Calliper knurling tool ......

I saw Graham Meeks design for a calliper knurling tool in one of the mags. a few months back and decided to make one for myself based on his design. I made a few changes - the arms were made from stainless steel door handles (thats all I had) but the main departure was the knurl wheels themselves.

These wheel assemblies made by QUICK are superbly made and razor sharp running in their own hardened and ground collar/guide assembly all secured with a 3mm screw so as I was given an assortment of straight, diagonal and diamond wheels it is a simple matter to interchange the wheels when needed.

Apart from that I beefed up the size of the keep plate - just in case!!!

Does it work OK? Its first job was to knurl its own adjuster knob using a temporary wing nut to do the adjusting. Using Grahams advice as a guide I found that a half turn on the wing nut gave a lovely diamond knurl - with points - and a final tidy up on the chamfers to bring a smile to Grahams old mentor.

I fully expected that having the knurl wheels in the "outrider" position might cause problems and was prepared to re-machine the jaws to bring the wheels back inboard and nearer to the centre line of the tool. However, it looks like they will do nicely just where they are.

I'll not boast about how quickly it took me to make - lets just say months rather than weeks. I just look at the average civil engineering contract in this country and when I see how long they hang it out for I say to myself - if they can do it then so can I (I'm joking really - I'd never take THAT long

Rik

PS Tool is 17cm long with jaws closed and weighs 1kg exactly - quite a lump.

Edited By Rik Shaw on 25/02/2014 18:28:35

Edited By Rik Shaw on 25/02/2014 18:38:56

I thought the Quick knurls were meant to be mounted at an angle so the edge cuts the knurl rather than the face forming the shape. Have you got a close up of teh knurl it produced.

Nice job on the rest of it.

J

Yes that looks a very nice tool

Have you any pics of a knurl that you have done with the tool.

p.s. Nice to meet you the other day :D

Hi,

I wonder if I could ask Gray what advantage, if any, his design has over the design as shown by Roderick Jenkins in the thread "Knurling Tool Shank Size".

I'm not criticising, just genuinely curious as my own device, done to a design by Stan Bray and similar to Roderick's appears satisfactory to me in that it has variable width jaws and can float up and down thus allowing for any mismatch between tool centre height and lathe centre height. Now ok, my workmanship isn't that great which is why there isn't a photo, and I have wondered at odd times in the past about re-building it. So, Gray, your thoughts please?

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

........ and one in steel for those who requested a closer view. (I know it LOOKS like ally but its been anodized/plated).

Rik

Well done Gray, you've managed to explain all the problems with the one I've made - the slack pivots, the out of line knurls, the contact with the chuck jaws.... Fortunately, I don't do that much knurling so other than the desire to improve matters, it probably doesn't matter that much to me.

Now if I had an interchangeable tooling system, life would certainly be easier...

Thanks a lot Gray, food for thought.

Regards,

Peter G. Shaw

Graham, are there drawings for your Knurling tool? I think I would like to make one of them.

Clive

Clive, November issue of "Engineering in Miniature" volume 35 - No.5 carries Grahams article and drawings.

Rik

Hi Gray,

After reading the original EIM article I had added your knurling tool to my to-do list, I always find your designs so well thought out.

I do have one question though, the original article specifically refers to it as being for diamond knurls, is there any reason that it would be unsuitable for use with straight knurls as well?

Thanks, Clive

Evening Graham,

If it's not too much trouble could you possibly send me pdf's of the drawings.

I'll pm you my e-mail address.

Thank you in advance.

Len.

Gray's advice on straight knurls is sound. Following his advice ontechnique I made a simple holder for a single straight knurl and was able to produce a 2 1/2" diameter knurl on mild steel a mini lathe (It isn't 100% perfect, but I was pleased with it).

Neil

Here you go:

Edited By jason udall on 28/02/2014 22:33:59

Neil, did you produce this on your C3? (if so there is hope for me yet!)

That really does look very good.

graham.

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 28/02/2014 23:06:48

Edited By Oompa Lumpa on 28/02/2014 23:07:19

Neil

That is a very neat knurl - you should be pleased with yourself!

Rik

Posted by jason udall on 28/02/2014 22:33:34:
Now
.lets design a tool to roll the index and graduations and numbers....
Yes I know they make such rolls....

Edited By jason udall on 28/02/2014 22:33:59

Yes they used to have them at Raglan's when i worked there.

We did the tailstock barrels and the top slide degree scale on rolls, no idea how the dials were done, they just appeared in the stores as finished items.

One of the hardest things to do on dials is getting all the numbers and lines an equal depth, Lines can be engraved provided the dial is running perfectly true, numbers is a bit of a black art given that 1 takes far less force than an 8.

I fancy laser engraving on a black anodised ring to form a dial. Cheap engravers can mark anodised alloy without any special means and it looks nice.

Here is a generic plate that has been laser engraved.

Couple of things stopping me. The 4th axis supplied with the laser is Ok for doing designs on glasses and bottles but as it's only a roller setup, not accurate enough for dials that have to meet at both ends.

So need to make or buy a simple but accurate 4th axis and then find someone to anodise small quantities of bits.

Because it's non contact and on mine the focal gap under the nozzle is 9mm being absolutely concentric to a few thou isn't an issue, the numbers / marks will always be even as that is controlled by speed and power.

Gray,

I think you mentioned it in passing when giving advice on making the dial.

Thanks for the compliments; that's one of my better jobs!

Neil

P.S. I needed a small adjustable wrench to tighten up a plastic tap nut. I found one in B&Q for 2.99 and even it has a laser-etched scale on the jaws.

Edited By Neil Wyatt on 01/03/2014 19:30:41

I have followed this thread with interest and I would like to try a couple of different things with a straight knurl, but before I can I actually need a Knurl or two

Would some kind soul be so kind as to point me in the direction of a supplier of the Quick brand knurls or at least a good quality cutting knurl. Thanks.

graham.

Graham

I was gifted my small supply of QUICK knurling wheels and associated arbours so unfortunately I'm not in a position to recommend a supplier. I have not checked the prices (even if they are available) but would not be surprised if the cost of these bits and pieces are eye wateringly expensive.

Other knurl wheels - probably of far eastern origin - will be much cheaper but will they give the same results as my tool? - I know not!

Rik

I suspect you are right on this point

graham