There are two types of knurling tools. The pusher type and the top bottom clamping type. The top bottom clamping is a better design but it is restricted to a maximum diameter then it becomes a pusher type. The cheap pusher type sometimes come with only one setting and sometimes come with six wheels for three different settings. Fine, medium and coarse. The top bottom clamping type has interchangeable wheels. They are about six times the price and are fast with maybe one or two passes.
Usually that's a home project, I built one myself but have had chatter issues getting it to work but I understand it's a good idea to rough machine the bar with 45 degree bevels to reduce material removed before rounding it. I've since tuned up my compound base to eliminate wear so I may have fixed the problem. I made a stack of plastic balls by buying packs of table tennis balls, melting a hole in the top with a soldering iron and filling with a mix of epoxy resin heavily filled with black concrete pigment (iron oxide) to get a hard, durable ball that will bounce of concrete floors and steel beams at high speed when your buffer wheel flicks them off . They are very easy to drill and tap with a thread to suit your lathe or drill press etc.
It depends on how complicated or the size of the ball. Grinding a tool as a fixed position is one way of doing it. Making the tool is more complicated. A rotary position tool with single point needs a pretty rigid tool post holder. This is me making a ball cutter from scratch to cut wood.
Anyone got an easy and effective method for cutting a 45 degree angle onto a long piece of steel? I want to make the angle for the blade of the press brake but eyeballing it won't do.
There are specialty press brake tooling companies that sell various profiles, it should be possible to buy offcuts in the shapes you need.
Now you KNOW I wanna make a bunch of BRONZE balls for my lathe right????? I don't really wanna make the tool, I make more than my fair share of crap around my address. Was just hoping I could buy something that will get the job done.
I mixed a whole lot of bronze dust in with the black epoxy until it was thick, once cured a quick sand and a polish and you have your bronze balls. Also the gold mica dust looks nice with resin too
I think this thing is cast iron. Do you think if I threaded and used 2 bolts it to a base that connects to the lathe it would be stiff enough to work as a steady? Or do you think I need to brake it onto a base?
Do you really need a steady rest RIGHT NOW?? I would think with some looking, you should be able to find one out there someplace? Just trying to save you some ass pain. Chirpy built one on his youtube channel. He stick built it if memory serves me.
I mean I guess I don't need it right now, but it seems fun to make one compared with forking out $300 for a second hand one. I might get lucky and find a cheap one but not reliably. I had wanted a nice 1" x 1" thick steel ring that is easy to weld to but this iron one might work.
300bucks??? look again buddy. https://www.ebay.com/i/353119169802...GX7RlyUmok2CZHEr4hroZGvuV3WQhIaoaAlzTEALw_wcB How about this?? Offer 200 https://www.etsy.com/listing/745746...3hahLzvdgjb8nWpCrLOSC1bK943nvxm0aAufxEALw_wcB
Here's a shop made one I found in Images. A bit bulky looking and no hinge, but it would certainly work. You'll get some practice tapping threads! I'd cut those trunion pivots right off. Pete
Blondihacks did a nice video series on modifying her junk Chinese steady rest. I saw mine in the cabinet when I bought my lathe, haven't laid eyes on it since.
Made a bit of progress on the bender. I cut the very thick plate for the back bone of the press and then welded on a side rail that will be used to sandwich the blade (fingers?) That will bend the metal. What angle should I grind into the blade? Should it be 90 degrees or a few degrees less like 86 so the metal takes the bend better?
Bending steel clean is a very complicated process. The thicker it gets the more tonnage you need. Usually there is clamping and sweeping forces and then right at the bottom of the stroke there would be a coining radius. The top punch usually has draw radius that is 2 to 3 times the thickness of the material. Show me what you're trying to bend and i'll quickly design up punch and die for you.
I'm making something like this: I have a 1 inch thick plate of steel that I'm going to be using as the blade. Its just regular steel though not hard ox or chromoly so I hope thats ok?
