HSS-T1 VS Carbide.
Is there any advantage of carbide for average use? I know it will stay
sharper longer but it costs more to buy and to sharpen. I can buy two
sets of T-1 knives for the cost of one set of Carbide knives. Thanks,
Jim

If you are milling down yellow pine or easy stuff - HSS would
last.

If you do oaks, rosewoods, ash and others that absorb Silicon
into the tree - carbide is your friend. Hard wood or silicon based
woods eat HSS.

Get quality carbide - there is lightweight and strong and then metal grade.

Martin

On 5/3/2012 8:02 PM, James wrote:

HSS-T1 VS Carbide.
Is there any advantage of carbide for average use? I know it will stay
sharper longer but it costs more to buy and to sharpen. I can buy two
sets of T-1 knives for the cost of one set of Carbide knives. Thanks,
Jim

In article
Martin Eastburn writes:
If you are milling down yellow pine or easy stuff - HSS would
last.

If you do oaks, rosewoods, ash and others that absorb Silicon
into the tree - carbide is your friend. Hard wood or silicon based
woods eat HSS.

Just a clarification for anyone wanting search keywords: that's
silica, which is silicon mumble (silicon dioxide? been a bit).

I had to do some web wandering after hearing this advice repeated,
since it confused my chemistry non-knowledge. Interesting stuff.


--
Drew Lawson | "But the senator, while insisting he was not
| intoxicated, could not explain his nudity."

Let me clarify a bit.
There are Tektosilicates and in that is the Silica Group.
"All minerals with the composition SiO2, are included in this group
namely, quartz,cristobalite, cosite, stishovite, opal, and
Lechtelierite. Quartz is by far the most abundant; opal is common....."

examples are : citrine, Amethyst, Rose Quartz, Blue Quartz, Agate,
Onyx, jasper, chert, and so forth.

Chert for example is the inclusion rock that is found in limestone.

SiO2 goes into solution and grows crystals or is drawn up into
various plants. As you can see it just isn't simple quartz but is
a broad list of the group. Quartz modified by various element
becomes a slightly different looking example.

Onyx is carved, chert is used as a flint. Agates are sharp as
glass when fractured (knives). Opal and Amethyst as well as others
are jewelry grade SiO2 members.

Petrified wood is in the SiO2 group and varies from black to green.

The term Tekto is Greek. It means Framework.

Other Tektosilicates are the Feldspars.

Martin

On 5/3/2012 9:15 PM, Drew Lawson wrote:
In
Martin writes:
If you are milling down yellow pine or easy stuff - HSS would
last.

If you do oaks, rosewoods, ash and others that absorb Silicon
into the tree - carbide is your friend. Hard wood or silicon based
woods eat HSS.

Just a clarification for anyone wanting search keywords: that's
silica, which is siliconmumble (silicon dioxide? been a bit).

I had to do some web wandering after hearing this advice repeated,
since it confused my chemistry non-knowledge. Interesting stuff.