Making Custom Thumbscrews: Turning and Knurling

[@oldman6495]

A few months ago on my way home from the dump. I found a 10" Lodge and Shipley high turn lathe out by the side of the road in the rain. It was headed for the dump, as soon as the owner could figure out how to get it there. It must weigh in at 2-3000 lbs luckily it has an oil bath system that had it good and covered with oil or a tar like mess. That protected very well out in the rain. It had been converted from 440v 3 phase to 220v single phase with a speed control. The guy even gave me the manual.I have a towing business and my daily driver is a tow truck so I quickly hung it off the back of my truck and brought it home to a nice warm dry spot. What a find!!

[@jamestyreeable]

Awesome find!

[@kendallcomeaux46]

Thank you for being a supportive parent to your daughter's shooting team. Shooting, like music, has been shown to be a great way to improve a student's learning abilities. I hope that your daughter and her team have a successful season this year.

[@morrisgallo2361]

Nice job. If your daughter is talented she may want to inquire about college shooting scholarships.

[@justtim9767]

Loved the fact you didn't edit out the brush mishap, now I know I'm not alone.

[@justtim9767]

***** Unfortunately I've made quite a few, and the worst part is sometime it's the same mistake. Sort of like "each time I cut it, it's still to short".

[@GogebicYooper]

The brush was good for a giggle. Thanks for leaving it in. It reminded me of the day I noticed the end of my necktie bathing in my coffee cup. I love turning and find knurling absolutely mesmerizing. Thanks for doing the video.

[@StreuB1]

Nice little job to knock out. Best part of this video....your daughters school has a shooting team. SOOOOO nice to see these still exist in this day and age. :-)

[@sepiathesquirrelofmistmant1516]

Shooting team? School? No Way!!!

[@stevemurphy6940]

love that you share your skills to help a group of local students. Great videos!

[@russhellmy]

That brush was the best laugh I've had so far for 2015. Often a better solution than the o-ring is use an E-clip with a wide groove that allows the e-clip to move as the assembly is tightened. Keep the great videos coming our way.

[@nineringsh]

Happy to hear your daughter is into the shooting sports. Good sport for kids of any size or gender. Teaches them a lot of things - mainly disypline. Good video as always Kieth.

[@RoelTyros]

Nice work Keith and very handy for your daughter to have such an handy father.

[@KnolltopFarms]

Very nice, your daughter is lucky that her Dad takes such an interest in her activities. What an excellent way to keep your kids on the right track, right on Keith! I've always loved those little thumb screws on tools or machinery, boats, etc...I remember my first brush with machining was when the stereo shop in my little hometown was adjacent to a machine shop, and the stereo guys would get them to make custom knurled knobs for your tape decks and components that were just so flashy and would "trick out" your ride. I had them do my whole dash on my 1981 280ZX Turbo that was imported from Japan with the "Fairlady" badging. I sure wish I could find the pictures of that car, it was really the only car(that was mine) I ever spent any time or money on customizing it. It was the most exciting car to drive I've ever owned. 5-spd manual with rear wheel drive and a turbo? Yeah, I'm lucky to still be alive and have a driver's license Thanks for the show, and also rekindling a great memory here on this rainy and blustery day, Aloha...Chuck

[@KnolltopFarms]

***** OMG, it was fairly mellow and a bit of a let down on Friday, the opening to this storm train, but last night a thunderstorm cell hovered over us for 3 straight hours and dumped over 4 inches of rain in that short time frame. It was so bad that my stove's vent started shooting water all over my kitchen and I spent half the night cleaning that up after it stopped at 9:30pm, LOL! Here comes round two, so we should be getting another decent amount from this as it looks much more organized than Friday night. When it hit us last night it was supposed to be calm, and there was no rain for 100 miles in all directions excepting the cell that trashed our area...I got some video of the beginning but had to go back inside as it came up onto the covered patio...whew!

[@AmateurRedneckWorkshop]

Nice job making the thumb screws. I like competitive shooting myself, seldom do very well but I have fun. Keeps me busy casting bullets and such as you know how much practice it takes. Thanks for sharing.

