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I was sure carbide inserts were a scam until I ran 300 parts without changing one
For years I only used HSS tooling because carbide seemed too expensive and brittle. Kept hearing guys say they last way longer but I figured they were just repeating what the catalogs say. Then a job came in with a big batch of 4140 and I didn't want to keep swapping tools every 50 parts. Bought a set of CNMG inserts from a local supplier and ran 300 parts without even a chip in the edge. Cut time in half too. Now I feel dumb for ignoring it so long. Anybody else had a tool or technique they brushed off then changed their mind after trying it?
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faith_torres838d ago
300 parts in 4140 is impressive no doubt, but I gotta play devil's advocate for a second here. As soon as I see those cheap carbide inserts start to microchip from chatter or a bad setup, I'm back to HSS in a heartbeat anyway. @pat_hart I feel like the cost savings only show up when you're doing the same easy cut over and over, not when you're swapping materials every day like a small shop does. One wrong hit on a hard spot and that carbide insert is done, while HSS just lets you grind a new edge real quick. Plus all those coatings on modern inserts just wear off after a few passes from my experience, so I still lean on good old HSS for the rough jobs I trust.
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pat_hart8d ago
That 300 parts number really makes you wonder how many other things we've been skipping because of a bad first impression or old habits. Isn't funny how we'll stick with what we know even when it's costing us time and money?
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