Side milling a slot -

[EazyE]

I am trying to use a keyway cutter to mill the side slot on this block - I cant seem to get the depths and cuts to match up - Top of stock should be top of slot minus thickness of keyway cutter - If I have no depth of cut this works just fine but when I add depths it throws everything off and I cannot seem to chase it down - Any one tried this before or have any ideas.. Thanks -

 

[3R!< W3NG3R]

I would probably do this in 2 or 3 ops. More control that way. Do your top cut seperate from the rest and depth cuts off. If the rest is close enough, then it should work fine.

One thing to remember is that when you set your depth cuts, it is MAX depth. MC will avarage them out and use a smaller depth.

[Bryan Johnson]

forget top of stock setting.

Use number and depth of finish cuts to control top cut.

[EazyE]

Eric that does the trick but extra ops is not really what i am lookn for -

[EazyE]

Bryan using your method sounds good but no matter the # and depth value top cut does not clear the top lip on the slot ..... Cutter is .250 slot mill and top lip is .125 thick - if i set depth of cut to .375 to clear top lip then each cut after will be .125 more than cutter thickness leaving material... maybe i have this wrong .. Waduya think..

[Oppiz]

What I've done in this case is use depth of cut but set maxium depth of cut to 0 and use finish cuts to control my depths.

[shazam/TPP]

+1 oppiz

[JDowe]

Slot width - cutter width = material to cut

material to cut / no cuts = depth each cut

Top of stock - cutter width + cut depth = New

[JDowe]

slot width - cutter width = material to cut

material to cut / no cuts = depth each cut

z bottom of slot + material to cut - cut depth

= z top of slot

 

use contour or ramp with plunges