Knurling without a lathe?

[Marco Bernardini]

I've seen there are hand knurlers, like the one sold by Enco: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=215&PMITEM=250-1715
I've tried to make a similar one using an old pipe cutter and two knurling wheels I got on eBay, but the attempt was unsuccessful: all I got was scratched metal with just a ghostly diamond pattern .
Since sometimes it would be nice to have knurled knobs, is there a source of knurled rod, which can be simply cut, drilled and tapped to the size I want, without to have to buy complete (expensive!) knobs, hard to find in the right size?

 

[Don B]

I've seen there are hand knurlers, like the one sold by Enco: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=215&PMITEM=250-1715
I've tried to make a similar one using an old pipe cutter and two knurling wheels I got on eBay, but the attempt was unsuccessful: all I got was scratched metal with just a ghostly diamond pattern .
Since sometimes it would be nice to have knurled knobs, is there a source of knurled rod, which can be simply cut, drilled and tapped to the size I want, without to have to buy complete (expensive!) knobs, hard to find in the right size?

Marco, not to get off topic but if your in a pinch and you want a good surface to get a grip on even if its a little oily you could try something like I did on my little mill, I used 1/16 slots instead of a knurl, my hand are quit arthritic by times and I did a little experimenting and found I could grip it better than a knurl.
I did it with an end mill but it could just a easily be done with a fly cutter, the indexing can be done with masking tape with pencil marks or a gear.



Edit: what about making a scissor knurling tool and holding it in your milling vise, and the stock held and rotated by the spindle.

 

[Marco Bernardini]

Marco, not to get off topic but if your in a pinch and you want a good surface to get a grip on even if its a little oily you could try something like I did on my little mill, I used 1/16 slots instead of a knurl, my hand are quit arthritic by times and I did a little experimenting and found I could grip it better than a knurl.
I did it with an end mill but it could just a easily be done with a fly cutter, the indexing can be done with masking tape with pencil marks or a gear.

View attachment 80147

Edit: what about making a scissor knurling tool and hlding it in your milling vise, and the stock held and rotated by the spindle.

Thanks for the idea of the straight knurl: placed into my TODO list!
I think my drill press is too fast (~500 rpm) for knurling… but another point of the TODO list is a speed reducer for it.

 

[Bill C.]

I've seen there are hand knurlers, like the one sold by Enco: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=215&PMITEM=250-1715
I've tried to make a similar one using an old pipe cutter and two knurling wheels I got on eBay, but the attempt was unsuccessful: all I got was scratched metal with just a ghostly diamond pattern .
Since sometimes it would be nice to have knurled knobs, is there a source of knurled rod, which can be simply cut, drilled and tapped to the size I want, without to have to buy complete (expensive!) knobs, hard to find in the right size?

Maybe hand knurling is for soft material. I have never seen anyone do it. Good luck

 

[Don B]

I had a look around the net and knurled stock seems to be quit expensive plus the shipping, would it be possible/practical to take a length of bar stock to a local machine shop and have them knurl it for you? A couple or three feet (or a meter in your case) would probably see you through quit a few projects.:thinking:

 

[Marco Bernardini]

I had a look around the net and knurled stock seems to be quit expensive plus the shipping, would it be possible/practical to take a length of bar stock to a local machine shop and have them knurl it for you? A couple or three feet (or a meter in your case) would probably see you through quit a few projects.:thinking:

Good idea!
I'll ask some quotes here around.

 

[george wilson]

I have done knurling with checkering files. You can buy them at Brownell's Gunsmithing Supplies. The plane I made has a knob about 7/16" thick where it's knurled with straight line knurling done with those type files. I do not have a better picture on hand. The knurling is pretty fine,about 30 or 40 lines per inch. What you must do is keep your knurling at the exact same angle (90º here) all the way around the knob,or it will not mate up nicely when you reach the starting point.

This knob was wider than any knurling wheels I had on hand at the time. I could have,perhaps should of,divided the knurled areas into 3 bands,but I guess I wanted it to be this way.

You might attempt knurling with a thread restoring file. I'm not sure if it would work or not,but they are a lot cheaper than checkering files.

 

[Walt]

Nice solution once again George. I'm not sure I can work a file as well as you do though.

Walt

- - - Updated - - -

I've seen there are hand knurlers, like the one sold by Enco: http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=215&PMITEM=250-1715
I've tried to make a similar one using an old pipe cutter and two knurling wheels I got on eBay, but the attempt was unsuccessful: all I got was scratched metal with just a ghostly diamond pattern .
Since sometimes it would be nice to have knurled knobs, is there a source of knurled rod, which can be simply cut, drilled and tapped to the size I want, without to have to buy complete (expensive!) knobs, hard to find in the right size?

My totally WAG is the problem isn't that hand knurling is impossible, but the tool you link to (and tried to adapt from the pipe cutter) is inadequate.

The way that scissor-type knurling tools work is to squeeze the work piece between the knurling wheels. The ENCO tool appears to use a single knurling wheel backed by smooth support wheels. My guess is that the smooth wheels tend to squish the knurl pattern back toward flat again after the tool wheel raises the pattern.

It would be almost impossible to do this correctly without something much more elaborate: a spindle to hold the work accurately between a scissor-type knurler would seem to be the minimum required. Much, much easier said than done!

Walt

 

[Marco Bernardini]

I have done knurling with checkering files.

This is a very useful hint, George, thanks a lot for it!
But how did you keep the file and the part?

The ENCO tool appears to use a single knurling wheel backed by smooth support wheels. My guess is that the smooth wheels tend to squish the knurl pattern back toward flat again after the tool wheel raises the pattern.

I used two ball bearings with a space between them to avoid the squishing.
Eagle Rocks makes a couple of hand knurlers, the Knurlmaster and the Knurlmonster, working more or less on the same principle, but they are a bit expensive.

I just find a good thread on this forum about knurling, with some good ideas: http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=15151

 

[george wilson]

How did I keep the file and the part? I am sorry,but I cannot tell what you are asking. Can you re word it please?