive. Great episode

Thanks Jon for the detailed explanation of carbide tips I never really understood the coding.

Hi Jon Great insight for all beginners out there take care Kev

Hello Jon, Very useful video... I am super weak on all this stuff so it helped a lot, thank you. Take care Paul,,

Thanks for the video Jon. Alway useful information. Keep safe and stay well.

Thank you for the very informative info on carbide.

Thank you Jon for demystifying the confusing codes found on the inserts. Very interesting video. Saying that, in my home shop running a Myford Super 7, I find I cannot beat the ease and the quality of finish of a hss tangential tool. 👏👏👍😀 Andrew

Thanks Jon. Great Information. Shame that you did not touch on Braised Shank Carbide tools for turning. Cheap to run, just touch them up on a GREEN wheel. The other benefit is that you get a razor edge and can take 2 thou cuts, you don't have to do balanced cuts due to standard inserts being blunt. Enjoyed the chart explanations. Stefan In Germany even grinds standard inserts to get a non rounded edge. Regards from Australia.

Good video Jon. Interesting big question. I think people use carbide because they are lazy and can't be bothered grinding and resharpening HSS tips. Sounds harsh, but that's my take on it. It's much easier to just reach for another insert ;) These days HSS tends to be seen as "old technology" in much the same way as gas welding, which is a disservice to both mediums. Interestingly when you buy a new lathe for home use when they throw in a cheap set of tooling it's invariably brazed on carbide. So I think people are conditioned to using it from day one. I hadn't actually thought about this topic until now as I'm so used to using both. One thing carbide definitely won't tolerate is stalling or stopping the machine with the insert engaged - goes bang for sure :) HSS can take that and a big range of other punishments. Cheers Rob

Fantastic video Jon! Another trap for home hobby shop is the quality of the insert holder , I have used some good ones ( Seco and Sandvik ) and had some that were utter crap - they were sent back to where they came from via the scrap metal bin , probably a part of a Chinese car now ! I think it is a good idea to have at least one carbide tool for the lathe and mill regardless of whether it is an insert type or brazed type for machining iron castings or that piece of unknown steel that we all seem to have hiding in the pile of offcuts in the workshop !

For most people the ease of use that carbide gives is the biggest factor, take it from the box add it to the tool and it is ready for use. HSS has to be ground to the correct profile, honed and if you are skilled at both of those you have a tool that will cut, if not its back to the grinder and start again. I am not saying that carbide is the best just that for most home shops it is probably the easiest, right or wrong is up to you to choose.

Great video jon, I use the round inserts alot, very interesting video.

I just finished reading your comment re Chui and left a thumbs up, then this arrived in my notifications. Is that divine in some way? I will now watch your video as I need something to cheer me up. John, Australia.

G'day Jon. Good video mate, I learnt a few things, thanks. Cheers Peter

Thanks Jon

Great video Jon, I learnt a lot from this, many thanks, Stephen.

Thanks for the information I'm a new subscriber I found the information on the coding extremely useful

Great video

Very interesting, cheers Jon.👍

Good video with some interesting content. Thanks.

Just to add a bit of explanation, Jon was my boss, needs saying. In aerospace with certain components you have to do surface finish cut ups. Loads of parameters are looked at by the lab. Redeposited material etc. this sets the life of carbide for that component. So if your supplier says an insert will be ok for 300 components and we do the first cut and 300 part cut and it passes. That’s your tool life set for that insert. If the supplier wants to do say 600 components, that’s a big cost to do the cut ups. Firstly you need to make an extra.300 components that have to be quarantined and then the cost of the cut up. If it’s fails you have 300 components scrap. A little explanation why aerospace throws away good carbide.

Hi Jon, you were dead right with the aerospace sidebof things, regarding chucking away tools that have no perceptive wear at all. It really suprised me when i started working on pratt, Ge, honeywell parts. At other firms i would have cut my arm off for some of the stuff we chuck. Some of the tooling doesnt get chucked if you get my drift😉

Ok here is my slightly different take on this subject. There is only one thing you need to know about carbide in the home shop. It cuts metal. The "cheap and cheery" (registered John Mills trademark) bang good inserts are wallet friendly enough that you can buy a few different geometries and experiment to see what works on your particular machines. We are home gamers; some lucky to have pro experience, some not, we learn from people like Jon. At the end of the day, you do what works.

hello form spain jon..good video..thanks for your time

Very interesting video Jon. Thanks for explaining in simple terms that even I can understand lol.

00:04:16 I must complain in the strongest terms that I was expecting cats doing silly things and people falling over. Another super video thanks Jon. Very good balance of detail. I use round inserts a lot. My lathe is just about powerful enough to take a cut in 4140 that's deep enough to leave a good finish with a CCMT, but it is really at the limits with only 3HP. I don't use cheap inserts. Almost all of mine are polished CCGT09T3xx, DCGT11T3xx or VCGT1604xx for aluminium and coated versions for stainless. I rarely use HSS except for form tools these days, and I've started using a 3mm diameter Korloy KRGN300-A insert for internal and external grooving for O rings and stress relief fillets. I grind custom carbide boring bars for really small work using a diamond wheel on my ancient Alexander (Deckel clone), and I turn and mill custom D bits from tool steel, then harden and grind them. Following Stefan G's example, I've even been regrinding some carbide inserts for special applications on stainless and titanium. Horses for courses, as you said. More cats needed. This is the Internet, after all!

