Tee Slot Cutters

[Turbinedoctor]

I got the stager tooth cutter and used it on a picatinny rail holder. It works very well even with out lube.

[ScrapMetal]

When cutting a T-slot, I assume the first thing you do is cut a channel to the width of the top of the final slot and to the proper depth. Now, do you just put the T-slot cutter in the mill and just power hog out the wide channel at the bottom? That seems like you would be taking out an awful lot of metal at once. On my WI the slots are 11/16" and the wide channel at the bottom is 1 1/4" and 1/2" tall. That would mean you are hogging out two channels on either side of the center channel measuring 9/32" x 1/2" at the same time? On top of that the cutter would be performing two different types of cut at the same time, one "normal" feed and one "climbing".

Wow, is that correct?

Maybe I'm just too used to taking 0.05" "bites" with my lathe

Thanks,

-Ron

[rleete]

That's about how it goes. Lots of lubrication and very slow feeds. Obviously you're not going to be cutting slots for a Bridgport on a minimill.

[ScrapMetal]

That's about how it goes. Lots of lubrication and very slow feeds. Obviously you're not going to be cutting slots for a Bridgport on a minimill.

On anything that's still some serious cutting. I'm going to look at T-slot cutters with a lot more respect now.

Thanks,

-Ron