MachinistBlog.com

It’s not obvious at first but this video is about the Arthur R. Warner Company’s HSS indexable inserts.  After seeing it I’ve decided that I would really like to give them a try.  I know you can get a better finish with HSS bits but I don’t like having to stop to sharpen them.  So I use carbide inserts.  I get a pretty good finish with them and I can cut with a tip for hours before it wears out and I have to rotate the insert to a new one.

It looks like the Warner Company’s inserts give you the advantages of HSS along with quick and easy sharpening.  When a tip on the insert gets dull you can rotate to a new one in seconds without losing your lathe bit’s position.  And when all 3 tips become dull you can sharpen them by rubbing the top surface of the insert on a whetstone for a few seconds (see video at 2:30).

Unfortunately, they don’t seem to sell inserts that will fit my tool holders (TCMT32.52 for my 8×12 and TCMT 21.51 for my 7×12).  So if I want to give HSS inserts a try I’ll have to buy a 5 bar turning kit for about $128 or somehow find the time to make a bar that will fit their inserts.  The price of their kit is considerably more than what I paid for my imported insert holders but it seems reasonable for a quality American made product.  Has anyone bought one or tried their inserts?