Ci1 Tool Question

Dan Mosley

Member
Messages
1,169
Location
Palm Springs, Ca
I have one of the Ci1's and like it alot........however i was looking online and around for a source to buy cutting tips from. I am unable to locate anybody so far. I have tried Carbide Depot - no luck they dont carry them that thin as i remember but either way still not able to locate a source. I tried looking at indexing cutter vendors but still having trouble.
Anybody buying them from a source they can tell me about ? or have any vendors that would carry them?

Thanks
 
I posted this a while back during another discussion.
I wasn't going to bring it up again because I don't want to make anyone feel bad.
But.....since you asked.........
You can get them from Grizzly in boxes of 10 for under $3.00 each.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/h7319
I made up a bunch of roughing tools with these and call them Ozark Hoggers or Ozark Roughers. They remove wood like a hungry monster and the cutters last a very long time. My total cost for making a tool is about $5.00.
Since I bought mine, Grizzly has added many more styles of carbide cutters, some more costly. Just search their site for 'inserts' or 'carbide inserts'.
If you search for originating sources, you will find the prices are not much, if any, better than what Griz sells for and they use tech speek which is often difficult to translate.
You have used yours so you know what they can do. I'm majorly impressed with what it will do. I have found that certain woods, like Osage Orange, because of the high silica content (fancy word for 'sand') can dull these cutters. But, being so cheap and with four sides....so wat?
So far, I haven't sold any, just give them away. But, I'm looking at a new idea and may have a homemade product available before long.
BTW, round cutters are available. But, for some reason, they are quite a bit more expensive, about $12.00 per cutter. Still cheap since you could probably get a years hollowing from one cutter.
 
Dan, are you asking if anyone "Else" sells these cutters?

If you are, then I think you are out of luck, Craig Jackson at Easy Wood Tools has them made for him to his specs.

The cutters are $14 a pop, four sides, that makes it $3.50 a side, and I was getting close to twenty 8" bowls roughed out per side, so that makes it about 18 cents a bowl, not that expensive, when you think about it.

Most people will pay $3 for a tall Latte :D :wave:

Cheers!
 
I posted this a while back during another discussion.
I wasn't going to bring it up again because I don't want to make anyone feel bad.
But.....since you asked.........
You can get them from Grizzly in boxes of 10 for under $3.00 each.
http://www.grizzly.com/products/h7319
I made up a bunch of roughing tools with these and call them Ozark Hoggers or Ozark Roughers. They remove wood like a hungry monster and the cutters last a very long time. My total cost for making a tool is about $5.00.
Since I bought mine, Grizzly has added many more styles of carbide cutters, some more costly. Just search their site for 'inserts' or 'carbide inserts'.
If you search for originating sources, you will find the prices are not much, if any, better than what Griz sells for and they use tech speek which is often difficult to translate.
You have used yours so you know what they can do. I'm majorly impressed with what it will do. I have found that certain woods, like Osage Orange, because of the high silica content (fancy word for 'sand') can dull these cutters. But, being so cheap and with four sides....so wat?
So far, I haven't sold any, just give them away. But, I'm looking at a new idea and may have a homemade product available before long.
BTW, round cutters are available. But, for some reason, they are quite a bit more expensive, about $12.00 per cutter. Still cheap since you could probably get a years hollowing from one cutter.


Frank, I went to the link and they are priced at $22+ per ten... where are the $3.00 guys? I have been looking for some as well.
 
i understand about Craig buying and selling his cutters if they are made to his spec's..........Which i think is fine and im sure it makes people have to go back to him only for additional cutters (good buss sense).
However, and i can elaborate because i own two of the Ci1's and think they are a very nice tool, well made, very safe especially in the hands of kids that are new to turning etc......i really like the tool. But, what i want to be able to do is to buy additional cutters in bulk with perhaps better pricing, possibly the ability to get different radius cutters, etc......I own the tool and im sure there are other cutters out there that can be adapted to the tool or vendors with different radius cutters or willing to make them up at discont prices for bulk purchases..............i just want to have some options and not be locked into one vendor or only a couple of different cutters......

I guess i should have spent more time explaining what i meant....but thanks for the replys..............Dan
 
Like Frank said, Grizzly sells them in 10-packs. There has been some recent discussions over on the AAW site regarding the cutters and sources for them. I would be willing to bet that they are about all made in the same factory, regardless of which vendor you get them from. The Grizzlies say they are made in Germany.
 
Certainly nothing wrong with trying to save some money and get a better deal, I'm all over that :thumb:

I did ask Craig directly if these are an "Off the shelf" item, he said that the other cutters are not nearly as sharp as his are, and it does make a difference.

I'm very happy with the value and the performance I'm getting from my Ci1 and related tools, if you want to buy a ten pack of the $3 cutter, go for it, but for my money, I'd rather buy two of the real Ci1 cutters and continue to be pleased with the results, but that might just be me.

Cheers!
 
Like Frank said, Grizzly sells them in 10-packs. There has been some recent discussions over on the AAW site regarding the cutters and sources for them. I would be willing to bet that they are about all made in the same factory, regardless of which vendor you get them from. The Grizzlies say they are made in Germany.

When I bought mine Grizzly only had two sizes in the square. The smaller that I used was very inexpensive, as I pointed out. The larger was quite a bit more costly. I asked management about this. They said the cutters came from different companies and the retail prices simply reflected the cost from the companies. Go figger. I've been looking for round cutters under $5.00 each but without success so far.
 
I use Shellix cutter replacements from Grizzly. They are 14mm x 14mm and I believe 2mm thick. They are about $27 per 10 plus a few dollars extra for screws. There are a lot of places that sell cutters. The trick is to be able to read the code spec. Go here for a good listing.

I haven't tried them out yet. They are on the way. I'll report back (or check SMC) when I get the tools built.
 
Cutter Update

Sent a old cutting tip on my Ci1 off to a vendor that i contacted. He called back the the other day and he had measured the tip,hole,radius etc and sells exact cutters. He also said he is aware of the tool and that not everybody will carry the same cutters with this kind of tip (spec wise). He also said they are made in Germany but he does carry them. I bought a 10pk at $4.00 each and they have shipped. Ill post again when i get them to see if they are the same quality as i got with the tool.
 
Another turner sent me some inserts that where purchased from Grizzly. I mounted both on my Ci1 tool.

I had a piece of maple mounted between centers. The wood was around 18% EMC. I cranked the speed to about 1400 rpms and started cutting.

There is a difference, the grizzly bits had way more tear out than the bits from Craig's EasyRider.

Pictures will soon follow.
 
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Ron.........yep i agree i called around and Grizzly was one of the ones i contacted and yes there is a difference (they are not the same tolerance). The ones im waiting on should be here any day and ill let you know.
 
Another turner sent me some inserts that where purchased from Grizzly. I mounted both on my Ci1 tool. [...] the grizzly bits had way more tear out than the bits from Craig's EasyRider.

Pictures will soon follow.

Ron, do you have those pics? If you posted them in another thread, never mind; I'll find them eventually.... :wave:
 
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