High speed steel

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

I have found a bundle of old HSS planer blades. I also have some serated backed moulding cutters about 8mm thick & 70mm * 70mm

Would they be the same steel as HSS cutters used in a lathe?

The planer blades are 3mm & vary 20-35 wide * 600mm long & would make cutoff blades if I ground the sharp splay off & clamped in a holder

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

> Would they be the same steel as HSS cutters used in a lathe?

Possibly, they may not be quite as long lived, but thanks for the thought – I have a random planer blade that's been looking for a use for years! Not sure if its HSS though.

Neil

[Sam Longley 1Participant @samlongley1]

Mine are marked HSS but I assume that there are percentages of colbalt etc in the composition of tool steel

Seems I will have to make a holder for a 20mm blade & hope that the planer steel is OK. I cannot see exactly how to test safely without holding them on edge. Excessive grinding might not be good thing although I do not really know.

Any ideas how to test it first before I source some steel & make a holder

Edited By Sam Longley 1 on 27/02/2016 20:13:29

[Roger Provins 2Participant @rogerprovins2]

Spark testing to identify different metals can be very informative – as well as fun.

http://www.scrapmetaljunkie.com/241/the-spark-test-and-spark-testing-metals-2

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

You could put one on its side, packed up in the toolholder to centre height. Bearing in mind it will have no top rake, try taking a light cut in steel, if it bears up it will work OK when ground to a proper profile.

Wear goggles in case it snaps.

neil

[Frances IoMParticipant @francesiom58905]

deleted as misread message

Edited By Frances IoM on 27/02/2016 22:21:43

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

More than likely HSS or HSSC.

Last place I worked at, piano factory I used to save the 36" and 48" blades off the planers and grind them up into Eclipse type parting off blades.

I make a 4 sided block to hold them on the sticky table on the surface grinder so I could put the top and bottom holding angle and then about 5 to 8 degrees on one side so when in an angled holder it was an equal 2.5 to 4 degrees clearance either side.

Still got the jig somewhere and also still got a load of spare blades in 4" lengths.

Hardly use them now as moved on to tipped tools but they did good service in a home shop when I had more time and didn't have to rush as much.

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