Thread: dovetail maker/end mill tester ...or should I say guinea pig

I'd be very happy to test one and report. I have a dovetailing job in cast iron that my cutters are too small for, so the biggest one of yours would do the job. Had planned to do it on the shaper instead.
What are you trying to find out exactly? I realize that there is a risk of blunting, chipping or even breaking 'test tools' if the quality is really unknown - and I would feel really bad about doing that to someone else's tools. So firstly please let me know what stops you testing them yourself

Originally Posted by jhovel

So firstly please let me know what stops you testing them yourself

because I am new to this game and have not had any experience with the higher cost items...just a little bit with these lower cost ones i got from Aliexpress and CTC

as they were a lot cheaper on ali i got a few extras..for when i break em

blunt it or wreck it or it works a treat, its yours to keep

I am just interested in a comparison against those supposedly more reputable ones...ie was it worth the money compared to the high valued ones?

is a 30x 60 a better size?

OK, you're on
I'll send you a PM.

That brand of dovetail cutter work fine in cast and steel.

Originally Posted by pipeclay

That brand of dovetail cutter work fine in cast and steel.

thanks pipeclay
it seemed to do the trick when i made my dovetails for the knurler I am making...

but as they are cheapies I would like to know just how they compare to the dearer quality ones...ie is longevity and finish comparable considering price...after all how many dovetails are we gunna make before they go rusty and become dull/blunt etc...do you buy cheap when neded and then buy a new cheap one when you next need to make that second dovetails 10 yrs later????

I find they are fine, as long as you tread them carefully and don't try huge cuts. I have broken one but that was operator error not the cutters fault.
The only think i have noticed the the shank and the cutting edges are not quite concentric.

Ew

Unless you were going to be using them almost constantly it would be a very hard comparison to make I feel.


I have used both quality and cheap cutters but not on a regular enough basis to be able to say if one is better than the other.

They have both performed well over numerous cuts and show no great noticeable signs of wear.