Where and How to Use and Maintain Carbide Cutting Tools in the Wood Industry

Wood machining equipment with dynamically balanced spindles, more accurate tool mountings, greater spindle speeds, and increased horsepower are now being designed and built to use the potential of tungsten carbide cutting tools. Carbide tools are distinguished by their hardness, and resistance to wear. The high concentration of tungsten and cobalt in this material makes it expensive, so that for most applications cost is a limiting factor. Perhaps the greatest expense is caused by mishandling, improper grinding, and the delay in having the tools reground. Carbide is a must in working with synthetic materials, laminated wood products, second growth woods with mineral streaks, and in applications in which high speed steel will not hold an edge more than a few hours. The use of cemented carbide is recommended on planers and hand jointers less than 6 inches in width, on automatic edge jointers, on moulders and shapers for all straight knife heads, on router machines, and on 90 percent of saw operations. To benefit from the savings afforded by carbide tools, each plant should have central grinding department with the equipment and personnel to maintain all the carbide tools used in its operations.

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