When making tooling icons, 
one of the important things to bear in mind is
the point is to help the user pick the right one based on DIFFERENCES,
and that at this reduced resolution it is important to make that clear.


Therefore, I have given more thought to some of the most important aspects that make one tool different than others.  This might be thought of as its "signature" -- what visually makes it what it is


End mill = flat bottom, square corners

Bullnose mill = flat bottom, round corners

Ball mill = half-sphere bottom

Face mill = large width bottom, multiple cutting edges that are mounted in the overall body.

Taper mill = Sloped sides, flat bottom

Taper radius mill = Sloped sides, corner radius

Barrel mill = large radius sides, flat bottom, small radius corners

Thread mill = zig-zag teeth on the sides (to cut threads)
      The difference between tap and Thread-Mill is tap is narrower / taller.
      Thread-mill sometimes the cutting portion is separate material mounted,
       therefore maybe make that the color.

Insert mill = Two cutting edges that are mounted one on each side in the overall body, those cutting edges protrude slightly from the body to the side and down.

Slot mill = Shaft noticably smaller than the cutting area; that cutting area is not very tall. flat bottom, square corners

Dovetail mill = 45-degree triangle with the flat side down, smaller shaft.

Lollipop mill = sphere on the end of a noticably smaller shaft.

Back boring bar = noticably smaller shaft, cutting portion pointing up (for cutting for the back side of the part), intended for cutting the sides of the hole straight.

Back spot facer = noticably smaller shaft, cutting portion is the top flat edge (for cutting for the back side of the part), intended for cutting top of the hole flat.

Center drill = tiny tip with a tiny cone on its tip, 60-degree cone up to wider body.

Spot drill = 90 degree cone on tip, only two flutes.

Drill = basic simple drill bit (118 degree cone on tip); helical flutes

Reamer = straight flutes, basically bottom is flat with tip corners cut with slight 45-degree diagonal very tiny cut-corners.

Boring bar = single cutting portion pointing out the bottom of the shaft at 45-degrees.

Tap = zig-zag teeth on the sides (to cut threads)
      The difference between this and Thread-Mill is tap is narrower / taller.


Turning tools:

General = Diamond shape cutting portion usually gold color, pointing out the left corner.  Shaft (holder) has a complex head, then above that is a simple rectangular area.

Grooving/Cut-off = The emphasis is the cutting portion is rectangular and long and skinny to it can go further into the part it is cutting.

Threading = The cutting portion is triangular for making threads.  It might be shaped to make two or three threads at once. Shaft (holder) like General tool.





Probe = basically a straight narrow shaft with a colored circle at the bottom end (shaft is narrower than the circle)