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Indexable dovetail milling cutter

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SverreE02/02/2010 21:57:10
22 forum posts
14 photos
I am planning to make an indexable dovetail milling cutter for making toolholders for a quick-change toolpost. I have found several articles on the web, but it seems many have problems with making the width of the dovetail on the toolholder of the exact dimension. (Measure-cut-measure-cut.....)
 
My question is, would it be possible to make the dovetail cutter so that it would cut both sides of the dovetail at the same time (like a woodruff cutter does)? I could then make the dovetail cutter to suit the width my QCTP use, and it would be very easy to make new toolholders - no measuring necessary. It would of course be necessary to mill out most of the dovetail using straight endmills, but the final dovetail using the dovetail mill.
 
Or maybe this cut will be too heavy for the dovetail cutter - I could use a smaller dovetail cutter on each side, and then finish off with the large dovetail cutter giving the correct dimension??
 
Many questions - do you have some comments?
 
Regards from Sverre (from Norway with a heavy snow storm outside!) 

Edited By Sverre Evensen on 02/02/2010 22:01:25

Edited By Sverre Evensen on 02/02/2010 22:02:13

mgj02/02/2010 22:10:56
1017 forum posts
14 photos
If you do your trigonometry you can work out the horizontal leg = depth of cut very easily.
 
Personally I wouldn't try to cut both sides at once, though with a rigid enough machine I imagine it could be done. I suspect one would be asking for chatter. You are going to have to take a finishing cut anyway, which means 2 dovetail cutters if you are trying to do it in one, so what you might save on one, you'll lose in terms of time making the other?
 
I think you'd be wisest to cut one side, cut the other short, and use calipers or better, wire, to establish the dimension on the second side and take a final skim.
 
Saving measuring in the future - well if you know your depth of cut and position from centre, you'd hardly need to measure again, especially with a DRO. Just note dimension and use it each time you need it.

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