I have in mind a dovetail marking gage which I would make, from steel or brass stock. My question relates to milling the metal tongue. I have no metal working equipment, but I do have a Griggio slot mortiser, in which I use solid carbide end mills. I have used this to date only to cut wood. The mills are normally used to cut metal.

Can I cut a small groove in either 01 oil hardening steel flat stock, perhaps 1/16 or 3/32" thick, or in brass, by jigging up the mortiser, and using a 1/32" end mill, or perhpas a 1/16" end mill? The RPM on the mortiser is about 4000, I think, and is not adjustable.

I know that the slot mortiser will not be the perfect tool for this operation, but I don't have a Bridgeport handy. I don't want to try this without some guidance from people knowledgable about milling metal. The required slot might be as long as two inches, and needs to be a very clean cut. The metal will not need to be hardened. I know that I will need to jig it carefully so that the metal stock to be milled will be held quite firmly, and you may assume that I will be able to accomplish this.

Thnaks in advance to our metal working members.