"jim rozen" wrote in message
...
In article , Harold & Susan Vordos says...

... The tools of choice for me, and the shops where
I was employed, just happened to be end mills, and I suspect that unless
most folks are engaged in machining key slots routinely, that would be
their
tool of choice, too.

This is sort of crazy, to use an end mill when the correct tool
(woodruff key cutter) is so widely available. In a horizontal
machine one can do the job much more reliably and accurately.
I wouldn't think of of using an end mill for the job.

Jim

What Greybeard said. You don't always have the option for the radius.
Otherwise I fully agree.....and actually prefer a Woodruff key in place of a
square one when it's possible The added benefit of using the Woodruff
cutter is they typically cut the proper width--which is normally reasonably
close tolerance.

Further, does every shop have every width Woodruff? I seriously doubt
it-------but I have a generous supply of end mills, starting with 1/32"
going up to 1". I can cut any size keyway with no trouble, on size, on
location. I use my skills in place of tools. g

Harold