Archive for July 2013 | Monthly archive page
If you work in the industrial woodworking community, I’m sure that you are packing your bags for Las Vegas. As a supplier of high-quality carbide cutting tools, we’ll certainly be there as well. A snippet from the AWFS Trade Show website describes the event as:
“Every two years, thousands of serious woodworking professionals gather at AWFS®Fair to keep their businesses productive, competitive and on the cutting edge. Gain unparalleled access to the entire home and commercial furnishings industry, including manufacturers and distributors of machinery, hardware, lumber, construction materials and other suppliers to the furniture, cabinet manufacturers and custom woodworkers.”
For those of us who have been there, and to the Atlanta show, numerous times, we know it’s a great opportunity to connect with old friends and meet some new ones. Anything you want to see, touch or experience will be there. While Tool Wolf won’t be exhibiting, we’ll be there checking out all the products and meeting with some of our strategic partners.
Specifically, we’ll be looking for what’s new in the machinery world so that we keep our carbide cutting tools product line up-to-date. Some of the main manufacturers we’ll be visiting: – Hafele – Grass America – Weinig – Holzher – Giben – SCM – Biesse – Tigra – Salice – Stiles Machinery
We hope to add some new products to our line of high-quality carbide cutting tools and high speed steel cutting tools. Check back after the show to see what we’ve found and for a possible post-Vegas sale!
Folks who have been grinding custom profile moulder knives have seen a number of different options hit the market in the last decade. What once seemed like a simple order, “give me ten bars of 5/16 x 2 x 25 steel” has gotten a little more confusing as advances in technology have brought a few different grades of steel to the market. Not only are there now different types of corrugated moulder steel, but there are also different coating options as well.
Here is a high-level summary of some common variations on the traditional M2-grade moulder knives, which can be found on our site at https://www.toolwolf.com/product/product-category/corrugated-moulder-steel/:
– D2-grade steel:Typically consisting of carbon and chrome, it is good for shorter production runs, is easy to grind and is usually the cheapest option available because of its make-up and softness compared with other grades.
– V2-grade steel: This is a new twist on the D2 grade that has a different chemical component (Vanadium) and claims to offer the same run life as M2 at a cheaper cost.
– M2-grade steel: The go-to bar steel for a long time, it has a solid useful life and is good for long production runs in both hard and softwoods.
– T1-grade steel: Lasts longer than M2 due to higher levels of Tungsten. It’s good for extra long runs and demonstrates solid performance when used on man-made materials.
– V3-grade steel: The hardest of all the aforementioned options, it lasts much longer due to its chemical composition and is great for long hardwood runs or problem woods. It’s tougher to grind, but can offer higher performance (and a higher price).
90% of ToolWolf’s customers go with the tried and true M2-grade steel, but we’ve got a few who like to experiment or have unique applications that call for something different.
ToolWolf stocks a full line of M2-grade steel from Europe that provides excellent life at a very low total cost. Check out our website today to view the full line of corrugated back moulder steel.
