Clamp Knurling Tool, Knurl Holder Part 2, Milling the Slot and Chamfer and Reaming the Pin Hole

In this video we finish up the knurl holders by milling the slot and chamfers, and reaming the pin hole.

[@mrmyford]

hi tom, thanks for sharing, learn something every day I really like the way you used the vee blocks and the parallel to set the job up its tips like this that help make life a lot easier and quicker "thank-you" regards....Keith in Swindon u.k

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Keith. It's always fun to see how others work. Tom

[@outsidescrewball]

Tom, nice vid/build and got all of my questions answered by reading the comments prior to posting!

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Chuck. I'm glad you enjoyed it. Tom

[@duobob]

Thanks, Tom. Excellent demonstrations of working to tolerance. Also very good job of showing setups that get the job done in short order. Exactly what I need to learn to fuss around less...

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Bob. I try to show different ways to accomplish the same thing. That's why I hesitated cutting the squared up stock in two. I was going to use a 45º end mill to cut the chamfers but decided to use the V-block method for something a little different. Tom

[@duobob]

Toms Techniques You didn't show cutting the slotted stock in two. Was that a band saw operation, cleaned up with the mill?

[@TomsTechniques]

***** I just spared you the misery of watching me bandsaw it in two. I did demonstrate setting the parts on end and milling them to length. Tom

[@duobob]

Toms Techniques Actually, I did not notice that part 2 arrived before part 1 in my subscription list, so I watched part 2 first. Watching part 1 now...

[@arkansas1313]

I like your work holding, very educational. The plunge cutting was fast work! We couldn't see the reamer but we were there in spirit. Thanks for sharing, very enjoyable....13

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks. I should have zoomed in a bit for the detail, but it's easy to get consumed by the task and completely forget about the camera. Maybe a second camera is in order? Or better yet, a camera man. Tom

[@sailerblue]

very much enjoyed your time and effort to debunk the art of machining. nice job;

[@CompEdgeX2013]

Enjoying this one so far Tom, thanks. BTW: I started using plunge cutting more since you video last year. It makes for more rapid metal removal and certainly sped things up hogging the ends of the mill stop project. Colin ;-)

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Colin. Plunge cutting is a big time and tool saver. Tom

[@Opinionator52]

I really enjoyed this video Tom, I hope to get around to making a clamp knurl tool one of these days... I agree with Timothy you have a great voice for teaching, and you're right on top of all the tips folks need to hear while learning! :o] O,,,

[@TomsTechniques]

That's good O because you are about to get even more of it. As soon as I get this new audio gear figured out it'll be almost like we are talking face to face. :) Thanks for watching. Tom

[@MyShopNotes]

hey Tom, glad your doing more vids. I remember you talking about plunge cutting before, and I have used it on my little benchtop mill with great success, way faster and easier on the machine.

[@TomsTechniques]

Plunge cutting rules.

[@zmotorsports62]

Gotcha. I had an older CP butterfly kicking around and fabricated one for my new PM935TV mill. The style that uses an air cylinder to push down the impact onto the drawbar from a remote switch. Works great and I don't know if I could go back to wrenching again on the drawbar after using the power drawbar. As always Tom great videos, keep em coming. Oh, by the way I saw your video on the softstop that you have on your Hardinge lathe and fabricated one very similar for my PM1340GT lathe. I use the heck out of it, as I had one that spanned across the bed on my last small lathe but liked the style on your Hardinge much better. I also drilled/tapped the dials and added knurled thumbscrews like on the Hardinge as well. Much nicer than the friction style dials on so many of the lathes. Mike.

[@TomsTechniques]

Wow, it sounds like you've been busy! I have next week off for the holidays so maybe I'll get a chance to get the power drawbar back on line, not to mention crank out a few more videos. Tom

[@Kompleteorisyeni]

Very good videos.Like a machining course.Image quality is high.Thank you Toms Techniques

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks for watching.

