C-Max - a new carbide graver from GRS

[Sam]

A few of us have been testing this new material for a few months now, and for my work it's been the best carbide I've ever used. What makes C-Max so good? It lasts longer...a LOT longer between sharpenings. For precious metals it maintains a brilliant polish and stays sharp longer than anything I've ever used. For steel it stays sharp longer and is tougher and less brittle than other carbides I've used.

Like many things, there's always a trade-off when it comes to graver material. When you have hardness you sacrifice toughness. To make a really tough graver you have to sacrifice a bit of hardness. C-Max is very hard and still retains a great deal of toughness. It's awesome stuff!

~Sam

 

[Lee]

I can echo what Sam has said about the c-max. I've used it for my bulino tool and my scroll shading tool and it has been superior to my other carbides, cobalts, carbalts, and hss for these applications with the way I work.

 

[Arnaud Van Tilburgh]

Sam, can't find them on the GRS website, are they already for sale?

arnaud

 

[Crazy Horse]

I've been out of the Machinist trade for some time now, but there are many grades of carbide. Anti chipping, anti cratering, impact resistant and the list goes on.

Someone from GRS and Lindsey should consult with the carbide manudacturers and come up with suitable grades of carbide. This stuff is nothing new and these companies are always on the (pardon the pun) "Cutting Edge" with regard to specialized needs of manufacturers.

 

[Mike Cirelli]

I also have to agree with Sam. I don't do a lot of steel engraving. This C-max is unbelievable with precious and soft metals. It's takes a little longer to grind to shape but when you put it against the ceramic wheel it polishes to a mirror finish without any effort. It doesn't get metal build up and lays down a beautiful mirror cut every time. The time saved between sharpening is worth it. My experience with precious metals is almost all gravers get buildup and it degrades the finished cut unless you touch the tip up. This stuff seams to resist build up. It's a precious metal engravers dream come true. Once it's sharpened you may never have to sharpen it again. Well maybe that's exaggerating a little, but not much.

 

[John B.]

Thanks for the information.
It sounds like a bright cutters dream.
And good for other stuff too.
I feel an order coming on!!!!!

 

[fegarex]

I don't think the C-max is listed on the web site yet. I've been playing with these for the last couple of months as well and it is pretty amazing stuff. I tried just about every combination of carbides and other steels and this one seems to be the "toughest". Too many of them are hard but brittle. I've been cutting quite a bit of English scroll with one and haven't had to sharpen it once. Like Sam says, there is some trade off with all graver material. I always put a micro radius on the point of my graver to reduce breakage and I found I had to really look to make sure it was radiused on these as the stuff was so tough it didn't radius as fast. I was doing it by "feel" like I do with my other gravers and it wasn't enough and the point would break faster. The little radius strengthens the point a LOT for cutting hard steel and doing rough cuts. It may not be needed for soft metals and fine work but it doesn't hurt either.

 

[Roger Bleile]

Rex,

My test of toughness is how a graver stands up to engraving a Ruger stainless steel cylinder of a Blackhawk or Vaquero. Do you have any experience with one of those and the new graver?

Thanks,

Roger

 

[fegarex]

Roger,
I have gotten older and more stubborn so I have quit taking on Ruger stainless guns.
I would think these would work as good as other carbides however. I found that regular HSS gravers wouldn't work well on Rugers but carbide would except they would break quickly. These gravers seem to break less than other carbides in my opinion.
However... I find when you get something REALLY hard, there is no great solution. I've tried every material for the last 25 years including some proprietary material from General Motors and when you get into something like Ruger stainless you better count on sharpening a lot.

 

[jimzim75]

I was looking on the GRS site and no listing yet. Are these C-Max going to roughly
the same price as the X-7?

Jim

 

[Marcus Hunt]

If this is the same stuff I've been testing it's amazing. I made mine into a stippling tool and I've yet to resharpen it! It holds a point like nothing else but I'd like to try it in square stock. Is that what you've been using Sam and Rex or did you make your tools up from the round stock?

 

[fegarex]

I have some made from round stock and square both. To be honest, I have no idea what the price or how they will be offered in shapes however.
Rex

 

[silverchip]

New Cabide

If you guys are holding out on us :beat up::beat up::just kidding:.

I am engraving some dies right now and having fits with tool breakage. The steel is A10.It galls and chips every kind of tool that I own.What do I have to do to get some of this stuff,I'll put it through its paces for you:big grin:.

 

[fegarex]

I would call GRS to find out. I don't know if it is available yet or not. I just did some testing.

 

[Winstonklein]

where can we find them? is there any black market for this kind of stuff!!!

 

[silverchip]

I pulled some stringsat GRS today&got my order in today:banana::banana:.They better be as good as you guys say cause they ain't cheep. I'll let you know how it works on A10 tool steel

 

[fegarex]

Silverchip,
To be honest, I don't know what A10 steel is and how it will work. I do know there is a point when ANY graver has an issue with cutting. Like Sam said earlier, there is a trade off. They can only get so "tough" without getting too "hard". I've found these better than all the other carbides I have used. Your mileage may vary but I thought they were better. Also, remember to put a high polish and radius on it as well. The polish helps the life of the tool.

 

[Joe Mason]

I have used the carbides with a 120 point and they work find, but on the 90 degree points they were brittle on tight turns. Did any of you guys do any cutting with the C-Max as a 90 degree point?

Thanks

Joe

 

[fegarex]

I've been using a 105 degree for most of my aggresive stuff. I can use it much like a 90 but has a stronger point.

I do have a 90 that has held up well but I haven't been as rough with it yet.

 

[Sandy]

I contacted Lynda (sales Rep) at GRS. She said that they are not available yet. Should be soon. I back order 5 today.