How to do knurling without a lathe?

[jmk89]

I put the question mark in so you didn't think I had the answer...:D

I would like to knurl knobs on the tools and jigs that I make. They will typically be between 10mm and 30mm diameter and usuually will be brass, but could be mid steel or copper or phosphor broze (depending on what I have to hand at the time). Some people epoxy a kurled brass ring from a garden hose fitting and while that looks OK, I would prefer to do the real thing.

I know that you can buy hand knurlers (they are a bit like a pipe cutter but have knurling wheels) - they are quite exxxy (USD 240). Has anyone adapted a pipe cutter to use knurling wheels instead?

Alternatively, I already use my drill press as a vertical wood and metal lathe (although for metal I usually just spin the relevant rod against a file to reduce diameter), Here's a pictuire of a similar setup:
http://www.piricdesign.com.au/Images/WASP/Gouge_Applied.gif (http://www.piricdesign.com.au/Pages/WASP/Pedestal_drill_turning.html)-

Do you think I could adapt a knurling tool to use on this - I was thinking of attaching it somehow to the tool rest post. Do you think that the sideways forces would be too great for the drill press (they will be reduced to some extent because the knob will be sitting right next to the chuck, or alternatively right against the live centre that functions as a tailstock)?

[Schtoo]

And over and under knurling doohickey, as used on low power lathes (read as flimsy lathes) would work.

Not quite like a pipe cutter, but the principle is the same.

Simply, a pair of arms, one knurl in the top, two on the bottom, a screw of some kind to bring the two arms together and a handle to hold it with (normally this would slot into the lathe's tool post).

Not a simple thing, but certainly not beyond someone who can swing a file with some confidence either.

Just jamming a knurl at things on that drill press will kill it in no time. It might work ok for a while, but the massive side thrust from knurling with a single knurl tool will chew out the bearings about 100 times faster than normal drilling would.

[Fossil]

Like this one.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/CLAMP-TYPE-KNURLING-TOOL-FOR-SMALL-LATHE_W0QQitemZ330160578524QQihZ014QQcategoryZ97230QQcmdZViewItem

[derekcohen]

Hi Jeremy

Here is my cheat:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/dCohen/z_art/leverCap/lCap1.asp

Regards from Perth

Derek

[jmk89]

I spent $20 on eBay and got this tool:

http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/6e/1d/52_2.JPG (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220144149280&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=012#ebayphotohosting)

There is a square piece (this side of the arms) which I propose to clamp in my DP vice. I propose to:

set the tool up as wide as I can with the knurling wheels either side of the diameter that is perpendicular to the jaws of the vice
set the tail piece centre so that it is level with the lowest part that I want knurled(may have to pack it up to make sure that it's at the right height)
insert the piece to be knurled in the chuck of the drill with the tail end on the tail centre
start the drill going on its slowest speed
slowly wind in the knurling wheelsWhat do you think? Any suggestions?

[malb]

How will you control the travel along the workpiece, or do you only need a wheel width of knurling at a time? In a lathe, the tool normally travels along with a fine feed from the leadscrew. Maybe a very well braced vertical milling slide with your setup?

[Woodlee]

I spent $20 on eBay and got this tool:

http://i4.ebayimg.com/02/i/04/6e/1d/52_2.JPG (http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=220144149280&ssPageName=STRK:MEWN:IT&ih=012#ebayphotohosting)

There is a square piece (this side of the arms) which I propose to clamp in my DP vice. I propose to:
set the tool up as wide as I can with the knurling wheels either side of the diameter that is perpendicular to the jaws of the vice
set the tail piece centre so that it is level with the lowest part that I want knurled(may have to pack it up to make sure that it's at the right height)
insert the piece to be knurled in the chuck of the drill with the tail end on the tail centre
start the drill going on its slowest speed
slowly wind in the knurling wheelsWhat do you think? Any suggestions?


Can see no reason why it won't work on a slow speed ,works exactly the same in a lathe.Lubricate the cutting wheels with a light oil .
If you want a wider knurl than the wheels in the tool and you have a winder handle on your drill press table you could wind it up or down in small incraments .I would clamp the vice down to the table securely.
I have been looking to get one of these for my Myford Lathe ,although I have a normal type ,I think it puts too much side load on the head stock bearing.
This one you have is the small version , there is another clamp type knurling tool that does larger diameters.

keep us posted on your progress.

kev.

[chrisb691]

Hi Jeremy

Here is my cheat:

http://www.wkfinetools.com/contrib/dCohen/z_art/leverCap/lCap1.asp

Regards from Perth

Derek

Thank you for the link Derek, it is a really excellent tutorial. Beyond that, it really opened my eyes as to what can be done with next to nothing......except lateral thinking. Bloody good show!! :2tsup:

Chris

[jmk89]

The progress is described in the latest part of my blog on doing a drill press table (http://www.woodworkforums.ubeaut.com.au/blog.php?b=111). I wasn't successfull because the "lathe" wasn't really centred properly and, more importantly because the threaded hole was off-centre.

The reason that was a problem was that I used a threaded rod through the hole that I drilled an tapped and held in the chuck of the drill to spin the knob for the knurling - because it was off-centre, it jammed as soon as any pressure was applied.

Once I get the table squared and now I have got better at finding and drilling centred holes, I will have another go. I may also rig up some kind of holder so that I can clamp the knurling tool firmly to the DP table as well!

[peternl]

One solution that was not mentions was to make friends with someone with a lathe. Certainly in Perth we are trying to develop a friendship between a bunch of hobby metalworkers since no one person has access to all the tools and all the skills.

Currently a friend and I are building a hydraulic knurling tool which should hopefully produce a very nice result, and there is no need for everyone to have such a tool.

BTW, if you do do any knurling, make sure you use a pinch type knurl (like the ones shown in this thread), not a push type knurl which puts far too much stress on a small lathe, and certainly far far too much for a drill press.