Glad you have got something useful out of it.
I'm an ISO tungsten tip convert. For novices like me it takes all the guess work out of grinding tooling.
I still use and grind my own tool steel but more for specialized jobs like cutting V groves or radiuses etc. For day to day machining you can't beat the ISO tool holders and tips for consistent performance.
I've been using the
Synthetic coolant that Hare and Forbes sells. I used to use the old coolant that was milky white. The
synthetic stuff is way better. It stays clear so you can see what's happening at the cutting face. It also doesn't seem to go off like the old stuff. If you've ever had to clean out the sump of an old milling machine you'd be a
synthetic convert too.
Cheers