Re: Slot drills

--- In CAD_CAM_EDM_DRO@y..., "Smoke" <smoke@t...> wrote:

> Hi Dan,
>
> How's things in St. Louis? I'm slowly getting to the point where

I'll be

> able to get some usable aluminum castings made.

Hey Smoke,
Things have been good but too busy here. Regarding slot drills, I
think Les Newell got the description right with:

Slot drills are two flute cutters that can plunge (drill) as well as
cut sideways (slot). An end mill usually has more flutes and cannot
plunge because there are no cutting edges in the centre of the face.

I think Dave Pearson got the reason why my machinist buddy never
heard of them and I couldn't find them in the catalogs:

Dan,
Here in the UK we usually refer to a two or three flute, centre
cutting end mill as a 'slot drill', whereas, in the US I think you
refer to them all as end mills.

Learn something new everyday.


Dan Eaton (St. Louis)