Home Made Hollowing Tool

[chrisbaker42]

Just thought I'd have a go at making a cutting tool of my own - a simple steel bar tapered and rounded at the end with a threaded hole to carry tips like the sorby multi-tip etc.

My question is what type of steel is best to use for the bar it will be 15mm diameter about 600mm long so do I use stainless steel, bright steel etc.

Similar to this http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Carbide-wood- ... 2eb6526714

 

[mikec]

Hi Chris,

I have made a number of hollowing tools, Oland type with hss tool steel tips, square bar types with Ashley Isles hollow cup HSS cutters and one similar to the one you mention with a carbide cutter made from a 16mm dia. carbide tool insert re-ground on a diamond wheel and fastened at a predefined angle.

Mine were medium size and I used 12mm bright mild steel, my next will be 16mm. You can really use any common steel bar. Stainless will be relatively expensive compared to bright mild or cold rolled mild steel. Silver or high carbon steel is not needed as there is really no need to harden and temper the shaft.

If you want to make the end curved you will need to heat it, bending bar of that size cold is a stunt for super-heros. :shock: :shock:

My next one will have articulated links at the end to allow setting at various curves.

Hope this helps, I find it really satisfying making such tools for a fraction of the cost to buy one.

regards,

mikec

 

[chrisbaker42]

Many thanks, just the information needed. The stainless if reasonable would be better looking, what is it like for cutting, drilling etc. - as you will have guessed I am not from a metalworking background.

 

[woodpig]

I used Silver steel for mine. Nice ground finish, tougher than mild steel but still easy enough to work.

 

[chipmunk]

Hi Chris,
Stainless, silver steel or mild steel should be fine but stainless and silver steel will tend to flex less with a long hollowing bar.

Use plenty of cutting/tapping fluid or paste (Screwfix or Toolstation sell this pretty cheaply).

Stainless is absolutely fine to work by hand but take drilling and tapping steady and use plenty of fluid/paste as it will work-harden and it's then very easy to break a tap.

Sorby cutters are all drilled for M5 screws but you can even make cutters like these yourself with engineering parting tool blades or old HSS planer blades, a Dremel and a 5mm TCT tile drill. Let me know if you need more info.

Hope this helps
Jon

 

[chrisbaker42]

Thanks very much to everyone for their help, I'll let you know how I get on.

 

[woodpig]

This is my special, far right and a close up of the tip. Shaft size is 5/8". You can fit any type of tip into the shaft, held in with two set screws.

 

[chrisbaker42]

Another excellent idea - many thanks. I also like the tidy stand you have for your tools.

 

[woodpig]

I also like the tidy stand you have for your tools.

Holds 24 tools so I need to buy/make another 4 ... :lol: