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

"rodjava" wrote in message
...
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

You're likely to discover that a T slot cutter is side cutting, whereas a
Woodruff cutter is not. Both can function in the same capacity. Woodruff
cutters don't have the ability to cut on their sides, but they are hollow
ground for relief, and can be stepped over and plunged to achieve slots of
specific widths.

A Woodruff cutter demands that the spindle be at a right angle to the cut,
otherwise there can be loading that isn't desirable. A T slot cutter will
cut in most any attitude, although proper head alignment is desirable.

I don't know that one is better than the other, although you may find one
has features that are more desirable for certain applications than the
other. Woodruff keys and keyways are expected to be held to a tight
tolerance, thus the lack of side cutting. T slots generally have a greater
tolerance, so if the cutter cuts slightly oversized, no big deal. Let
your need determine which would serve you best.

Harold

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
.. .

"rodjava" wrote in message
...
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

You're likely to discover that a T slot cutter is side cutting, whereas a
Woodruff cutter is not. Both can function in the same capacity.
Woodruff cutters don't have the ability to cut on their sides, but they
are hollow ground for relief, and can be stepped over and plunged to
achieve slots of specific widths.

A Woodruff cutter demands that the spindle be at a right angle to the cut,
otherwise there can be loading that isn't desirable. A T slot cutter
will cut in most any attitude, although proper head alignment is
desirable.

I don't know that one is better than the other, although you may find one
has features that are more desirable for certain applications than the
other. Woodruff keys and keyways are expected to be held to a tight
tolerance, thus the lack of side cutting. T slots generally have a
greater tolerance, so if the cutter cuts slightly oversized, no big deal.
Let your need determine which would serve you best.

Harold


I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?

"Buerste" wrote in message
news

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
.. .

"rodjava" wrote in message
...
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

You're likely to discover that a T slot cutter is side cutting, whereas a
Woodruff cutter is not. Both can function in the same capacity.
Woodruff cutters don't have the ability to cut on their sides, but they
are hollow ground for relief, and can be stepped over and plunged to
achieve slots of specific widths.

A Woodruff cutter demands that the spindle be at a right angle to the
cut, otherwise there can be loading that isn't desirable. A T slot
cutter will cut in most any attitude, although proper head alignment is
desirable.

I don't know that one is better than the other, although you may find one
has features that are more desirable for certain applications than the
other. Woodruff keys and keyways are expected to be held to a tight
tolerance, thus the lack of side cutting. T slots generally have a
greater tolerance, so if the cutter cuts slightly oversized, no big deal.
Let your need determine which would serve you best.

Harold


I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?

Many factors will play into the results you achieve, and the problems you
face. One of them is the size of the T slot, as well as the material you
intend to machine. Rigidity of the machines is also a huge factor. If
you have a large slot to machine and it's in steel, running a light duty
machine, you'd do well to rough the slot with an undersized cutter, one that
maybe is narrow in height and somewhat smaller than the full diameter (width
of the finished slot). Rough all of the features aside from the opening in
the slot, then take it to size. That can be useful in all cases, truth be
known. Be certain to lube the cutter well, although if you machine gray or
ductile iron, you likely will not need lubrication.

Steels of all kinds will demand more from the machine, and aluminum will
demand less. Do what you can to keep chips from accumulating in the cut.
Provide air if you have it available---to clear the cut. If you allow
chips to accumulate, you'll have grief.

The more area you have in contact with a cutter, the greater will be the
demand from the machine---in all ways. Minimize the amount of material that
is removed (per pass) and you'll lower the effort required. Opening the
straight portion of the T slot is a good way to eliminate a lot of material.
You can do that with an undersized end mill. Stop slightly short of
finished width and depth, then rough the T, leaving a few thou for a finish
cut. Go back and finish the slot with an end mill, then take your finish
cut(s) on the T with the cutter you chose to use.

Don't let the task intimidate you---take it easy and feel your way as you
go. Don't run the cutter beyond recommended surface speed, to avoid killing
the cutting edge-----especially if you run a carbon steel cutter.

Such cuts can go smoothly, or give you fits. Make sure you lock the saddle
and spindle when you take a cut with the table. Use good sense and you
shouldn't have trouble.

Harold

I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?

I've got the standard set of import qualtiy Woodruff cutters. Not a
fear here, 'cause I know that no way in hell would one of these cut a
T slot. Cutting the whole T in one pass ain't gonna work on any
machine a hobbyist owns. I hope these T cutters come in sets where the
top of the T gets wider so you could make several passes.

It does look like a job just asking to break cutters.

Karl

On Tue, 20 Jan 2009 23:44:11 -0500, "Buerste" wrote:





I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?


I've watched a t slot being cut in cast iron with a single point
cutter. slow feed and chonk chonk chonk chonk....
the centre slot had been cut and it was expanding out the ears of the
slot. did the cut in what appeared to be a single pass.

easiest way of overcoming a fear is to try it.

Stealth Pilot

Using a woodruff smells like trouble, try it. but be warned. Sometimes
you win, sometimes you lose.

AsianDoll

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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

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
.. .

"Buerste" wrote in message
news

"Harold and Susan Vordos" wrote in message
.. .

"rodjava" wrote in message
...
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

You're likely to discover that a T slot cutter is side cutting, whereas
a Woodruff cutter is not. Both can function in the same capacity.
Woodruff cutters don't have the ability to cut on their sides, but they
are hollow ground for relief, and can be stepped over and plunged to
achieve slots of specific widths.