[@swarfrat311]

Keith, A nice little project. Nice knurling job! Your daughter is lucky to have a machinist for a dad. Thanks for the video! Have a good one! Dave

[@krazziee2000]

nice work and it is nice that there are still shooting teams in school. good luck to her and her sport. thanks for the video

[@whiskyjacked]

My friend, knurl in reverse, it avoids the problem altogether. It's what I was taught, and after I did that same thing with a wire brush I learned the hard way myself. I also run much deeper in my knurls, I like the sharp stuff, kept people from borrowing my tools.

[@TerryTalton]

Glad to see someone using one of those horizontal pressure knurlers and getting a good result. On mine the toolpost always slips counterclockwise and mucks up the knurl.

[@outsidescrewball]

Nice build(s) Dad! Good luck to your daughter in her competitions! Had a good chuckle with the brush as I say damn every time I have done that AGAIN!...lol.....also...chuck envy...beauty ATB Chuck

[@mmanut]

Cabinetmaker, metal work always intrigues me. Very nice work.

[@57WillysCJ]

I wasn't sure at the beginning of using that big of a lathe to turn a little knob but understood as soon as you said you wanted to use the new collet system. As to the brush that became more bald than me in a hurry.

[@TrishsBigboy4884]

Nice to see you have a job to use that chuck! I think most of us that use the acid brushes have sacrificed one that way! It was amusing to be able to see it up close! LOL

[@toddk.5873]

Hi Keith. I just watched this video & laughed out loud when I seen you get the brush caught in the knurl tool. I did the same thing a couple of weeks ago when knurling some hand knobs for some stepper motors. I guess it could happen to anybody.

[@arkansas1313]

Nice knurling, knobs turned out great!

[@jusb1066]

Better the brush than your finger!

[@altar7885]

Super interesting, thanks. I wonder how the shape of the brass one is made though.

[@agstechnicalsupport]

Good video on turning & knurling. Thank you for sharing !

[@doc1701]

I know this is old, but nice job on the thumbscrews. Thanks for taking the time to upload the video. As for the brush, never happened to me. Not ever. Nope. Not at all. Well, apart from twice.

[@jae878]

I am so glad you didn't edit that brush incident out. That really gave me a good laugh! Mainly because I have had the same kinda thing happen so many times. Lmao. Great video! Thx.

[@Pillowcase]

Oh man that chuck is really nice

[@RichardHeadGaming]

Keith i had no idea knurl inserts ate brush bristles, that was the priceless sound of shock and disbelief at 8:20 from you and me lol. Nice video the knobs turned out great.

[@one4stevo]

I want a collet chuck too. lol Thanks for sharing Keith

[@jeffryblackmon4846]

I would use a feeler gauge to set the knurling tool. Good lesson about that brush! Thanks for the video.

[@thorweldinginnovations6167]

Priceless moment there when the knurl eats your brush🤣 It happens to the best of us.

[@factoryrec]

Just a quick comment. You got a super cool lathe a piece of artwork really

[@stormyeffects4795]

What a great dad!

[@mikecwiklinski]

Starrett make the best dial scribers! Nice job KR.

[@chips4289]

I knurl almost everything..it just makes it look so cool lol

[@scottearnst8152]

Just watched for the second time, searching knurling videos, great video, thanks for sharing. High schoolers loose everything , just ask mr Pete 😂

[@mikeadrover5173]

Thanks ‘Keith’ as always, thanks’ for taking the time to make this video! And I support this site. ~M~

[@rafaellastracom6411]

It shall be known as the ¨brush incident¨ and it shall never be spoken of again! LOL Great stuff, great video.

[@kappullen]

Keith, I can almost smell the sulfur oil in Maryland. I used to turn and crowned flat belt pulleys 6" wide by 12" diameter. Those pulleys had a two degree taper on each end per drawing instead of the proper curved contour. Also the drawing called for a coarse knurl on the outside diameter. No problem, the knurl tracked great down the tapers. I never calculated a pre-knurl diameter, Just knurled it. Kap

[@acesarmiento3654]

Very Good training video. Thanks for sharing.

