Cutting a V – notch

[Colin LLoydParticipant @colinlloyd53450]

How do you cut a longitudinal V-notch? I know you can get V-notch wheels but for a one-off use – they are quite expensive. Are there V-notch end-mill cutters made – I can't seem to find a supplier. Is it possible to grind a V-notch cutter from a normal 2 fluke HSS end mill cutter. THe basic problem appears to be getting the point of the cutter to be exactly in the centre.

[Colin LLoydParticipant @colinlloyd53450]

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

You can mount the work a 45deg and use a normal end mill. If its shallow a spotting drill will do the job OK. Or get whats known as a "Drill point Endmill" that has a 90deg point on the end, really meant for chamfering but will also do a vee slot.

J

[Gordon WParticipant @gordonw]

I've done it in aluminium using a countersink, not tried it in steel but a decent one should do the job.A wood router will do ally.

Edited By Gordon W on 17/05/2015 16:30:51

[Les Jones 1Participant @lesjones1]

Hi Colin,
Here is an example of cutting a "V" groove as Jason suggests. You will need to start with the edge of the cutter touching the work at a distance equal to the depth of the groove from the centre line of the groove. (That is the distance along the surface of the work. If you are moving from the centre line by moving the mill table then the distance will be the depth of the groove multiplied by sine 45 Deg.)

This was cutting the groove in a tool grinding jig for a tangential tool holder.

Les.

[Brian WoodParticipant @brianwood45127]

Colin,

If you have access to a shaper, that is made for the job. Failing that use a thread cutting tool laid sideways in the tool post on the lathe and make repeated cuts, slow work but for a shallow Vee it would do well enough.

Brian

[Neil WyattModerator @neilwyatt]

Yep, use the corner of an end mill.

Neil

P.S. ideal for decorating paperweights:

[Colin LLoydParticipant @colinlloyd53450]

What the replies to this thread has highlighted (and it was a conclusion I was coming to anyway) is that I appear to be doing more milling than lathe work at present, and that the combined Chester Multi Lathe/Mill has many limitations for milling – not least of which is the inability to do anything other than ad-hoc inclined work. So I am going to get a small dedicated milling machine (Axminster or one of the many Seig derivatives. It will be much easier and more precise to follow any of the suggestions given in this thread. All the suggestions have been noted for future use.

[Nigel BennettParticipant @nigelbennett69913]

One of the main problems with using a vee-ended slot drill or end mill is that the cutting speed of the centre tends to zero, giving very high cutting forces and the tendency to break the cutter at the sharp point. A vee-shaped side and face cutter (as on horizontal milling machines) would be a far better bet.

Suggestions to using standard end mill/slot drills are the way to go if you can position the job and/or the cutter rotation to do what you need to do.

[Tim StevensParticipant @timstevens64731]

One way round the 'centre has zero velocity' problem might be to mill a narrow slot first, and put up with a couple of tiny notches at the bottom of the finished V. And if you want to mill a narrower than 90 degree notch, use a dovetail cutter.

Cheers, Tim

[Anonymous]

Posted by Nigel Bennett on 18/05/2015 13:04:03:

A vee-shaped side and face cutter (as on horizontal milling machines) would be a far better bet.

Like this?

[VicParticipant @vic]

I have Vee shaped bit for cutting metal, it looks similar to a countersink. I believe the supplier called it a mill drill.

[Colin LLoydParticipant @colinlloyd53450]

Sorry I haven't replied – been caravanning in Wales for the past week. I appreciate all the comments. But unless you are into model making in a big way, buying particular cutters for specific purposes is a bit expensive – in my limited use of lathe/mills – I might never need to cut a 90 degree V- groove ever again. So the suggestions about using what mills and tools one generally has to hand for "ordinary" work in different ways to achieve the required outcome appeals to me. There must be a set of tools and mills that can be pressed into service to achieve the majority of jobs that present themselves. The discussion above has guided me towards what my particular set may contain.

[Capstan SpeakingParticipant @capstanspeaking95294]

Very limiting, a combo machine.

Could a vee form tool bit in a boring bar do it for you?

[JasonBModerator @jasonb]

Here it is

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