A Woodruff cutter demands that the spindle be at a right angle to the
cut, otherwise there can be loading that isn't desirable. A T slot
cutter will cut in most any attitude, although proper head alignment is
desirable.

I don't know that one is better than the other, although you may find
one has features that are more desirable for certain applications than
the other. Woodruff keys and keyways are expected to be held to a
tight tolerance, thus the lack of side cutting. T slots generally have
a greater tolerance, so if the cutter cuts slightly oversized, no big
deal. Let your need determine which would serve you best.

Harold


I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another
irrational fear?

Many factors will play into the results you achieve, and the problems you
face. One of them is the size of the T slot, as well as the material you
intend to machine. Rigidity of the machines is also a huge factor.
If you have a large slot to machine and it's in steel, running a light
duty machine, you'd do well to rough the slot with an undersized cutter,
one that maybe is narrow in height and somewhat smaller than the full
diameter (width of the finished slot). Rough all of the features aside
from the opening in the slot, then take it to size. That can be useful
in all cases, truth be known. Be certain to lube the cutter well,
although if you machine gray or ductile iron, you likely will not need
lubrication.

Steels of all kinds will demand more from the machine, and aluminum will
demand less. Do what you can to keep chips from accumulating in the cut.
Provide air if you have it available---to clear the cut. If you allow
chips to accumulate, you'll have grief.

The more area you have in contact with a cutter, the greater will be the
demand from the machine---in all ways. Minimize the amount of material
that is removed (per pass) and you'll lower the effort required.
Opening the straight portion of the T slot is a good way to eliminate a
lot of material. You can do that with an undersized end mill. Stop
slightly short of finished width and depth, then rough the T, leaving a
few thou for a finish cut. Go back and finish the slot with an end
mill, then take your finish cut(s) on the T with the cutter you chose to
use.

Don't let the task intimidate you---take it easy and feel your way as you
go. Don't run the cutter beyond recommended surface speed, to avoid
killing the cutting edge-----especially if you run a carbon steel cutter.

Such cuts can go smoothly, or give you fits. Make sure you lock the
saddle and spindle when you take a cut with the table. Use good sense and
you shouldn't have trouble.

Harold


I feel blessed not ever having to do it! Now, I can just ask Tim (my
part-time machinist) if I need it done. In the six months I've had him,
he's done some stuff I never knew how to do or was even possible.

On Jan 21, 4:15*am, Jim Wilkins wrote:
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

Thank you to everybody who responded to my question.

I should have mentioned that I have a Bridgeport mill, so cutting deep
and slow is no problem.

I'm leaning more to buying a set of stout t-slot cutters instead of
specialized woodruff cutters. I'm not planning to cut keyways in the
near future. As I now understand, t-slot cutters are ground so that
chips are easily moved away during cutting. Besides, I'm cutting slots
in my project.

Thanks again,

Rod
San Francisco

On 2009-01-21, 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?

The Woodruff has cutting edges only on the circumference, and is
mostly good for cutting seats for Woodruff keys. It is tailored to cut
a recess for a specific thickness Woodruff key.

The T-slot cutter has alternate teeth cutting on the top or
bottom side (assuming a vertical shank) as well as the circumference. It
is designed to cut a T-slot a little thicker than the default T-nuts so
they slide freely.

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

Not well.

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

I would not consider either to be dual purpose -- other than
perhaps finding a Woodruff cutter the right dimensions to use for
milling a long key slot for standard square keys.

As for "most useful" -- that depends on what you need at the
moment -- a T-slot or a Woodruff key seat. :-)

Thank you in advance for your help.

Sorry to not have good news for you.

Good Luck,
DoN.

--
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--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

On 2009-01-21, Buerste wrote:

[ ... ]

I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?

I had no problem the one time which I have cut a T-slot -- and
it was a circular T-slot at that.

I started with a two-flute end mill and cut the circular slot to
the desired depth, along with a short radial slot for entry, then
mounted the T-slot cutter, cut in from the edge to the proper radius and
around the workpiece following the original circular milled slot. I
used a small rotary table for workholding and motion for both
operations.

And all of this was done on an ancient horizontal mill -- which
actually helped clear chips somewhat compared to a vertical mill.

The main trick with the T-slot cutter is keeping a shop vac
close to it to pull out chips so they don't clog the slot as you form
it.

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---

Buerste wrote:


I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?



T-slots are often cut in cast Iron, which usually cuts pretty nicely.
Also, the "chips" are nearly dust, and don't pack up much. I'd think
cutting T-slots in steel would be another matter entirely.

Jon

On 2009-01-22, Jon Elson wrote:
Buerste wrote:


I've never had to cut "T" slots but the thought scares me. Is that
operation as hairy as it appears to be to me? Or, just another irrational
fear?



T-slots are often cut in cast Iron, which usually cuts pretty nicely.
Also, the "chips" are nearly dust, and don't pack up much. I'd think
cutting T-slots in steel would be another matter entirely.

Not too bad in 12L14 on a horizontal mill, so gravity was
assisting with the chip removal. :-)

Enjoy,
DoN.

--
Email: | Voice (all times): (703) 938-4564
(too) near Washington D.C. | http://www.d-and-d.com/dnichols/DoN.html
--- Black Holes are where God is dividing by zero ---