[@HolzMichel]

hi Keith, your videos are much appreciated. nice videography in showing how to start the knurling tool correctly. i did notice your parting tool has a slanted upper edge. i use a similar tool at work from Komet and have had countless headches with it as it likes to snap off. the mistake i think i'm making is in the grinding. the way i learned how configure the parting tool is to grind the tool edge parallel to the ways. but something tells me that isn't quite correct as the blade likes to get pulled into the work and snap off. what am i doing wrong? should i just grind the face of the tool and leave the slanted top of the tool alone? how does the upper cutting edge need to be positioned in relation the apex? center, above or below?

[@VintageGearMan]

Hope to get a bigger lathe at some point. Maybe a 14" lathe at least. Man alive it took me 13 hours to make two thumbscrews for my KWM clock bushing machine out of hot rolled steel on my Unimat SL DB200. It was an awefully long job but they did turn out nice.

[@Vikt68]

Beautiful 🤩

[@jashbaug]

Nice video thanks for sharing. As a thank you for the video, I have a shortcut for the threaded stud. Use setscrews, just tap the part and use the proper length setscrew...also can use stainless to keep the rust away. I would go just a bit deeper with the knurl for the diamond point effect, thanks again.

[@jashbaug]

***** At home I only have a Hardinge Cataract lathe approx. mid 1930's with no threading ability, so a die or set screw are the options. Thanks for the videos, well done.

[@FredMiller]

Nice job Keith. It's always satisfying to make something for a loved one... Do you have any thoughts on the diameter of the piece to be knurled vs the diameter of the knurling tool? I have heard reference to a formula used so the knurls did not overlap. Yours came out looking really good.

[@bcbloc02]

Shame on you Keith for not using that fancy carriage stop you made to turn these suckers out production style. Looks like the 1st one has a shoulder a bit shorter than the rest. :-) I know it is plenty good enough for what it is for, but I would have liked to have seen you get some more use out of that stop. The Knurling turned out great.

[@thebreretons]

Found myself blowing at my screen at 14:00. Really interesting videos and expertly filmed. May I ask what Camera/Camcorder is used?

[@mikeemerson9437]

Thanks again for another great video! Looks like you need a bigger lathe for those 1/4-20 threads lol. Keep em comin.

[@BrooksideFarmBarreMA]

Excellent as always! You didn't say what kind of competition shooting it is; I enjoy field target. :)

[@BrooksideFarmBarreMA]

***** Most excellent indeed!

[@kcb5150]

Do you take commissions to make something like a replacement thumb screw for an antique item?

[@bsdubois]

Is it possible to make collets to fit the holder? Thank you in advance for your time.

[@shexdensmore]

I wonder if the added weight from it being steel helps increase the accuracy.

[@dallen122758]

Beautiful work and I don't care who you are.lol

[@Blazer02LS]

Good for her, I shot on the school team, way back when guns were allowed on school grounds! At that time we even had a complete shop where kids could actually use tools, instead of the current method of buying kits to assemble or playing on the CAD machines... Time to find a self aligning knurling tool... 1/4- 20, standard camera mount thread, even on modern cameras, which when you look at everything else on a camera being metric thread, is surprising. Maybe drill a hole in the center and use a drive rivet to attach a lanyard?

[@Blazer02LS]

I'm in a very rural area BUT it's in NY state... My local school actually surprised me this year. The industrial arts class worked on some real engines. I loaned them a couple of my spare engines and they came back still running! Got a request for them next year, Might be a nice guy and make skids and crates for them. Now if I could only get them to take the 7 horse Associated .... That needs a bit of work yet.

[@aserta]

Acid brush + disposable plastic pipette = long lasting dip-less brush. Jokes aside, really nice episode. The knurls came out perfect, even if you tried to feed them brush hairs ;) . I'm surprised anyone would put those types of knobs on a scope, something that needs to be steady. I suppose it's for a part that only gets adjusted once, otherwise...good luck trying to be steady trying to turn that knob. Knurls are always the go to method.

[@Blazer02LS]

I think these are simply the ones used to adjust the risers and legs on the base of the spotting scope. I know mine has simple locks for the legs.

