Difference between a V groover cutter and a thread mill

[Lotaxi]

Hello!

I have what might be a bit of a dumb question in that there's probably a very simple answer.

Is there any geometric difference between a double angle cutter and a single point thread mill? I need to make very small grooves (~.015in deep) into a little piece of steel, but I need the grooves to be flat instead of angled like a thread. The purpose is to be the lock to a slide that runs along a rack of sorts. Instead of a gear, it's just gonna be a spring loaded nub with some teeth on it to lock into the grooves on the rack. My tooling is fairly limited, but I have a large (.750 diameter) double angle cutter that has the required 60 degree angle, as well as a small thread mill that will get the job done with less worrying about clearance.

Is there any functional difference between a thread mill and a double angle cutter? Since I'm not cutting threads, I'd rather not find out in practice if I can help it.

Thanks,
Gregg

 

[DavidScott]

I would think the threadmill has a little more relief but it will cut straight grooves just fine. The other way around you may have a problem, depending on pitch and diameter.

 

[Hardplates]

Thread mills for cutting course pitch will have more of a radius at the tip than ones for fine pitch. I would imagine different double angle cutters have different tip radius as well. These numbers will be small but if you are only cutting 0.015" deep its something to consider

 

[Lotaxi]

I would think the threadmill has a little more relief but it will cut straight grooves just fine. The other way around you may have a problem, depending on pitch and diameter.

Good to know. The thread mill is specified as a 5-40 UNC, so I wanted to make sure that it wasn't locked into a spiral pitch. Just worried that cutting a straight line would destroy the thing. Thanks!

Thread mills for cutting course pitch will have more of a radius at the tip than ones for fine pitch. I would imagine different double angle cutters have different tip radius as well. These numbers will be small but if you are only cutting 0.015" deep its something to consider

Seeing as the alternative here is to figure out how to get around not having a specific piece for our WEDM that makes it work with .004 wire... The larger double angle cutter has a smaller radius than the 5-40 UNC mill, so I think I'll try that. It was gonna have a minimum .002 radius at the root anyway because of our plan to use .004 wire, so it can't be much worse. Thanks for the info!

 

[1953chevB]

lotaxi

would this work?
Double Angle Shank Type Cutter | 10-271-555 | Travers Tool Co., Inc.

 

[Lotaxi]

lotaxi

would this work?
Double Angle Shank Type Cutter | 10-271-555 | Travers Tool Co., Inc.

That's exactly the type of tool I'm currently working with! My question stems from having just a .75 diameter one, and I can literally fit 2 of the parts I'm cutting on it's face. My alternative is using a miniscule single point thread mill, so I wanted to see whether or not it was possible to cut a straight groove with a thread mill or not.

We are a tiiiiiiny little prototype shop, so tooling isn't something we constantly bring in. I'm used to working with what I've got in my end mill chest here, and then my boss will show up randomly with more stuff for me to sort through and use.

Thanks though!