The shift to only using carbide inserts for everything seems wrong to me

Most guys in my area swear by carbide for every job, but I still keep HSS tools around for certain materials. We tried running aluminum with only carbide and it just didn't work as well as the old high-speed steel. There's a place for both in a good shop.

4 comments

4 Comments

kai_brown811mo ago

Agree completely, aluminum just melts away better with HSS in my experience. Some jobs honestly call for the older tools. A good machinist knows to use what works best for the material.

amy_anderson1mo ago

Carbide beats HSS for aluminum every time.

reed.elliot1mo ago

Yeah I was totally in the HSS camp for aluminum too. But reading kai_brown81's point about some jobs needing the older tools actually made me rethink it.

anna_ellis881mo ago

Amy_anderson's right, but kai's point got me too.