[@aserta]

***** Oh, so like in he old school ones. Hm, yeah, that would make sense.

[@Hotrodelectric]

Question: since you're using cold-rolled steel, do you have some sort of surface coating like passivation or cold zinc spray? I noticed the aluminum screw was anodized.

[@BNSFfan1996]

Whats the machining difference of hot and cold rolled steel?

[@jeffmoss26]

Great work as always!

[@Rascal77s]

8:21 why you don't wear anything loose around these beasts.

[@exilfromsanity]

Are you sure you're not overtaxing that little Large and Shapely with that great big part?

[@topari01]

Keith, I see the knurling tool is setup using a bar connected to another aloris style tool holder. Pity we could not see a complete picture. Was there a problem with reach ? Regards, Tom

[@jamesgroupstudios2355]

Great video!

[@VintageMachinery]

James Group Studios Thank you!

[@h0useisafeeling]

Keith, what's the name of that type of collet? 22J?? Can't understand what you say because english it's not my native language. And also, the wheel that you turn for open and close the collet, came with that collet chuck?

[@jimkoonce6574]

Good demo!

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

What kind of cutting fluid do you use? Seems to stick to the work very nicely.

[@BellyUpFishGarage]

Weird. Looks super sticky. LOL

[@chips4289]

+BellyUpFish I use 10w-40 lol..seems to work fine....better than no oil lol

[@philipgwyn8091]

When knurling, does one need an exact rate of feed?

[@tommcelroy6975]

No

[@andymandyandsheba4571]

where did that brush go Keith i remember a mate of mine doing the same with his sweater sleeve nice neat little job excellent video

[@jamesrawlings8493]

Since you made several, would it be better to knurl the length needed for all parts at once?

[@basadogames]

The idea is to keep the stock short to limit vibration / chatter as it deflects more the further out it is from the holding point.

[@handcraftedworkshop]

Hey Keith, What kind of tool holder and threading insert did you use? I hope this question hasn't been ask and answered, I didn't read all of the comments. Thanks, Gary

[@Chris-Fennimore]

Don't worry Keith, brush bristles work great as cutting oil :-)

[@mayhem7090]

hello Keith ,tres bon boulot impeccable ...cordialement

[@elsdp-4560]

THANK YOU...for sharing.

[@VintageMachinery]

+ELSDP-45 Thanks for watching!

[@christined3953]

A scissor type knurl tool is more forgiving on the cross slide nut

[@nonameHEF]

Nice Video as always, but why do you dont use your multiple depth stop on your lathe bed? Nice regards from Germany :-)

[@nonameHEF]

Okay, that make sense to me, too :-) Keep your Videos coming. I appreciate your time and affort you put into these.

[@danny03455]

Good Job When you get them back for bluing , Drill an tap a small screw on the knurl side an make a lanard with an wire eyelet on both ends of a wire scure to scope with other end . If you set screw to bottom out an not tighten against the eyelet , it still will turn an not get lost when taken apart

[@SansP3ur]

This process seems quite forgiving if everything is setup properly. Assuming that's how you still got a decent knurl in spite of those brush bits trying to hijack your demo. :D

[@pierresgarage2687]

Hi Keith, GULP....!!!! Buuurrrppp.... Tasty brush! Please do it again... That was pretty sudden and funny. Did you just get lucky or did you measure the diameter and turned to a multiplier of the knurling rollers prior to knurling, cause it looked it came out pretty regular? Good luck to your daughter... Cheers, Pierre

[@garyc5483]

Nice video Keith. You should have got your daughter to run off her own knurled knobs or don't you allow the kids near your workshop. :-)) You should teach them the basics. The job looked like a good one. Those brushes are slippery little critters. regards from the UK

[@VintageGearMan]

I am new to lathing so I did not realize I had picked up hot rolled round stock steel instead of cold rolled steel. Cold rolled steel would have saved me a ton of time! Live and learn.

[@nraupach]

Hi Keith, super video! I've been looking for someone who can fabricate a small number of custom thumbscrews exactly like this for a home project. Can you recommend someone or do you perhaps do custom orders? Basically I need a thumbscrew that is 3/8 16 thread that is 7/16" long.

