# shop built knurling tool



## dnalot (Apr 3, 2013)

I tried using a knurling tool that pushes on the part. Bent the part broke the tool scared the crap out of me. You guessed it i'm an amateur. So i did a Google photo search and found a design I liked and made one. The unit will close to nothing and will open up to 1.77 inches. Works great and I had fun making it.

Mark T


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## jack620 (Apr 3, 2013)

Nice. Can you post a link to the drawings? 

Chris


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## DanP (Apr 3, 2013)

Very good, are the two, 2/3 round "washers" brass?  On my monitor they look like they could be wood.


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## ZipSnipe (Apr 3, 2013)

Looks awesome for an amateur!!!


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 3, 2013)

A nice functional tool with an old school craftsmanship look
Tin


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## dnalot (Apr 3, 2013)

I'm not a draftsman but here is the drawing I made to build from. The material was mild steel and the wooden looking parts were in fact brass. The dies were .75 x .375 and I used a .25 shoulder bolt to mount them. 

Mark T


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## jack620 (Apr 3, 2013)

Thanks, I'll put it on my to do list!


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## Brian Rupnow (Apr 3, 2013)

Excellent work. Congratulations on your design and your finished knurler. Well Done!!!!!----Brian


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## SilverSanJuan (Apr 3, 2013)

Great work Mark!  For me, half the fun is building the tooling.  And, thanks for sharing the drawing as well.


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 3, 2013)

You may not be a machinists or a draftsman but you do nice work the drawing gets the point across. 
Tin


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## Forestgnome (Apr 5, 2013)

I love the finish. Some sort of bluing?


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## dnalot (Apr 5, 2013)

The finish is Birtchwood Casey Plum Brown barrel finish. Works great, clean part, heat in oven to 275 degrees and then wipe on with a Q tip or cotton patch. Wash with water, very fine steel wool, Then repeat if needed. Two rounds gives good results but three is best. I only did one round on the mounting post and you can see its not as dark. After browning i heat the part back up to 275 and then soak it in oil. If the part is polished you get a better looking finish but I chose to glass blast these parts so the tool would have a little less slippery feel when handling. 

I would like to thank you guys for the nice words. 

Mark T


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 6, 2013)

A great lesson learned here. Newbies pay attention to this one. Do not use a push style knurl on a hobby machine buy or make one like this one.  save yourself aggravation and save the bearings on your lathe. 
Tin


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 6, 2013)

IIRC the old way of browning tools is repeated applications of vinegar then light steel wool repeat as needed. 


I have also heated steel with a torch and dunked in used mot oil. be caful though as this can make the metal harder or softer depending on the heat. hardening these parts will make them last longer.  if you use heat treatable steel. 
Tin


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## jack620 (Apr 6, 2013)

If you don't feel up to making one from scratch, Hemingway sell a kit. I will probably get one of these two kits:

http://www.hemingwaykits.com/cgi-bin/sh000001.pl?REFPAGE=http%3a%2f%2fwww%2ehemingwaykits%2ecom%2f&WD=knurling&PN=Knurling_Tool%2ehtml%23aHK_201110#aHK_201110


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 6, 2013)

Littlemachineshop.com sells them and has plans on there web sight

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Projects/Drawings/KnurlerParts.pdf







this one has a A2Z tool post adapter built in

$22.50
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	



just may have to go on my cabin fever shopping list. 
Tin


PS i do like the the center pivot design and I like attached to a qc tool holder decisions decisions.


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## dnalot (Apr 6, 2013)

Like Tin said you can use vinegar to rust metal, but goat pee works faster. Vinegar is very useful in the shop and I keep a jug of it handy at all times. One of the best uses is for restoring tools from rust. Fill a jar with vinegar and soak your tool in it Even if it is heavy crusted rust you will see much of it luff away in as little as 12 hours. After several days the rust will be gone down to the bottom of the pits and pores and will even clean deep into the hinged movements of pliers and side cutters. And don't through out the vinegar when you done cleaning tools. Strain it and use it to age wood. It will turn some woods red, some silver and some black. Thin with water as need and experiment. Or if you don't have any  rusted tools soak a little steel wool in the vinegar to make wood treatment.

I found my garden clippers a few days ago while cleaning up the winters storm debris. It sat out all winter covered with leaves and is heavily rusted and is frozen at the hinge. I put it in the jar yesterday and most of the rust is now gone. I will post a photo tomorrow to show how it came out.


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## Tin Falcon (Apr 6, 2013)

> Like Tin said you can use vinegar to rust metal, but goat pee works faster.


....and how do you collect it . Really do not want to know!! 



One of the the bad jokes played on young airmen airmen in USAF maintenance was to send them to to the security office and ask for a quart of K9P. Could have actually been useful in the fab shop after all!!!
Tin


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## dnalot (Apr 6, 2013)

Its easy, just give a goat all the beer he can drink and then follow him around with a cup

Mark T


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## dnalot (Apr 6, 2013)

It din't take as long as i thought it would. After 20 hours soaking in vinegar my garden clippers are now free of rust. They were froze solid and now the joint works smooth and easy. The first photo shows the clippers after rinsing and a brushing with a tooth brush. They look grey because of a velvet coating of rust oxide. The second photo shows the clippers after just a couple of minuets of medium steel wool. The third photo is after cleaning the clippers and a one coat treatment of Kleenbore's Black Magic gun finish and a wipe down with oil. For very little investment in time or money I now have my clippers back in order, a little pitted but they work great. 

.


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## Forestgnome (Apr 6, 2013)

Vinegar's also great for cleaning up old stranded wire for new connections. Very handy on classic cars.


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## Forestgnome (Apr 6, 2013)

dnalot said:


> The finish is Birtchwood Casey Plum Brown barrel finish. Works great, clean part, heat in oven to 275 degrees and then wipe on with a Q tip or cotton patch. Wash with water, very fine steel wool, Then repeat if needed. Two rounds gives good results but three is best. I only did one round on the mounting post and you can see its not as dark. After browning i heat the part back up to 275 and then soak it in oil. If the part is polished you get a better looking finish but I chose to glass blast these parts so the tool would have a little less slippery feel when handling.
> 
> I would like to thank you guys for the nice words.
> 
> Mark T


 
I thought it might be a rust bluing, but I've never experimented with it. it looks great in this application.


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