[@BigMjolnir]

Tom, great tip on keeping the cutting tool rotation in mind when planning the work holding and where to make the cut so the forces are directed into something solid, like the rear vise jaw, rather than into something movable, like the part resisted only by friction against the jaw face. You've made that point in past videos, but I think it's well worth repeating. I'm looking at this project to see if it can be modified a little to make it doable with my lathe and its milling attachment. I don't yet have a milling machine. The lathe is a South Bend 9", and the milling attachment from South Bend is pretty limited...it's intended mostly for doing things like cutting keyways in the end of a shaft, or squaring the head of a bolt, not for general machining. Still, I think it could handle the knurl holders. The main frame of the knurler is more problematic though, and I'll be looking at ways to turn it from a bar, or do the shaping in some other way, like by eye on a grinder or something. Thanks for showing this. -- Mike

[@TomsTechniques]

Mike, I'm not planning on using the mill at all to shape the body on this project, only the band saw and belt sander. The holes will be done in the mill, but a drill press would work just as well. The only thing you really need to mill is the slots and they could probably be done on a lathe with a milling attachment. Tom

[@BigMjolnir]

Toms Techniques Thanks for the info! I have a drill press...even have an X/Y vise for it. I suspect that drilling a series of holes, and then hand-filing, would let me do the slots if the milling attachment on the lathe isn't up to it. It's mostly limited in how big a piece it will hold...the T-nut blank that came with my Phase II QCTP was too big for it for example...until I turned it to the needed width using the 4-Jaw chuck, and then it fit and let me do the "T" part of the carving. -- Mike

[@timothysvec8568]

Happy New Year Tom, thank you for this great series... Man. Your voice is so easy going and pleasant to listen to. Anyway.... If you could.... Please add a project to your video list... Could you please do an end stop.... Turning, milling, slitting saw ect. :). I really like how you explain things... Although my shop is small... Taig mill and lathe... (Made in USA). Doing the stuff you do really has helped me out.

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Timothy. Exactly what do you mean by an "end stop"? Send me a message through the contact page on my website, tomstechniques.com. Happy New Year to you as well. Tom

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi Tom, You don't loose your shape by going for long vacation.... Interesting list of hints to improve productivity. My guess is that medium or high carbon steel would do as well as case hardening. Thanks, Pierre

[@TomsTechniques]

Hi Pierre, I was on vacation from videos but not from machining. I do that almost daily. The object of case hardening is to harden the surface but not the center. Consequently, low carbon steel is that material of choice for case hardened parts. If you want the part to harden through, then steel with a higher carbon content is used. Tom

[@paulbluffbearcampbell6035]

Great video Tom, thanks for this project, I am looking forward to making it myself! Paul

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Paul.

[@davebarcelon]

You make every thing look so easy !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@TomsTechniques]

+dave barcelon Thanks Dave. Easy comes from experience. Keep making chips! Tom

[@davidaarons2488]

Hello Tom, Thanks for the info. When you milled the slot you used a plunged cut,on my Sherline mill I have no quill so what would recommend to cut it ? Small shallow cuts or just take the time to plunge cut it ( z axis has to turned with hand dial )? I saw an Arduino marked box,are you into that also? I am. Are you going to show how to case harden the parts? Great job on video and Thanks again for the tips. Dave Aarons

[@lbcustomknives]

Tom can I ask please will this still work out the same if I convert your dimentions to metric?

[@TomsTechniques]

Absolutely. Any project with imperial dimensions can be converted to metric. Some of the dimensions will be odd, but they will still work. Tom

[@YoeyYutch]

I like that plunge cut slotting technique.

[@TomsTechniques]

Yes it works well, especially well on lighter machines when there is a lot of material to remove. Tom

[@YoeyYutch]

Right. Pushing an end mill through a chunk of steel on our old Enco is not exactly my favorite thing in the world. Old Rusty just bucks and makes these sounds like "I hate you. I hate you" over and over again. I like to use magnets as stops on the ends of my vice jaws but they break pretty easy, so I cut 1/4" x 1/4" slots in little chunks of steel to give them a place to hide. I think I ought to make one tomorrow to try this out!

[@jimmilne19]

Great video. Perhaps you could mention what type of file you are using to de-burr the parts. I assume you are using cutting oil on the reamer and not lubricating oil. I'm going to try to convert the measurements to millimeters because my mill is metric. I'll look into getting the correct pins, reamers and knurling wheels in metric. At any rate I'm anxious to get going. Thanks for sharing your skills so generously.

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Jim. I was using a single cut mill file in the video and the oil on the reamer was sulphur based cutting oil. Feel free to adjust the dimensions to even metric values when you convert. Just be sure to maintain the clearances. Tom

[@chrisstephens6673]

Hi Jim, I may be a bit late here but check the knurls you get because there are some parts that remain Imperial in an otherwise metric world.

