2015 POTD Thread Archive

Makes sense .
Locking the carriage and having your all your gibs set well will also help along with the correct 90 degrees angle of alignment of the wheels to the axis being knurled .
I found that when I did the very first knurl that the pattern was a lot deeper on the right hand side till I reset the compound slide accurately to 90 degrees by taking the measurement off the side of the knurling tool and the chuck face by trapping a six inch steel ruler edge to edge evenly across the gap .( the graduations and perhaps the play in the QCTP and QCTH all make for inaccuracies )
Another time when I playing I'd taken the knurler out the QCTH & on putting it back it was not dead on the centre line .
I only got a single ribbing over the whole work piece till I got in deep enough for the second wheel to start imprinting a feint impression .

Before the next time I'm looking to knurl I'll play on some scrap diameters many many times and record the exact diameters that give me the best knurl patterns from my bumper .
 
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Don't be afraid to traverse while knurling, I let it travel the distance, stop the machine, put in reverse and let it go back to the starting point, leave the nuts engaged, then advance the cross, and do it again until I get what I want, I don't think you can traverse with straight knurls


I just noticed the IP link under the post... also delete, what's up with that mods?
 
I know what went wrong with the first two knurls on that photo. The knurling tool tilts to the right when pressure is applied, leaving shallow to no knurl on the left side. I rotated the knurling tool a little to the right to compensate and ran it again over the same place. Thus the split cuts.

The axles on the pivot and wheels aren't very tight and they both give a little, causing the tool to tilt to the right and cut lean on the left. I also have to watch the QCTP closely. As hard as I'm cranking down on the cross slide wheel when knurling, it can slip a little on the tool post.

On the third one, I finally got it right. The knurling tool needs to be turned about a degree plus to the right for it to cut flat.

It is a double wheel tool that pivots. I have it as close to the center as I can guess. I didn't know if it needed to be perfectly centered, since it's on a swivel.

I made a couple more knobs today, on smaller clamps. I'm pretty happy with the knurls. The tool was rotated about a degree to the right and the cuts look pretty good to me. I haven't made the lock pin, yet.

sm clamp knurl_0600.JPG

I made a couple of smaller clamp knobs and tried an idea for the larger ones. I milled coupling nuts for a knobs.
The coupling nuts were old and slightly corroded. I cleaned them as much as I could with wire bench grinder brush.
It works pretty well, I can hand tighten it pretty tight and if it needs to be tighter, I can use a wrench.
With a socket on a cordless drill, I can open and close the clamps very fast. I like that. That's always been one of my major complaints about using c-clamps.
Another option is to use a socket driver handle wrench to tighten them.

4clamp knurl_0599.JPG
 
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Looks like you've got the knurling sussed, pretty. I also like the coupling nut idea, it gives you enough meat to grab when tightening up.
John.
 
Nice job franko, the scissor type knurling tool is supposed to be the way to go, gets rid of all the force on the cross
 
Franko, I'm being nosey :D

What was the start diameter before you did the knurling ? Whats the diameter of your knurling cutters ?
 
.73 something, David. Whatever the spreadsheet calculator said.
I'm not sure the wheel diameter. About a half or five-eighths? It was 22 pitch.
 
jrstech said:
They are made of steel. I have a couple inserts out of alignment on the facemill that gives a weird finish to the steel. Look at the pic. The height adjustment threaded hole is where the dovetail is supposed to go!
Click to expand...
That hole would half dissappear in the dove tail . It might be OK but the new hole would make it weak ?

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G900A using Tapatalk
 
Franko said:
.73 something, David. Whatever the spreadsheet calculator said.
I'm not sure the wheel diameter. About a half or five-eighths? It was 22 pitch.
Click to expand...


Spread sheet calculator ?
I've obviously missed it being posted on the site ( or have I ? )
Would you be so kind as to let me have a copy or a link to it please .
Dave
 
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