Mastering metalworking requires skill, precision, and a deep understanding of available tools. Metal cutting tools are among the most critical and essential for shaping, crafting, and refining metal to meet exact specifications.
Each tool is pivotal in metal fabrication, transforming raw materials into functional and precise components from lathes to saws, drills, and grinders. This guide dives into the world of metal cutting tools, exploring their functions, the materials they’re made from, and the innovations driving their evolution.
Whether you’re working on intricate details or large-scale projects, knowing how to choose and maintain the right tools is key to achieving superior results in metalworking.
Let’s get straight to the point.
Metalworking cutting tools are essential for shaping and crafting metal precisely and efficiently. These tools, such as lathes, saws, drills, and grinders, remove material, ensure accuracy, and improve surface finish.
Key considerations when choosing tools include the type of metal, precision requirements, and tool durability. Proper maintenance, like regular inspection and sharpening, extends tool life. Innovations like coated tools, advanced carbide grades, and CNC integration enhance metalworking.
Understanding these tools and their functions is crucial for achieving high-quality results in metal fabrication projects.
What Are Metalworking Cutting Tools?
Metalworking requires precision, skill, and the right tools to achieve quality results. Among these tools, metalworking cutting tools are crucial for shaping and crafting metal pieces.
Understanding their functions and types can greatly improve your projects. Whether you’re working on your first Jeep or your tenth, a reliable metal-cutting tool is essential.
Choosing the right tool is vital, as using the right one can be more effective than using a chainsaw to cut a tomato. To help you select the best tool for your modifications or other metalworking tasks, we’ve compiled a list of common cutting tools and their effective uses.
While many specialised metal cutting tools are available, we’ve focused on those most useful for the typical garage fabricator. Metal cutting tools remove material from a metal workpiece through shear deformation.
They can be single-point or multi-point tools. Single-point tools, with one cutting edge, are used for shaping, turning, and planning, while multi-point tools are used for milling, drilling, and grinding.
These tools are fundamental in the metalworking industry because they allow for the accurate and efficient transformation of raw metal into finished components. Whether the goal is to produce a simple metal part or a complex mechanical component, the right cutting tools can achieve the desired shape and specifications.
Types Of Metal Cutting Tools
Metal cutting tools come in various types, each suited to different tasks. Here’s a breakdown of the most common types of metalworking cutting tools:
1. Lathes
A lathe is a versatile machine tool that spins a workpiece on its axis, enabling various operations like cutting, sanding, and threading. The workpiece rotates while a cutting tool is applied to create symmetrical objects.
Lathes are commonly used for crafting screws, gun barrels, and other cylindrical components. The ability to produce items with precise symmetry makes the lathe an essential tool in metalworking.
2. Saws
Saws are fundamental cutting tools in metalworking. They are available in various types, such as circular, reciprocating, and band saws. Each type serves specific purposes, but all saws are designed to cut metal components into desired shapes and sizes.
Circular saws, for instance, are ideal for cutting straight lines, while band saws are useful for curved cuts. Despite their differences, saws share a common goal: efficiently slicing through metal.
3. Drills
Drills are indispensable in metalworking, allowing for the creation of holes in metal surfaces. They come in different forms, including handheld drills and drill presses, each suited to various tasks.
Drills rotate a drill bit at high speed, cutting into the metal to form holes. Depending on the project’s requirements, these holes can vary in size and depth. Drills are essential for tasks like assembling metal structures, where precise hole placement is crucial.
4. Torches
Torches, particularly oxy-acetylene torches, use high temperatures to cut through metal. The intense heat generated by these torches melts the metal, allowing it to be easily separated.
While torches are highly effective for cutting thick metal, they often leave rough edges that require further smoothing. This is why grinding is typically performed after torch cutting to achieve a clean finish. Torches are invaluable when other cutting tools struggle with extremely tough metals.
5. Mills
Mills are precision cutting tools that utilise rotating cutters to shape metal workpieces. Unlike drills, mills can move the workpiece in multiple directions, allowing for complex shapes and patterns to be created.
Mills are highly accurate and often produce intricate metal parts requiring fine details. Their ability to perform a wide range of cutting operations makes them a staple in metal fabrication shops.
6. Grinders
Grinders are abrasive tools that use rotating discs or wheels to smooth metal surfaces. They are commonly used for tasks such as sharpening blades, smoothing rough edges, and preparing surfaces for painting or welding.
Grinders remove small amounts of material from the metal surface, gradually shaping it to the desired form. Their versatility makes them an essential tool in any metalworking operation.
7. Water Jets
Water jets are unique cutting tools that use high-pressure streams of water to cut through metal. Unlike traditional cutting methods, water jets do not generate heat, making them ideal for cutting heat-sensitive materials.
The water is mixed with an abrasive substance, which enhances its cutting power, allowing it to slice through even the toughest metals. Water jets are used in industries where precision and clean cuts are paramount, such as aerospace and automotive manufacturing.
