snip


I have access to a Bridgeport mill with unknown tooling, so I will
have to buy a cutter for the job.
My plan is using something similar to a keyway cutter and attacking
the work from each side. Maybe leaving the very end "un-slotted" to
remain rigid before hacksawing out the last bit?

Plan B may be an 1/4" endmill attacking from the top? although this
seems like it would be too flexy for a 1-1/4" cut.

As you can probably tell, I am not a machinist. Although I do read
RCM regularly. I also understand 316 stainless is not easy to work
with.


I've just been doing something similar, although with a different brand
mill - seems to me that a slitting saw would make short work of this job,
and a 1/4 inch saw is cheap (there are a bunch on ebay) - it will do it in
one pass. and end mill will break before you are done