Method of manufacturing and repairing fixed-cutter drag-type rotary tools with cutting control structures

A method for manufacturing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:

• providing a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween;
• affixing a plurality of cutting elements proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades;
• providing a retention recess into said tool body and located interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;
• installing a carrier with a plurality of cutting control structures in said retention recess;
• and
• releasably securing said carrier within said retention recess.

A method for manufacturing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:

• providing a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween;
• affixing a plurality of cutting elements proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades;
• providing a retention recess into said tool body and located interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;
• and
• releasably securing a cutting control structure within said retention recess.

A method of refurbishing a rotary tool for drilling subterranean material comprising:

• obtaining a rotary tool that has been used to drill subterranean material, said rotary tool comprising a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween, a plurality of cutting elements affixed proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades and a plurality of cutting control structures releasably secured interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;
• removing at least one of said plurality of cutting control structures;
• and
• replacing said at least one cutting control structure with a new cutting control structure and thereby refurbishing said rotary tool.

A method of drilling subterranean material with a rotary tool, comprising:

• rotating a rotary tool into subterranean material, said rotary tool comprising a tool body having a distal crown end comprising a circumferential series of raised cutting blades with recessed junk slots therebetween, a plurality of cutting elements affixed proximate a leading peripheral edge of one of said raised cutting blades and a plurality of cutting control structures releasably secured interiorly of said cutting elements at a leading surface of an adjacent junk slot;
• engaging the formation with said plurality of cutting elements to generate a plurality of formation cuttings;
• and
• modifying an attribute of at least one of said plurality of formation cuttings generated by at least one of said plurality of cutting elements engaging said formation with at least one of said plurality of cutting control structures.