hi, i'm mike with craft supplies usa and today's pro tip is on woodturning tool steels. turning tools remove more wood in a few short minutes than most other woodworking tools do after a few days of
most essential woodworking tools, use. because of this, they need to be made of steel that can hold a sharp edge much longer than traditional high carbon steel.
fortunately we have a ton of modern steels to choose from, but with so many choices available, it's easy to get confused. no one type of steel is better than all the others. each steel has its pros and cons, but rest assured they all perform great. let's discuss the most common turning tool steels and rate them in three
categories as we go. each steel will be rated from 1 to 5 in sharpness of edge, edge durability and price. keep in mind this is a practical comparison based on the experience of professional turners. we're not going to get down to the molecular level here. let's start with the industry standard,
m2 high speed steel. m2 takes a very fine edge, producing very clean cuts, but it doesn't hold an edge as long as some of the others. this means you'll visit the grinder a bit more often, but for most turners that's not a big deal. it's the most affordable steel in the comparison, and because of its fine edge,
it's the go to steel for most pros when making final cleanup cuts. here's how we scored m2 high speed steel. it has ery good edge sharpness, good durability and it's also the most affordable steel in the lineup. up next is cryogenically treated m2 high speed steel or "kryo" as it's called. the cryogenic freezing process makes the steel harder
and more wear resistant than m2. this means kryo m2 holds an edge about twice as long, so you don't have to sharpen as often. the cryogenic process also tightens the grain structure of the steel, allowing kryo m2 to be honed to an even finer edge than heat treated m2. here's how we scored kryo m2 steel. top marks for edge sharpness and very good durability
as well, but they are a bit expensive. now onto m4 high speed steel. the selection of tools is limited and they're a bit more expensive than m2, but they hold an edge about twice as long as m2 and can be honed to nearly as fine an edge. here's how we scored m4 high speed steel. very good at sharpness and good durability, but they do cost a bit
more money and the selection of m4 tools is limited. the next steel type is produced via powdered metallurgy technology, also known as pm or cpm steel. pm steel is popular among production woodturners for roughing bowl blanks, as a hold an edge on average five to six times longer than m2. however, the nature of pm steel is such that it's
unable to be honed to a fine edge, which is why production turners tend to make their final finishing cuts using m2 tools. having such a durable edge can save a lot of time spent sharpening, but it doesn't come cheap. here's how we rated pm tools. good sharpness and top marks for edge durability, but this exotic steel tends to be more expensive.
the final steel we'll discuss is m42. a relative newcomer to the woodturning world, m42 high speed steel is truly unique, in that it holds an edge as long as pm steel, yet it can be honed to a very fine edge. here's how we rated m42 high speed steel. top marks for both edge sharpness and edge durability. this high performance steel is also an exceptional value.
we've discussed a lot about tool steels today and there's no clear winner, because we all have different needs, expectations and budgets for our tools. let's take a final look at how all of the tool steels rated in this comparison. we're fortunate to have so many quality tool manufacturers to choose from today. some producing tools for well over a
hundred years now. unfortunately, we see a lot of cheap imports made from low quality, generic high speed steel. be wary of low priced turning tools. when it comes to woodturning tools, the saying "you get what you pay for" rings true. so stick with reputable brands, from reputable dealers. well that wraps up this pro tip. hopefully you learned a few
things that will help you make an informed buying decision on your next turning to purchase. if you like the video, subscribe to our channel and give it a thumbs up. also, be sure to check out our entire selection of woodturning supplies at www.woodturnerscatalog.com