[@BarrySandall]

I am not a machinist but I find your videos fascinating and am thinking about taking a class. In this video, the chamfer angles weren't critical. What if they were? What would you do differently to ensure they were accurately cut?

[@TomsTechniques]

Barry, I would take a trial cut and zero out the dial, measure the size of the chamfer on a surface plate using a roll, then calculate how much more to remove using trig. There is a reference chart on the TomsTechniques website to help with the trig part if needed. Tom

[@zmotorsports62]

Tom, great videos as always. Neat trick using the "V" blocks to get your 45 degree chamfer. I never would have thought of that. Awesome and quick tip. I thought you had a pneumatic drawbar setup on your Doall mill. I noticed you were wrenching changing from flycutter to end mill. Did you remove the power drawbar? Mike.

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks Mike. I should do a video on the different methods of producing chamfers because there are many. The Horror Freight impact wrench gave up the ghost and I haven't had time to adapt another one. I should have known better than to design a tool around a $19.95 Chinese impact wrench. Tom

[@thomasutley]

Tom, I've noticed that you often work with the quill fully extended, I presume to facilitate moving it up out of the way easily between operations. Is your mill more rigid than most, or are there times when you keep the quill up tight to maximize rigidity?

[@TomsTechniques]

You have to judge how much extension can be tolerated based on the rigidity of your mill and the depth of cut. If I'm taking a heavy cut in steel, it will be retracted, but for light cuts like this, it's not worth wasting time cranking the table up and down. Tom

[@Robonthemoor]

Hi tom" just wounded if you had a drawing of the making of your vice stop? Looks nice & as always with you, well made. Rob

[@TomsTechniques]

Hi Rob. I didn't make the stop, but there really isn't much too it so it wouldn't be hard to make one. It's just a piece of square stock drilled to fit the rear jaw holes on the vise and turned down on one end to accept the sliding stop bracket and bar. You should be able to see enough in the video to get a pretty good idea of how to make one. The best way to learn is by getting your hands dirty. Thanks for watching. Tom

[@billdlv]

Nice work Tom, it was a bit hard for me to make out what you were saying when you were using the 3/16 carbide mill. Your voice got drowned out by the mill. Is there another way to make the .250 and .249 holes other than using a reamer?

[@TomsTechniques]

I bought a wireless microphone to use this year which would allow me to record my voice on a separate audio track, but then I found out that my camera doesn't have a mic input. Guess I'll have to save my pennies for a new one, or invest in a digital audio recorder. You could bore the holes if you don't have a reamer, but reaming is much faster. Tom

[@razor666666]

Like to see someone use plunging :) I use it sometimes on CNC but never seen someone doing it on manual :)

[@TomsTechniques]

I was shown the technique of plunge cutting while working in a contract machine shop back in the 70's. It's the best way I know to remove a lot of material in a hurry without trashing the end mill. Tom

[@razor666666]

Little secrets from old machinists :) Im doing only CNC milling but I like to talk with manual machinists at work u always learn something new

[@TomsTechniques]

razor666666 What do you mean by "old machinists". ;)

[@razor666666]

Old school machinists, from time when manual mill was "king" of the shop. Nowdays computers run everything. I setup and run 2 Haas VF2 machines at work but I would love to have one bridgeport style mill at home... problem is that in my country beaten up old bridgeport costs 3x my monthly paycheck. 3.17$ an hour for setup,program, run and maintence 2 CNC, and Im not in a production shop.. so its 1 part this, one part that... sad but true.

[@TomsTechniques]

razor666666 I was just pulling your chain for referring to me as an old machinist. :)

[@midgoog2]

Hi Tom, I'll ask the stupid question..... Is there any need to mark those pin holes to show the "tight" side for later disassembly? Cheers Eric

[@TomsTechniques]

No, it's pretty obvious when you go to press the pins in.

[@rayjones4799]

Noting you cleaned up your slots with a bit more milling due to the taper, do you have any tips for otherwise clearing the burrs on the inside edges of the holes, or just knock them off with a file?

[@bensthingsthoughts]

I have the same question about the burrs, and also whether you have to take any precautions when dealing with hardened parts, because it may expend on you and mess up the press fit right ?

[@TomsTechniques]

I have many different files that get used for deburring. I also have a Vargus deburring tool that works great for use in tight places.

