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The Wimberley Toolholder - Testimonials   

The inexpensive high speed steel tool bit is easy to sharpen. The toolholder's built-in back and side rake allow for efficient cutting in a variety of materials including steel and aluminum. Facing and turning can be accomplished with the holder in one orientation. This ensures that a very sharp edge is always just a few minutes and cents away.

Free samples are available to those in positions of high visibility such as authors published in The Home Shop Machinist or similar magazines.


Wimberley HSS lathe Tool holder

Wimberley Toolholder ($59.00)   

"Regular cuts, facing, and turning to a shoulder, were all accomplished to my high satisfaction, all without changing the orientation of the cutter. This is superb!"
 -Glenn M. Schultz


"No resetting the tool block. No regrinding for a chip breaker. No fancy edge re-sharping angles for the edge grind. I personally think you have a winner."  
-Herbert Yohe


"Grind two facets, set the length and height, and start cutting. For the novice or experienced pro this tool will do a great job. Perhaps my highest recommendation is that I will buy others."  
-C. H. Sherin


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Testimonials for the Wimberley Toolholder

For this review, Mr. Sherin used the following materials: 3032 aluminum, 6061T6, 7075T6, hot rolled steel (1018), 0-1 drill rod, 4140 CM barrel steel and 416 stainless barrel steel. He also used a high cobalt high-speed steel, not the M2 high speed steel provided with the toolholder. Any difference in performance between the two types of tool bits would probably only show up in the harder materials.

"Sharpening - All sharpening was done with the tool mounted in an AXA Aloris tool block. Doing it this way prevented the odd (and unwanted) facets on the tool face. As we have discussed in the past I used a Glendo series II diamond grinder for most of by tool grinding. Due at least in some respects to the size of the bit, all grinding was done quite quickly. These bits took a very fine edge.

Set up - Although I experimented with tool "stick-out" I found your recommended length to be ideal for most setups. Clearance was never an issue with this tool. Typically I set the bit length, sharpened a tool, set the "stick-out", verify the cutting-edge height and was ready to cut. All of this was accomplished in less than 2 min.

Cutting performance - This will be easy to describe as cutting performance in every material listed above was simply superb. Without exception. As I lack a profilometer (Mitotoyo Surftest for example) I cannot give you the Ra average on these materials. The surface finish was very smooth on all. Although it should be noted that on 416 stainless it gave as smooth a finish as I have ever seen. The cutting performance exceeded my expectations. Cutting very small increments (.0002") was easily done (unlike carbide).

Conclusion - Sometimes the old adage that simple is best is proven true. This tool is one example of that. Grind two facets, set the length and height, and start cutting. For the novice or experienced pro this tool will do a great job. Perhaps my highest recommendation is that I will buy others."

-C. H. Sherin

"I don’t have an Aloris/Dorian tool post arrangement. What I have and use on my South Bend is home made. It serves me well, but as you can see in Photo #1,some parts are just not compatible. The slot in my toolholder positions the Wimberley tool about 160” too high. I can and will make a special holder, but I’m down to one blank, and hole placement is critical. So, here is what I did: from a tattered old box, deep within the bowels of the lathe cabinet, I retrieved the original Lantern type tool post that South Bend shipped with the machine. Nice, perhaps in its day, but that day is long gone, except, for situations like this one! There is virtue in being a packrat. So, with one minor modification to the square shank on the Wimberley tool holder (had to reduce the width to .460” so it could pass thru the Lantern), and fabricate a spacer, .300” x .460” x 2.5” to allow the Wimberley toolholder to be secured level and at the correct height, so as to position the cutting bit (with the prescribed .234” stick out) exactly on center. Photo 2 depicts the toolholder in place and shows the excellent surface finish obtained with the Negative lead angle cutter! This was truly a chunk of “Mystery Metal! Alloy of some sort; Chrome Moly possibly. In any event, regular cuts, facing, and turning to a shoulder, were all accomplished to my high satisfaction, all without changing the orientation of the cutter. This is superb!

My attention then shifted to the “Little Grizzly” (8” x 20”)which wears a four position Tool Post, supplied by the Manufacturer (Photo #3). While not an Aloris or a Dorian, this has been a thoroughly reliable and effective tool holder. And so it proved to be with Mr. Wimberley’s excellent tool! A piece of 5/8” round stock, O-1, was chucked in the Grizzly’s 3 jaw chuck, and the above test cuts repeated. The results were the same. Would I pay $65.00 for one? You betcha!"

-Glenn M. Schultz

"I have managed to "play" a little bit with the tool holder. It gives the best finish that I have ever obtained on DOM tubing. I make a lot of replacement collet tubes, adapter sleeves, and shaft repairs using this material (1020 steel mostly).

One (positive) thing that you seem to have overlooked. I am constantly switching between the surfacing tool, end trim tool and the cutoff-tool. I have to constantly reset the tool block angle to the work. With your tool set a 90 degrees to the work, the tool holder block is never reset - the savings in time is considerable. Your tool does the surface and end trim without needing a second tool. When cut-off time comes, I just switch to the cutoff tool holder - the block is already set at 90.

No resetting the tool block. No regrinding for a chip breaker. No fancy edge re-sharping angles for the edge grind. I personally think you have a winner."

-Herbert Yohe

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