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Speed for a Dovetail cutter?

Benny

Aluminum
Joined
Aug 19, 2004
Location
Ohio
I have a dovetail cutter - about 1" wide at the base (45 degrees), and I am not sure how fast to feed this tool or how fast to run the mill spindle. Can anyone help me out on this one. I have speed/feed charts for the different fluted endmills, but nothing for contour cutting tools. From a previous question I asked, I know I should remove as much material as possible with an endmill first, but after that I am unsure on speed/feed for this cutter. Thanks in advance.

Benny
 
It's a form cutter. It's necessary to preserve the cutting edges to extend the life of a cutter that's not only expensive to sharpen but has only a few sharpenings in it. Thus you run it at about half the RPM of a HSS shell mill or end mill. Use the tip diameter in your calculations.
 
Rke[pler - Are you talking about rate of feed or the size of the bite you should take ... or both? Thanks again.

Benny
 
Rate of feed - the thin teeth mean that you take small depth, but what with so many teeth your feed in IPS will be a lot higher than with a 2 flute taking a regular depth cut.
 
I do a good bit of cutting with custom-made 7 degree dovetail bits in annealed 4140 and A-36. I agree with Mr. Addy. Be very patient with the tips; they're in the cut more than the sloping sides. Use lots of coolant. Don't do climb cutting. Finish a cutting pass, stop the spindle, back up the carriage, adjust and make the next pass. If you don't stop the spindle you can weld the chips to the tips of the teeth instead of sweeping them away. That will ruin your day. By using a "pussy footing" approach the bits will last quite a long time.
 
Thanks for the advice all. I believe I have a much better grasp on how to run this cutter now without tearing it up. I need to use it for a little project next week, so I appreciate the advice.

Benny
 








 
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