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Lathe tooling · 12 mm (0.47 in) shank

Donken 12 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces

The same set in 12 mm — the shank size most bench lathes above the smallest actually take.

Donken 12 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces, product photograph

Donken 12 mm indexable turning tool set, 21 pieces

The same set in 12 mm — the shank size most bench lathes above the smallest actually take.

Shank
12 mm (0.47 in)
Quantity
21 pieces
Includes
Boring bar holder
Type
Indexable carbide
Amazon reference
B09GLFD1RL
EAN
6226126800957
  • 12 mm (0.47 in) is the common shank size on bench lathes of 180 mm (7.09 in) swing and up
  • A boring bar is included, which many sets omit
  • Verified on the German and French stores only at the time of checking

Best for: The bench lathes on this site with 180 mm (7.09 in) swing or more

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Specifications

Shank
12 mm (0.47 in)
Quantity
21 pieces
Includes
Boring bar holder
Type
Indexable carbide
Amazon reference
B09GLFD1RL
EAN
6226126800957

One size up, one class up

A 12 mm (0.47 in) shank is stiffer than a 10 mm (0.39 in) one, and stiffness is what stops chatter. If your post takes it, take it.

The boring bar is the useful extra

Most beginner sets are all external turning tools. A boring bar opens up internal work, which is where a lathe stops being a shaping tool and starts being a fitting one.

Sources

Every figure above comes from the manufacturer’s published specification for this reference. Fields the listing does not publish are left out rather than estimated. Market availability was verified per market on the EAN.

The questions welders ask

What is a boring bar for?

Enlarging and finishing an existing hole to a precise size. A drill makes a hole roughly where you aim and roughly round; a boring bar takes that hole and makes it accurate, concentric with the spindle and to a chosen diameter. It is what turns a lathe into a machine that makes bearing fits.

How do I know my shank size?

Measure the slot in the tool post, or read the lathe’s specification. Bench machines of 180 to 220 mm (7.09 to 8.66 in) swing usually take 12 mm (0.47 in); the small modelmaking lathes take 8 or 10 mm (0.39 in). It is a hard limit, not a preference.

Welders this fits

More lathe tooling

  • HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces, product photograph

    HOPSON TOOLS 16 mm carbide turning tool set, 10 pieces

    Sixteen-millimeter shanks for a heavier lathe: five holders, five inserts, and rigidity where it counts.

    Shank
    16 mm (0.63 in)
    Contents
    5 holders and 5 indexable inserts
    Type
    Carbide indexable
    Amazon reference
    B0FCS779YW
    EAN
    0725650977556
    • 16 mm (0.63 in) shanks are far stiffer than 10 or 12 mm (0.47 in) — less chatter under load
    • Live on all six markets under one reference
    • €95, and only five inserts to start with

    Best for: Larger bench lathes with a 16 mm (0.63 in) tool post, cutting steel at depth

    Check price on Amazon
  • Accusize seven-piece indexable turning tool set in a fitted aluminum case

    Accusize Industrial Tools 2387-2004, seven-piece 1/2 in set

    The only set in this hub that publishes which insert belongs in which holder — and the part number of the replacement insert kit.

    Amazon reference
    B00SS1YGY4
    EAN
    0641799804334
    • Names each holder with the insert that belongs in it: MGEHR08-2J with MGMN200-M, SER0500J11 with 11ER A60, SWGCR08-2J with WCMT22, SCLCR08-2J and SCLCL08-2J with CCMT21.5, SDNCN08-2J and SDJCR08-2J with DCMT21.5
    • Publishes the replacement insert kit part number separately
    • Three to four times the price of the seven-holder kits on this shelf

    Best for: A workshop that intends to keep the holders and buy inserts for years

    ≈ $110
    Check price on Amazon
  • Hunricho SVJCR and SVJCL turning tool holders with VCMT carbide inserts

    Hunricho 0028-1236, two boring bars and ten VCMT inserts

    The only listing on this shelf that publishes the insert geometry — nose radius, thickness, bore, included angle — and the alloy the holder is made of.

    Amazon reference
    B0CMTTZMZF
    EAN
    0728683215022
    • Publishes the full insert geometry: 35-degree included angle, 0.43 in edge length, 0.125 in thickness, 0.11 in bore, 1/64 in nose radius, single sided
    • Publishes the holder alloy — 40CrMnTi — rather than calling it carbide
    • Two holders only: no grooving, threading or boring tool in the set

    Best for: A light lathe doing profile work, where a 35-degree insert reaches into a corner

    ≈ $27
    Check price on Amazon

Elsewhere in the workroom

  • Drill America 1/2 inch NPT pipe tap with its matching 23/32 inch drill bit

    Drill America POU1/2NPTW/DRILL, 1/2 in NPT tap and 23/32 in drill

    The only product in this hub that answers the question the shelf is built on — which drill goes with which tap — by putting the two in the same bag.

    Amazon reference
    B01MG92FX1
    EAN
    0887861241854
    • Supplies the tap and its matching tapping drill together — the exact thing this hub’s introduction says stops threads tearing out
    • Publishes both sizes: a 1/2 in NPT tap and a 23/32 in drill
    • A carbon steel tap, which is softer than HSS and intended for chasing an existing thread rather than cutting a new one in solid steel

    Best for: Cutting or recutting a 1/2 in NPT pipe thread without guessing the tapping drill

    ≈ $18
    Check price on Amazon
  • KOOPOOL 114-piece ratcheting tap and die set laid out in its case

    KOOPOOL 114-piece ratcheting tap and die set

    The only set in this hub that supplies the tapping drills alongside the taps, with the thread tolerance classes and the heat treatment both published.

    Amazon reference
    B0GKG5LNHF
    EAN
    0671891089407
    • Supplies 34 matched HSS drill bits alongside the 68 taps and dies — the tapping drill question answered in the same case
    • Publishes the thread tolerance classes: 6H for metric internal threads and 2B for UNC
    • The highest price on this shelf by a factor of three

    Best for: A workshop that cuts and repairs threads across both systems and wants one case for all of it

    ≈ $100
    Check price on Amazon
  • Milwaukee Shockwave drill and tap bits in five SAE sizes

    Milwaukee 48-89-4874, Shockwave drill-tap, 5-piece

    The only drill-tap set on this shelf built to survive an impact driver, and one of two that publish the metal thickness they will tap.

    Amazon reference
    B08MFS1ZKM
    EAN
    0045242860401
    • Rated for impact drivers as well as drills, which no other set on this shelf claims
    • Publishes a thickness limit — metal up to 1/4 in — the most generous stated figure here
    • Five sizes, the smallest range on this shelf, and no metric at all

    Best for: Tapping on site with the impact driver already in your hand

    ≈ $32
    Check price on Amazon

All lathe tooling

Prices quoted in these summaries are dated readings. The live price is shown next to each product.