Advice for Dove tail Milling First Time

Bob Korves said:
+1 on the tolerance for the dovetails. That is a precision dimension, not to be taken lightly unless you have a good use for scrap metal tool holders...
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Thanks for these tips. Honestly this is just a project. We make our own and then we have to donate one to the shop. But I will creep up on the ends, just like I did in threading. Thanks for that tip.
 
jlsmithseven said:
I chickened out and just squared my other piece and milled the slot out. I am going to wait until others start their dovetails to see if I can learn from them as well. I already have everything programmed on the Prototrak so it won't take me that long to mill the other stuff out. Thanks for all the help!

When I went in this morning I wanted to tackle it, but my better judgment told me to wait. I did however find 2 pins that were exactly .250. I measured between a finished vice jaw and got the measurement I needed for my own so I'm 100% sure my method will work.
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Hey, smart move. Let the others make their mistakes and benefit from them, so when it's your turn, you will get it right the first time.:grin:
 
Don't want to keep you guys in suspense...so in the mean time here's a spring-loaded tap center project I just completed.... :)

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jlsmithseven said:
Don't want to keep you guys in suspense...so in the mean time here's a spring-loaded tap center project I just completed.... :)
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Got to make one! The P.O.S. one I bought from Little Machine Shop has over a 1//32" runout in it.
Thanks for posting.

Ken
 
4gsr said:
Oh, the dovetail cutter you use will have a radius on the corner. It may only be R0.001" but its there. Probably turns into a R0.005" once the dovetail cutter is broken in, or much worse. I've knocked off the sharp corners of a dovetail mills to something like R0.030", more than once, too!
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Hi Ken,
I have a project that requires some dovetails (also lathe tool holders).

The dovetails cutters I found have extremely sharp points(see below).
R0.001"? .......yeah maybe, it's tiny.
The project can stand a fairly large radius, as the existing tool holders have perhaps > 30 thou.(estimated with calipers)
I have an assortment of bench grinders, but NOT any kind of tool and cutter grinder.
Would you advise trying to grind a radius on the sharp dovetail points?
If so, then how?

The points look very fragile, and I'd rather lop them off in a controlled manner then have them snap off uncontrolled.

Thanks!
-brino

dovetail_cutters1.jpg dovetail_cutters2.jpg
 
I think I would spin them against a grinding wheel, wheel face parallel to the shank, in a fixture, until you get a more robust corner, and then relieve the flats (manually with a stone if necessary) so they will cut correctly.
 
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brino said:
Hi Ken,
I have a project that requires some dovetails (also lathe tool holders).

The dovetails cutters I found have extremely sharp points(see below).
R0.001"? .......yeah maybe, it's tiny.
The project can stand a fairly large radius, as the existing tool holders have perhaps > 30 thou.(estimated with calipers)
I have an assortment of bench grinders, but NOT any kind of tool and cutter grinder.
Would you advise trying to grind a radius on the sharp dovetail points?
If so, then how?

The points look very fragile, and I'd rather lop them off in a controlled manner then have them snap off uncontrolled.

Thanks!
-brino

View attachment 230081 View attachment 230082
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Brino,

The last cutters I sharpen with the sharp corners knocked off (dull), I set them up on my T & C grinder and kiss the corners at about 45 deg. flat about .030" to .045" wide according on the dovetail cutter size. This so much easier than setting up my radius grinding attachment and trying to put a radius on the end. Ken
 
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