Suggestions needed - flutes in nylon rod.

[Lew Hartswick]

Paul where would one GET an analog clock now.?? :-) At least the mechanical ones that would be "sturdy" enough to modify. :-)
...lew...

[challenger]

Steal it from a school. They ain't using them.

[challenger]

Ok I have a good setup on the mill table. Placing the rod in a slot allows the 12 tooth gear to index with a single tooth and everything looks fine for clamping.
Now I need advice, please, for what to use to profile the flutes. The divisions are .490" apart and can be at least .250" deep. Again, these rods don't need to mesh like gears would and there will not be any contact between them. Still they need to mate very loosely (think one of those crafting rollers that make ruffled paper).
Can anyone offer a good cutter choice? Im currently starting with a .250“ ball end mill.
Thanks

[mattthemuppet]

something like a 10deg (or whatever works for you) tapered endmill would be an option, something like:
https://www.amazon.com/Tip-Dia-Flute...s_id=340047011
but in HSS

[Arcane]

How's about a bull nose bit for woodworking like this one? https://www.amazon.ca/Yonico-13109-3.../dp/B00KZM0TV8

[darryl]

Can you come in from the side with a cutter? I'm looking at my router bits, and I have one which is a round-over, and which you can mount either way on the arbor. You could end up with flat bottomed grooves, with walls that are rounded- closely approximating a gear tooth shape.

[Corbettprime]

I've cut flutes in wood columns on a router table, basically a box w with two centers, and a protractor for dividing. For 12 flutes, every thirty degrees.

[challenger]

I have a bunch of router bits and I'll give a round over bits a look.
Thanks