Easy Wood Tools 1/8" carbide parting tool?

[Joe aka COLD @ J. A. Kolter Calls]

Mr. WoodEater aka Aaron has expensive stone wheels on his grinder.  After reading some of his posts in the past I followed up with one of those wheels myself.  I'm not sorry either.

[dogcatcher]

I now know more than I want to  know about carbide parting tools, from everything I have seen the Easy Wood version is knockoff of the metal cut off blade by Aloris.  If you research Aloris and see their prices, you will buy the Easy Wood rather than make your own.  On the other hand their are cheaper versions of the Aloris tooling.  Still not cheap, but I would consider it a little more reasonable.  Here is a link to the page in the Enco catalog.  http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=179&PARTPG=INLMK3&PMITEM=422-3651

Now if I was going to make one, I would first go to a machinist, and pick his brain for the best "parts and pieces" to make what I need and for what I would use it on.  I think, and this is not a well informed thinking answer, it is a fly by the seat of my pants guess.  That if you study this a little more, and you have someone that understands all of these numbers and how everything works together, you could put one together for less than $100 that will be as good as Easy Woods.   But one mistake in ordering and you may spend $200.  I also think there are better options and still use carbide, maybe someone else can find it.

Marvin

[VECtor Calls]

I have been looking for a good carbide option for a while. I wish I could take a square bit and just shave off 3/4 of it.

If the saw blade thought does not work, I will probably just buy the tool.

Good stuff gents.

[Joe Short]

Vince, I have been looking around quite a bit for a cheap/simple solution to your carbide parting tool woes... probably mostly boredom. Head over to eBay and search the following term: carbide parallel bit
You'll see router bits with a flat, there are some with 1/8" cutter heads and they are sold in packs of ten for around $9.
All you'd have to do to make a handle is drill a hole in some steel to accept the shank of the bit and secure it with a set screw.

[Ryan@roosagamecalls]

i bet it was on sale too

[VECtor Calls]

Wow Joe Short!!!  That looks exactly like what I have been looking for!  I have been thinking I was going to have to make them custom out of rod. This looks WAY better and cheaper! 

Have you tried these out yet?  How are they normally used?!

[Joe Short]

They are used for signmaking and the like, generally with CNC routers. The "parallel" of the cutterhead produces a straight vertical wall in the lettering/carving as opposed to the tapers left by v-bits and core box bits.
I've never used them personally.
Just looking at them it seems like the right way to go... and if the profile is off, a diamond cutoff wheel (~$3) in a dremel will enable you to grind the profile you desire.

[VECtor Calls]

Yep yep. Good stuff. I am going to get some mm sizes ordered exactly like I want. Order is gonna have to be tomorrow though. My eye lids are not cooperating right now. :)

[dogcatcher]

Go to Amazon, they have some of the sizes, but beware some ship from China like eBay sellers.  Hard to tell which do and which don't.

Marvin

[RVivian]

A carbide cutoff insert from ENCO 10 bucks and steel square, flat or rod to make the holder (not much $) and you got it.  Under 50 bucks, way under.

[davidpoisson]

Sorry for reviving such an old thread, but I had an idea the other...

Has anyone thought about taking an old saw blade with a straight carbide cutter (a raker tooth?), cutting up a straight shank and making a handle for it? Wouldn't that give you a 1/8 parting tool for fairly cheap? You could possibly do 4-5 easily from a simple saw blade. I'm in the process of trying to do one, however my blade was pretty dull and there are no rakers (so it's a left sided cutter or something like that). It'll be a proof of concept I guess ;-)

David

If I may add onto my original message, here is a picture that shows what I had in mind:

[VECtor Calls]

Looks like a great idea. I was given some carbide saw tooths a couple days ago I hope will work out to make a tool similar to this.

[davidpoisson]

Looks like a great idea. I was given some carbide saw tooths a couple days ago I hope will work out to make a tool similar to this.

Vince, first one to make the tool has to post it on here! hehe

I was just wondering what's the best way to cut the blade up...I've tried with a dremel and a cutting wheel. It's alright, but still takes forever.

David

[VECtor Calls]

Well, it ought to be a diamond something or other to be able to cut carbide from what I understand.

I would like to drill some holes in mine and pinch it in a wooden handle with a small bolt and lock nut.

[ben]

Well just thinking, if you could get someone with a chop saw to cut the tooth out with a section of the blade that you want it should work ok since the blade itself is not carbide, just the tooth and then you could get a masonry drill bit which is carbide and drill holes in the blade so you could use whatever you want to attach it to a handle.

ben