Milling cap for a polycrystalline diamond compact cutter

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a cap structure configured for installation on a PDC cutter including a diamond table layer and an underlying substrate layer, the cap structure including a first portion shaped to overlay without being attached to a front face of the diamond table layer and a second portion extending perpendicularly from the first portion and shaped to overlay and be attached to at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the underlying substrate layer.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the PDC cutter and a material for attaching the second portion of the cap structure to the outer peripheral surface of the PDC cutter without attaching the first portion of the cap structure to the front face of the diamond table layer.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 wherein the material for attaching is a brazing material and that brazing material is also present between the first portion of the cap structure and the front face of the diamond table layer to provide an intervening cushioning layer between the first portion of the cap structure and the front face of the diamond table layer, said intervening brazing material not functioning to attach the first portion of the cap structure to the front face of the diamond table layer.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising a brazing material for attaching the cap structure to the PDC cutter, and wherein the second portion of the cap structure includes at least one opening for flowing brazing material for attaching between the second portion of the cap structure and the outer peripheral surface.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure has a front face and wherein the front face of the cap structure is parallel to a rear face of the first portion which overlies the diamond table layer.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure has a front face and wherein the front face of the cap structure is not parallel to a rear face of the first portion which overlies the diamond table layer.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the not parallel front face of the cap structure provides for a different back rake angle than is provided by the front face of the diamond table layer.

8. The apparatus of claim 6 wherein the not parallel front face of the cap structure provides for a different side rake angle than is provided by the front face of the diamond table layer.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure further includes a cooling and cleaning structural feature.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the PDC cutter and wherein the first portion of the cap structure covers more than about 50% of the front face of the diamond table layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising the PDC cutter and wherein the first portion of the cap structure covers less than about 50% of the front face of the diamond table layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the first portion of the cap structure has a shape selected from the group consisting of a rectangular shape, a trapazoidal shape, an oval shape, an elliptical shape, a curved segment shape, a half-elliptical shape, and a hemispherical shape.

13. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure is made of a tungsten carbide material.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure is made of a metal/metal alloy material.

15. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the cap structure further includes a tungsten carbide outer tip mounted to the metal/metal alloy cap material.

16. The apparatus of claim 14 wherein the cap structure further includes a CBN outer tip mounted to the metal/metal alloy cap material.

17. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the cap structure further includes an outer tip made of a material different from the material from which a majority of the cap structure is formed.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the outer tip of the different material is offset rearwardly from a front face of the first portion of the cap structure.

19. The apparatus of claim 18 wherein the offset places the outer tip of the different material behind a rear face of the first portion which overlies the diamond table layer.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein the outer tip of the different material is aligned in same plane with a front face of the first portion of the cap structure.

21. Apparatus comprising:

a PDC cutter including a diamond table layer and an underlying substrate layer, and

a cap structure configured for installation on the PDC cutter, the cap structure including a first portion shaped to overlay without being attached to at least a portion of a front face of the diamond table layer and a second portion extending perpendicularly from the first portion and shaped to overlay and be attached to at least a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the underlying substrate layer,

wherein the cap structure further includes a structural feature which accelerates disintegration and shedding of at least the not attached first portion of the cap structure from the PDC cutter.

22. A method, comprising:

providing a PDC cutter drill bit having a plurality a PDC cutters with certain ones of the cutters including a milling cap attached to the PDC cutter, but not a diamond table front surface of the PDC cutter, wherein the milling cap is configured for milling operations but is not optimal for earth formation drilling operations;

using the milling cap on the drill bit to perform a down hole milling operation; and

continuing to drill an earth formation with the same drill bit following completion of the down hole milling operation, the drilling of the earth formation causing at least the portion of the milling cap not attached to the diamond table surface to be destroyed so as to reveal the diamond table front surface of the PDC cutter for use in engaging the earth formation.

23. The method of claim 22 further comprising forming structures in the milling cap which accelerate destruction of the milling cap in response to drill bit engagement of the earth formation.

24. A drill bit, comprising:

a bit body including a cutter pocket;

a PDC cutter having a diamond table layer and an underlying substrate layer, the PDC cutter being installed in cutter pocket; and

a milling cap structure including a first portion overlying, but not attached to, a front face of the diamond table layer and a second portion connected to the first portion, the second portion being attached to an outer peripheral surface of an underlying substrate layer.

25. The drill bit of claim 24 wherein a first brazing material having a first melting point is used to mount the substrate layer to the cutter pocket and a second brazing material having a second melting point is used to mount the second portion of the milling cap to the substrate layer.

26. The drill bit of claim 25 wherein the second melting point is less than the first melting point.

27. The drill bit of claim 24 further comprising a cushioning material between the first portion of the milling cap and the diamond table layer.

28. The drill bit of claim 27 wherein the cushioning material is a brazing material used to mount the second portion of the milling cap to the substrate layer.

29. A drill bit comprising:

a bit body including a cutter pocket;

a PDC cutter having a diamond table layer and an underlying substrate layer, the PDC cutter being installed in cutter pocket;

a milling cap structure including a first portion overlying, but not attached to, a front face of the diamond table layer and a second portion connected to the first portion, the second portion being attached to an outer peripheral surface of an underlying substrate layer; and

a structure formed in the milling cap which accelerates destruction of the milling cap.

30. The drill bit of claim 24 wherein a front face of the milling cap structure presents a different back rake angle than the front face of the diamond table layer.

31. The drill bit of claim 24 wherein a front face of the milling cap structure presents a different side rake angle than the front face of the diamond table layer.