How To Make Carbide Wood Turning Tools

This video shows the materials required and the process involved in making a carbide lathe tool at home.

How to make carbide wood turning tools. Carbide turning tools can be used for both spindle and bowl turning. I made sure the bar was rounded back to as close to the hole as I dare. This steep impactful angle scrapes and tears out wood fibers violently even with a sharp edge.

Do the same for the ferule. Carbide wood turning tools dont leave as much of a smooth surface as traditional woodturning tools. Remove the cutter and screw and tape up that end.

A little test and it looked like the bar still needs a little shaping. Simple forging needs a makeshift anvil vice pliers and a hammer and a source of heat such as a charcoal fire or a blowtorch. Learning to Turn with Carbide ToolsLearning to turn with carbide turning tools wasnt on my to-do list.

Time to epoxy the metal into the handle. I am not a turner. See my post on hardening and tempering steel for details.

Making tools needs some basic metal working equipment such as a file a hacksaw a few threading taps a grinder and a bench drill. Less down time because carbide dont require sharpening. How to re-sharpen the carbide tipped cutters inserts on your turning toolsSharpening supplies.

To begin with if your were searching for wood turning tools with carbide tips you might have a hard time finding them because these special tools are made with carbide inserts. I made these for my sons Christmas present. They are pretty rough but they really work well.