[@VintageMachinery]

Nathan - I am not really able at this point to take on any work like that - I have way too much to do between building my new shop and my volunteer work at the museum. I would try contacting some local machine shops and see what they can do.

[@chips4289]

my knurling tool has a pivoting head and lines up perfect everytime

[@VintageMachinery]

+Richard gross I have since sourced one that does the same!

[@sinclairopaline]

Enjoy your videos. I a surprised but glad to hear that a highschool is teaching shooting in this anti gun liberal screwed up condition this country is in, even if it is only air rifles. Good for your daughter. But look how many of us are up watching your video this morning! You have a good following!

[@sinclairopaline]

***** Thank you Keith for taking time to respond. I put everything in the lathe. I tune Nathan Airchime horns ,the horns used on locomotives .I just do this for fun but there are few of my tune ups scattered in a few countries. I have 3 whistle tops I will make bowls for . I wonder if you could one day do a video on the whistles in your museum ,with some pictures and videos of them blowing on a Steam locomotive! Thanks.

[@DarrenPoulson]

Any reason you went with doing the thread on the lathe like that, rather than using a simple die? Would've thought a die would be a lot quicker and easier. Just learning machining, you've some great videos. :)

[@McFingal]

I can't tell how many brushes I've wasted like that.

[@Landrew0]

I'm surprised the knurlers aren't mounted on a small pivot for self-alignment.

[@chips4289]

+Landrew0 mine are on a pivoting head..lines up almost automatically

[@mikesanchez6647]

Dont need to be

[@uberente]

i fed a whole brush through my knurler once, handle and all. XD

[@jack002tuber]

Cool vid. You didn't use the knurling rig you had on another vid where it centers itself. It would be a lot easier to use I'd think

[@VintageMachinery]

jack002tuber Yeah, I got the self centering knurling tool after I finished this job. After this job, I decided I really needed one!

[@VintageGearMan]

I could have used 5/8th stock instead of 3/4" stock to. I had no idea it was going to take forever to reduce it down to size on my small Unimat lathe.

[@marceltimmers1290]

Hi mate. They don't make them brushes like they used to;) What is that locomotive that has not moved for so long? Is that loc for parts or so? I wish I could come and help you, because you always seem to be struggling on your own, but the commute from Perth WA is a bastard. Marcel.

[@wintermachine]

where's the handle on your file?

[@sthenzel]

If you do more knurling, you should get a knurl tool with a swiveling wheel holder. No fine setup needed, just somewhere near the center of height is enough. Even better are the ones with two independent arms who work from top and bottom of the workpiece and are pulled together by a tightening screw. Put much less stress on the machine and require nearly no setup at all.

[@Chris-Fennimore]

Two Excellent suggestions.

[@morrisgallo2361]

***** Tom's Techniques has a project to make a knurling tool tomstechniques.com/clamp-knurling-tool/

[@bobjimenez4464]

***** it's surprising but knurling tools are not cheap but for what you are doing it will last forever. I learned that you just jab the knurling tool in and rip it across and you will get a perfect knurl every time on an 00 brown and sharp screw machine.

[@georghieronymus9935]

How does one get into this line of work? What kind of education/training is required? Is there jobs?

[@kenwhite5132]

Awesome

[@grant2k]

No long sleeves!

[@jimsanker989]

There must be 100 of different pitch knurls out there. I always have trouble figuring out which knurl will track best. I've looked in machinist handbook, but can't follow it. There must be a easier way. I understand DP knurls, but that's as far as I go. Any easy ideas????

[@chips4289]

+jim sanker cant remember the pitch of the knurler I use...would have to go out to the shop and read the box it came in...Mine tracks great

[@TheROBCARL]

You seem awful cautious with that acid brush now. :-)

[@jimidee100]

If this screws into aluminum steel may eventually ruin the threads of the mating piece.

[@richardhaisley1]

back in the day when I made these I would drill and tap them and locktite a socket set screw in it. faster and stronger

[@McFingal]

I'm working on getting a camera and shooting some videos of something more then cats and self surgery. I'll have to change my channel name to the butcher shop!

[@aubreyaub]

Photos of lens cap covers, Brush handles with no brush, have plenty to give away. Please contact.