How is a dovetail is cut on a radius/arc ?

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jcfx
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Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:24 pm
Location: NY

How is a dovetail is cut on a radius/arc ?

Post by jcfx »

Something that I've always wondered about is how one would cut dovetails on radius or arc without CNC
Examples are what you would find on precision tilting vises or gonimeter stages - https://youtu.be/Nd0BJV6aUSU

You can't cut them with with a dovetail bit, the base of a milling dovetail cutter would
dig into the arc, fly cut ? an't visualize how one would do it fly cutting, or are they done on a lathe with a form tool ?
Anyone know or ever tried to do this ?
Rich_Carlstedt
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Re: How is a dovetail is cut on a radius/arc ?

Post by Rich_Carlstedt »

Most like done in a Lathe with a form tool
The easiest would be to make a ring and then cut it into segments (say 4 )
if you look closely, the way surfaces are separate pieces bolted to a body . The bodies would also be done in a lathe ( think faceplate)
They are very small in size , only a few inches square
https://www.thorlabs.us/NewGroupPage9_P ... oup_ID=860


The touchy part is the Micrometer settings and how they can be calibrated with a arc ??
Rich
jcfx
Posts: 713
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 1:24 pm
Location: NY

Re: How is a dovetail is cut on a radius/arc ?

Post by jcfx »

I kind of figured it have to be done on a lathe, or a specialized one that just does one thing.

I'm no metrology expert but based on the info on the Thorlabs page the calibration point
is a preetermined point above the stage, so my understanding is if the point is, say 6" above the goniometer
stage then so many turns of worm gear would equal X degress of an arc from that 6" point in space.
I make sound simple but I could be totally wrong ! :)
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