Hi Jon, another great video, very informative! You have made things much clearer for me. Also reading comments left by others there is much good info in there too! All of this helps a lot to people like me without much experience! Keep up the fantastic work you are doing. Regards Tony👍🏻

Thanks for this video Jon it has been very helpful for me to understand the pros and cons. PS you didnot go into "push back" after the mention in Tip#3 video

Great topic Jon, and well explained. I was turned on to using the round inserts on brake rotors a couple years back, and it's my go insert on cast iron. Would love to have and post one of your stickers here in our TX shop. Shortly, (hopefully by this wk end) will have our panel finished and on that video will share our mailing address. At present we don't have our stickers yet, but will return the favor as soon as we do get them. Have a super wk end, Bear in Tx.

Great video Jon, could have done with it a long time ago. The first carbide tips I bought were those self coloured triangular ones? They worked great so I just re-ordered the same ones by the secret reference 'code' lol on the packet. No Internet back then. Tony

Gday John, great topic, I’ve always brought cheap import inserts, I just picked up some inserts that are high quality but 10 times the price, I’ve noticed already they cut better and last a lot longer, my lathe will handy carbide quite well so my theory I’m going to buy more of the expensive ones, make sure I take more care when changing tools out and just see if it’s going to be worth it over a long period, the inserts are around $20+ each where I was paying $25 for 10 roughly, big difference, you did a great job explaining this mate, Cheers

Hi Jon, this was a really good video!! You've covered it very well as an "intro" - it's a very deep rabbit hole to go down otherwise. Stay safe and well :)

Good one Jon . The beginners are better off just with hss to learn what is going on with tool geometry . Funny thing is though , i never use cheap inserts as they do not last with some of the material i use except for the unmarked brand of cheap Chinese threading inserts . For some reason they seem to perform very well , even screw cutting hardened steel ! 👍

That's a really interesting topic. It can open eternal debates :) I think, use what you have and don't be afraid to experiment a bit. Also, have a look what other people use and learn from it.

Great video Jon! My personal experience with carbide vs. HSS in my little shop (for what its worth) is right along with what your saying. Due to my ignorance and lack of knowledge, I thought it would save me learning how to properly grind HSS and still get a good end result. All I got was more frustration since my little machines are exactly as you said, no where close to powerful enough to properly use the carbide. I have since watched many videos and practiced and have made some adequate cutting tools. Thanks for your input and advice! I enjoy all your videos thanks for all you do! Cheers from Canada

Hi jon i have been watching your video on carbide and noticed when faceing off if you go past the center some time thay will lift the tops of them you may have explained what is going on thank you. All the best from trevor jones from eden Australia

Interesting. My mill has a lot more power than my lathe, but I mostly use HSS in the Mill, (except for face mills) but I use carbide in the lathe, which does struggle with the carbide on steel, cant break a chip with it to save myself and quite shallow cuts. But what it comes down to is that I dont have the gear or skill to grind HSS tooling for the lathe, so cheap chinese carbide meant I was right to go out of the box when I bought the lathe, so I have just stuck with it. For the Mill I treat the HSS tooling as disposable, because chinese HSS end mills are cheap as chips and take a flogging.

What ho Grasshopper, All good info but, there had to be a but of course, the chip breaker has an enormous effect on TC insert usage and this is where at lot of the anti probably came from pre PRC made tooling. The chip breaker defines the range of depth of cut an insert is capable of, some will not cut less than a several mm, while others can cleanly cut 10s of microns. In the early home use of inserts, people thought it works for industry so it must be the best and i must have it too but surplus tips where indeed for very heavy machinery and nearly useless on a Myford. Unfortunately there is no universal standard for chip breakers and there is no catalogue for unnamed brands so you are reliant on the sellers description which may or may not be helpful, but inserts for aluminium may well be the best for all round use in a small shop if no better info is available. Just my take but you get what you pay for and my comments are free.😉 ATB c

U just answered a question for me

Hi Jon, found this topic very interesting, find the shapes difficult to to know when to use a particular shape also at what angle to use the bit

Thanks for the info Jon, I must have cheap crap inserts coz the tips don't last that long! I do like grinding HSS though now I have a better grinder, one side has a white wheel but think I may replace the other grey one, do you have any recommendations? Stay safe Dude. TFS, GB :)

Little tiny inserts for 3/8" and 1/2" holders are cheap enough that for me - vaguely educated about it but still very new - that HSS and a grinder are not worth the both and inconsistency.

Since nowadays the home shop is probably predominately chineseium carbide how about an explanation of their classification and how it corresponds to ANSI and ISO and how it does not (or if they have one at all which I suspect). Surprisingly it seems that just recently some of their manufacturers have put out an index on grades of their proprietary products as to what they can cut in material. Useful but does not seem universal in any way. I for one know that I could not afford to run carbide or carbide toolholders if I had to pay the staggering cost of the name brands. And yes I know they are much better in quality control and predictability etc. However I cannot afford to pay over a hundred dollars (quite a bit more) for their toolholders and then pay more than twenty dollars per insert at a starting price. So it is useless for the commercial guys to keep harping on how you ought to stick to name brands and their prices which they pass along to their customers but has to be absorbed for the home machinist. It would be helpful in light of this to have a map to navigate the chinglish market place where little actual understandable information is listed with the ads selling the carbide and accessories. While I have been using it for more than ten years now I still feel lost when trying to reorder ( it is rare to have any label with standard nomenclature on insert boxes). I know they have some pretty high quality stuff and some pretty bad but the price is usually receptive to taking a bit of a gamble. I often wonder too if the name brands you see from them are actual back door products of the brands or just outright lying as they love to do. The attraction is there when a box of ten inserts can be as little as $4 US while just one brand name western insert can easily be five times that much! Of course their search engines leave much to be desired and while they have many items finding them can be a real chore.