Hi gundog:
I prefer to run my cutter down the angle of the dovetail in smaller steps so I never take a full width cut.
It's easy to do with CNC and it's kinder on the machine and the workpiece (and the cutter too!)
So I will make a square step first as others have described, and then I will start at the top with a 0.050" to 0.100" DOC and mill my first step leaving 0.010" or so on the sides.
My next pass will be positioned in and down so I take another 0.050" to 0.100" DOC but nothing on the sidewall of my first cut.
I will rinse and repeat until I've traversed all the way to the bottom of the dovetail.
Then I'll do the same again for finishing.
It takes longer, it's more cuts, but it makes a better, more accurate dovetail and it doesn't try to shake the machine apart while it's doing it and it eliminates all the groaning and graunching typical of full-depth dovetail cuts.
You can also feed it a lot faster.
So it's not a good production strategy, but for one-off's it works very well.
On the other hand, if you need balls-out productivity, go for the biggest most rigid cutter you can get your mitts on...mount it as close to the front spindle bearing as you can, fixture your part so it's bomb proof, and do it on a beast of a machine in one pass.
Cheers
Marcus
Implant Mechanix • Design & Innovation > HOME
Vancouver Wire EDM -- Wire EDM Machining