On Apr 18, 2014, at 8:24 PM, Brent Beach  wrote:

> Lee
> 
> On 2014-04-16 21:18, leeburk@a... wrote:
>> 
>> I have some carbide tipped turning tools recently acquired from Ebay. How do
I put an edge on those? Especially the gouges? Sure diamond may work if one has
some diamonds laying around, but haven't I heard in the ancient past that
sometimes something softer can be used to cut something harder? Maybe I'm
thinking of Rock, Paper, Scissors, I dunno. You grizzled old engineers out
there, bestow your wisdom.
> 
> https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=kLQk4U5ihz4
> 
> Have not tried it myself, but if it works let us know. Notice he says light
pressure.

The tool bits in the video are scrapers. Yes, you can sharpen a carbide scraper
on a diamond hone. And it will still be a scraper. In my humble opinion, a
carbide scraper doesn't work any better, or the edge last any longer than a high
speed tool. I just costs more.

You can also touch up a carbide gouge with a diamond stone. But a couple of
touch ups and the cutting angle changes, and now it doesn't work well. Now you
need to regrind the gouge. Until you learn to grind a carbide gouge  correctly,
it won't work well. And I see no reason to use a carbide gouge, except inside a
bowl. And a high speed gouge works just as well.

Carbide turning tools are just too expensive, don't work better than high speed,
and are way more difficult to sharpen. Save your money and buy high speed tools.
Unless you just gotta show off, and you have money to burn. Been there, done
that, won't do it again.