Key Functions Of Metalworking Cutting Tools
1. Material Removal
The primary function of metal cutting tools is to remove excess material from a metal piece. This process helps shape and size the metal according to specific requirements.
2. Precision And Accuracy
Metal cutting tools are engineered to offer high levels of precision. They ensure that the final product meets exact dimensions and specifications, which is critical in industries where accuracy is paramount.
3. Surface Finish
These tools also significantly affect the metal’s surface finish. A good cutting tool leaves a smooth, even surface, reducing the need for further finishing processes.
4. Tool Longevity
Quality cutting tools are designed to withstand the rigours of metalworking, offering durability and a longer lifespan. This reduces the need for frequent replacements, saving time and money.
Materials Used In Metal Cutting Tools
The effectiveness and longevity of a metal cutting tool largely depend on the material it is made from. Different materials offer varying levels of hardness, durability, and heat resistance.
1. High-Speed Steel (HSS)
High-speed steel (HSS) is a more advanced cutting tool material developed to overcome carbon tool steel’s temperature limitations. HSS contains a higher percentage of alloying elements such as tungsten, molybdenum, chromium, and vanadium, significantly enhancing its properties.
The most notable characteristic of HSS is its ability to retain hardness at high temperatures, typically up to 600 to 650 degrees Celsius. This makes it ideal for high-speed machining operations where heat generation is substantial.
2. Cemented Carbide
Cemented carbide is a cutting tool that significantly advances carbon and high-speed steel. It combines fine carbide particles, such as tungsten carbide, tantalum carbide, or titanium carbide, with a metal binder, typically cobalt. The result is an exceptionally hard and wear-resistant material that can withstand temperatures up to approximately 1000 degrees Celsius.
3. Carbon Tool Steel
Carbon tool steel is one of the oldest materials used in manufacturing cutting tools. It is composed primarily of carbon, with traces of manganese and silicon, and is known for its hardness and ability to hold a sharp edge.
However, carbon tool steel has a significant limitation: it can only be used in low-speed machining operations. This is because carbon tool steel loses its hardness at relatively low temperatures, typically around 180 to 250 degrees Celsius. When the temperature exceeds this range, the tool becomes soft, leading to rapid wear and loss of cutting ability.
4. Ceramic
Ceramic cutting tools are another high-performance option well-suited for high-speed cutting operations. The most commonly used ceramic materials in cutting tools are aluminium oxide (Al2O3) and silicon nitride (Si3N4).
These materials offer several advantages, including excellent hardness, high resistance to wear, and the ability to maintain their properties at extremely high temperatures, often exceeding 1800 degrees Celsius.
5. Diamond-Tipped Tools
Diamond tools represent the pinnacle of cutting tool materials, offering unmatched hardness and wear resistance. Their high melting point and exceptional thermal conductivity allow them to effectively dissipate heat during cutting operations.
This makes diamond tools ideal for machining non-ferrous materials, such as aluminium, copper, and composites, where other materials would struggle.
Conclusion
Metalworking cutting tools are fundamental to achieving high-quality, precise metal products. Understanding the various types of cutting tools, the materials they are made from, and the challenges they address can help you make informed decisions for your projects.
Whether you’re involved in small-scale metalworking or large industrial operations, choosing the right tools and maintaining them properly will enhance the quality and efficiency of your work.
Investing in high-quality metal-cutting tools and staying informed about the latest innovations in the field will ensure that your metalworking operations remain competitive and efficient. By selecting the right tools for the job and maintaining them properly, you can achieve the precision, accuracy, and surface finish that modern metalworking demands.
FAQs About Metal
What Are The Purpose Of Cutting Tools?
Cutting tools are wedge-shaped and sharp-edged tools used to remove excess layers of material from a workpiece by shearing during machining to obtain the desired shape, size, and accuracy. They are firmly attached to the machine tool.
What Is The Main Purpose Of Metal Cutting?
Metal cutting tools are used primarily to remove leftover material from a manufactured piece of metal using shear deformation. Two metal cutting tools are normally used: single-point and multi-point tools.
Why Are Cutting Tools Mostly Made Of Metals?
This is one of the major reasons cutting tools are made of strong metals that can withstand heavy temperatures. The cutting tools need to be harder than the material on the workpiece; they need to be strong enough to withstand high temperatures during the cutting process.
How Do You Make Metal Easier To Cut?
An angle grinder fitted with an abrasive metal-cutting disc works well to cut all kinds of metal, including bolts, angle iron, rebar, and even sheet metal. However, the discs wear down quickly, cut slowly, and shrink in diameter as you use them. Instead, we recommend using a diamond blade rated to cut ferrous metal.
How Do I Choose The Right Cutting Tool For My Project?
When choosing a cutting tool, consider:
- The material you’re cutting.
- The required precision and finish.
- The speed and efficiency of the tool.
- Durability and cost of the tool material.