Knurling Issues,1st Project

K

Kroll

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Well guys,I finally got to give my lathe a task besides just looking like it works and for the first time I tried to do some knurling on 303SS.Results are not so good,but its OK.First off my lathe work has a long ways to go before I can quit my day job,to top that off my knurling is just as bad.These knobs are for my Delta/Milwaukee band saw that adjust the thrust bearings in/out and the lower blade guides.The original ones are steel thats been painted silver and the threaded part is just some steel.So I wanted to make my own our of 3/8 x 6"long 316 bolts that I cut the heads off and use a thread die to run the threads alittle longer,that by itself was a job.As you can see one of the knobs the knurling looks like its just to fine which I think the OD may have something to do with that.I finally found one of those OD x tpi charts and went from .750 to .738 which they look alittle better but no cigar.Spent alittle time on the buffing wheel trying to help this project look alittle better and it did shine them up some but they still have that homemade look to them.Anyway guys would ya'll take a look and tell me what I need to do so that the next project will be better and not keep making the same mistakes from the lathe work to knurling.Thanks -----kroll

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Hi
3/4 of them look ok, one or two not so good, but keep at it you will get beter.
 
Made 2 knurled knobs today, both knurled excellently on the first try which surprised me although both were aluminum.
Used 2 different Eagle Rock scissor tools, one would not do both diameters, 2 1/2" OD and 1 1/4" OD respectively.
I don't screw around with the diameters trying to get a circumference that matches the knurl pitch in any way, have never found that to help.

I can not stress this enough, run the tool to X .00 as fast as possible, feed in X at .008-.012 IPR and pull out.
On this 1.25" part I ran 550 RPM, .040" IPR infeed and .008 IPR toward the chuck then a rapid move off., worked a charm.

As a side note these hand knobs go onto a machine sold to the pharmaceutical industry, this is a $100.00 thubmscrew. Hard clear Anodizing when finished, there is some mill work yet to be done.
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I haven't knurled in years. We used the type that had two wheels that rocked instead of clamping. It takes a lot of pressure to cut a knurl. We used to turn the knurling tool slightly forward so it would have a lead taper. When they work they make a nice pattern.
 
I keep forgetting how much pressure it takes to cut a good knurl. I usually wind up "Good enough," not really but for my needs that's "good enough."
 
Wreck,that knob looks like its worth every penny,nicely done,Tom I'm the same way just don't have the touch
 
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