Gallery, Projects and General > How do I??

Milling Dovetails

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dvbydt:
What everyone else said but I would hog out the V with a single point cutter like a flycutter of a bigger diameter than the dovetail cutter. That way you have a chance to get the geometry of the cutting tip better supported so it won't chip. Slow - yes because you want to use it like a screwcutting tool that is being plunged straight in, but it's not expensive like a dovetail. Just leave enough for a clean up cut.

Ian

AdeV:
I second everything DaveH says. I've cut a few dovetails now (QCTP holders mostly); because I have a full-sized Bridgeport I can go quite deep with the early passes, when only the ends of the teeth are engaged, but the final passes are in the 2-3 thou range. I DO climb-cut my final cuts, but I only take 0.001" off at most, and I take it very slowly with plenty of cutting oil. I use neat oil, and the flood system, which makes a bit of a mess but at least keeps the chips out of the way. Before I had enough oil in the sump to use the flood pump, I'd use the hand pump to squirt oil in "frequently".

I usually cut dovetails to width using pre-calculated distances & the DRO to tell me when I've done enough; but having a test piece is a better method, there's nothing worse than taking the piece of the mill and finding you need to take another couple of thou off it...

andyf:

--- Quote from: AdeV on October 22, 2011, 08:41:29 AM ---...... there's nothing worse than taking the piece of the mill and finding you need to take another couple of thou off it...

--- End quote ---

Oh yes, there is! Making such a mess of measuring that you need to put 2mm back on, as I did with a QCTP toolholder.  :(

Happily, the piece of 2mm steel strip which I stuck on with JB Weld is still in place after two years.

Andy

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