[@TomsTechniques]

Ben's things & thoughts Hardened parts that have been ground typically don't produce burrs. If you need a small chamfer on the corners of one, a stone is the way to obtain it. Tom

[@stucapco9111]

SKIP AD! SKIP AD! Here I am. The more I watch Tom... WHY ARE WE NOT FUNDING THIS!

[@TomsTechniques]

I sounds like you need to visit my website Stu. :) Thanks, Tom

[@stucapco9111]

Toms Techniques I just visited, again, well done. You would be HUGE in the CNC world. In my experience the base knowledge you are teaching is exactly whats missing in CNC. Button pushers. No back round. Keep it up!

[@tombellus8986]

Thanks ---------nice video

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks for watching.

[@matthewpalmerchuck3135]

Great video!! What program do you use to draw up the diagrams for your projects?

[@TomsTechniques]

Thanks. All of my projects are modeled and detailed in SolidWorks.

[@matthewpalmerchuck3135]

Toms Techniques Just spoke with a SW sales rep. Pricey software. Do you have any recommendations for a novice like me?

[@TomsTechniques]

Matthew Palmerchuck I'm probably not the best guy to ask about that. I use SolidWorks on the job and since I do prototype work at home, they allow me to have a seat here as well as at work. It's a nice fringe benefit. :) Tom

[@matthewpalmerchuck3135]

Toms Techniques Fringe benefits are always a nice thing to have. Thanks for the incredibly prompt response.

[@IBWatchinUrVids]

Matthew, while it's definitely not SolidWorks, I've found Google Sketchup (Trimble?) to be a great alternative. It seems to be more oriented towards architecture, but, with a few addons , it has served me well.

[@pkav8tor]

Tom, while most other youtube machinist seem to use a abundance of oils and lubes while milling and drilling you use none, except when reaming for the obvious reason. Could you give your thoughts on when oils are needed? thanks. Enjoy learning from your experience...... Greg

[@TomsTechniques]

Most of the machining I do is pretty light, so cutting fluid isn't necessary. I do use coolant when drilling deep holes and while reaming and I have a spray bottle of cutting fluid for use when taking heavy roughing cuts. Of course lube is always used when tapping. I use Tap Magic for steel and regular old WD-40 for aluminum. Tom

[@gripWIN]

@ 6:50 ... How is the Depth STOP set, for Plunge cut?

[@TomsTechniques]

Run the quill against the stop and lock it down, raise the table until the cutter scratches the work then zero the dial and raise the table the desired depth of the slot.

[@noahhoppis2512]

When I was a complete moron long ago I used the drill chuck to hold a double sided 3/8 carbide endmill. Needless to say no one was happy when little bits of 3/8 carbide endmill were sprayed about the shop XD. Use collets.

[@TomsTechniques]

Yup.

[@makun16]

What grade of steel are you using?

[@TomsTechniques]

Mild steel is used since the parts will be case hardened when finished. This is actually part 2 of the series. If you view part 1, it contains a link to the drawings on the Tom's Techniques website. I should probably add one here as well. Tom

[@keithpitman7473]

No power draw bar?

[@TomsTechniques]

Na. The Horror Freight impact wrench crapped out and I haven't had time to redesign it. I should have known better than to design the thing around a $19 Chinese impact wrench. I guess I neglected to abide by the rule of "Never buy anything from Harbor Freight that has more than one moving part". :) Tom

[@caploader111]

I tell programmers that plunge cutting is a good technique in certain situations. But they don't listen and just break endmills in those particular situations.

[@timothysvec8568]

Also, I always screw up on slitting saw.. :)

[@TomsTechniques]

Dark cutting oil and the proper rpm is the secret.

[@Bigwingrider1800]

No center drill ? really the part doesn't probably mean a hole heck of a lot but still.. just saying

[@TomsTechniques]

I rarely center drilling because I normally use screw machine length and split point drills. If the drill is very small or the surface is rough or angled then yes, I will break out a center drill. Otherwise it's a waste of time. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Tom

[@Bigwingrider1800]

I know what your saying. but if you were doing dowell pins to mate another detial a center dill is a must do in my book, the detail you were doing no big deal. Thanks for responding..

[@TomsTechniques]

If I had been drilling holes for dowel pins, there are better techniques than attempting to drill matching holes independently. Accurate dowel pin holes can be made in a drill press using the proper technique, but that is the subject of another video. Tom

[@Bigwingrider1800]

More then one dowel pin to match another detail (you know a specified distance). Like a die detail for a prog die. This is all im saying. peace