Indexable boring bars are single-point machine tools that use replaceable carbide inserts to size, straighten, and finish the inside of drilled or cast holes in metalworking. They are mounted to a lathe or a turning machine and remain stationary while the machine rotates the workpiece against the boring bar's cutting tip. In metalworking, boring is slightly different than that in woodworking in that the hole that results need not be circular. In metal boring, the tool can be plunged and dragged on the X or Y axis to create a slot or asymmetrical hole or channel, or it may be moved only in an up-and-down motion (on the Z-axis) to create a perfectly circular hole.
