Backlash wrote:

Get yourself one of those $50 indexers, clamp it at an upward angle in a
vertical mill, and you can cut the teeth and the relief at the same time,
with a little imagination. Index, cut, index, cut. I had always thought I
had an exclusive on these things. (pout)

I bought one with my 3-in-1 about ten years ago. One of the most used
accessories.

I made a block the same shape as the rectangular base of my spin index
and of such a height that the axis of the spin index is "exactly" the
same height of the table as the lathe axis. This alows me to remove the
compound from the table and mount the spin index on the block. I can
then put the cutter in the lathe chuck, orient the spin index
conveniently and use the x-y feed to do the cutting.

You can see it in use in this mode at

http://www.metalworking.com/dropbox/_2002_retired_files/Fluted_Knob3.jpg

Ted