On Jan 20, 9:21*pm, rodjava wrote:
I was planning a project which calls for a simple milled t-slot in
some mild steel.
I *don't have the cutter yet. What is the difference in a Woodruff and
T-slot cutter?

Can a Woodruff cutter act as a T-slot cutter and vise versa?

Which cutter would have a dual purpose and be the most useful?

Thank you in advance for your help.

Rod
San Francisco

Woodruff cutters may have thinner, weaker shanks relieved to let them
plunge close to half their diameter. I've used them to cut tee slots
in steel but it was very slow and tedious, light manual feed and
frequent stops to brush the chips out. The worst job was a swivel base
for my milling vise and it's why I said my rotary table was
inadequate.

I normally buy expensive specialised cutters like this second-hand and
sharpen them when needed. IIRC in that case after trying several
cutters I made multiple passes with an undersized one, which reduced
the work load on my light-weight Clausing mill. It ran smoother
roughing out each side rather than cutting full width, I think because
chips weren't jamming the cutter. I don't remember which ones I used
but most of them were modified for custom jobs and resharpened several
times, so they don't have the relief and chip clearance of a new one.

It's hard to say which one would be most valuable. The most versatile
has the smallest overall diameter and greatest depth of cut, meaning a
very thin shank. I have a job in the queue that needs a #203, with a
shank less than 1/8" thick, to cut Phillips screw head slots in
stainless.

Jim Wilkins