Tech Talk
What is a "Woodruff Keyseat Cutter"?
The Woodruff keyseat cutter is designed primarily to mill keyseats in shafts. Accordingly, the teeth are concentrated in a narrow "face" at the end of the tool. Keyseat cutters can have as many as 16 teeth, depending on the diameter of the tool. The keyseat cutter has a standard 1/2 inch diameter straight shank or machine #404 taper shank which tapers to a smaller size where it joins the face to prevent workpiece interference. The T-slot cutter is designed specifically to machining T-slots in machine tool tables, indexing tables and other work-holding surfaces. Like keyseat cutters, T-slot cutters come in standard sizes, each designed for a specific bolthead size. The T-slot cutters have staggered tooth construction and generous clearance to minimize hangups in the cut. Before the T-slot cutter can be used, a slot must first be milled in the work surface to provide clearance for the shank of the T-slot cutter for the length of the slot. The dovetail cutter is used for machining dovetail slots for such applications as mating machine components that require a sliding fit. Tools produce a slot shaped like a truncated triangle with an included angle of 60 degrees. No starting slot is required for a dovetail cutter, since the slot begins at the workpiece surface. However, the cutting teeth of this tool extend partly up the shank of the tool.
