Insert Grooving and Parting Tools

[steamer]

Mine was made to Steve's drawings and works very well!

Dave

[petertha]

I've sampled a few of the AliExpress specials, generically under MGEHR but you have to examine the symbiology variations (left, right, center, shank size, insert width, coatings.... etc). I'm quite pleased with them.
They are available from several sellers so check prices & delivery cost. Generally I tend to stick with machine/cnc tool stores, vs sellers offering machine tools, nail files & Pokemon cards.

The inserts can be confusing because they can have strange ways of describing them. Some provide a very complete looking matrix, only to find they only offer a smaller subset of them. So often I will do a separate search on the insert description. Sometimes its one stop shopping, tool & insert, sometimes not. I've had no issues cutting mild steel & non-nasty stainless to max allowable depth.

[Olli-Matti]

On a small lathes like you described, I've loved the above chinese tool holders with 1,5mm wide tools for aluminium. The sharp ground carbide tools with great rake are cutting very nicely. I did cut 40mm 42crmo4 bar with my Compact 8 24 grooves into 6-12mm deep when making my Nova-1 cylinder. Took 10-20min per groove (and there were 24 of them) but wen't without a hiccup with a 60kg table top lathe. No other tool could I get to cut without chatter.

[Roger B]

Thank you all for your thoughts and information     

I will probably try the Applitec solution as it is local. As with many other things I will probably end up buying a lifetimes supply of inserts  I have one of the larger insert parting tools from APT for machining crankshafts and I am still on the first of 10 reversible tips 

[Roger B]

Having looked a little more closely at the B+R website they will sell individual inserts which makes things rather more civilised  I have ordered an 8mm holder and a few 0.5mm inserts.