Sherline now manufactures its own inserted tip carbide tool holders. They are available with 55° inserts individually as a right-hand holder or a left-hand holder, or a pair. Each comes with a  55° carbide insert, hold-down screw and special Torx key. The 3/8″ square shank is held in a 3/8″ tool post. The 5° offset angle of the tip makes it easier to accomplish certain cuts. For example, by using the tool holder square with the crosslide, you can turn an O.D. up to a shoulder and then finish the shoulder by backing the tool out while still maintaining the proper tool clearance. The tip of the cutting tool is .375″ from the bottom of the holder, which is the industry standard. The holders are made from case hardened steel with a black oxide finish.

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Though relatively expensive, if a cutting edge becomes dull or chipped, the insert can be removed and rotated 180° to expose two new cutting surfaces, providing, in effect, two tools for the price of one.

NOTE:  A tool is named by the direction from which the chip leaves the tool; so a right-hand tool has its cutting edge on the left and the chip peels off to the right.

At Sherline, we manufacture the world's most complete line of precision milling machines, lathes, and chucker lathes (also known as Mini or Micro Mills and Lathes). We manufacture both manual and CNC machines for benchtop or tabletop-size workspaces, along with a full line of accessories to support these machines.

The improper use of machine tools and their accessories can result in serious injury. Before using this tool, thoroughly read the instructions and make sure you understand its proper and safe use.

RDG Tools was started up by Richard Dickinson in 1992. We started exhibiting at model engineering exhibitions in 1994 and realised from the shows that people wanted quite specialised tooling for their machines and also a wide range of tooling which they could adapt to suit their needs.

Our machines are small in size, but they are capable of making precision parts out of steel, aluminum, brass, or softer materials such as wood and plastic. All of our products are made in the USA. These machines are perfect for light-industrial and home-shop use.

The primary method of cutting metal on miniature machine tools is usually with high-speed steel tools as they are inexpensive, easily resharpened and can be ground into “form” tools for special jobs. However, inserted tip carbide tools can be lifesavers for some jobs. Though more expensive and not able to be resharpened, carbide tools hold their cutting edge when cutting exotic metals or abrasive materials and can speed up the cutting process. This is why they are used for most cutting tasks in the modern professional machine shop.

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