Small Lathes for knifemaking

S

Shotgunone

Joined
Oct 1, 2000
Messages
244
I am still studying machines to help in folder knifemaking. Mill or Lathe?

Who uses one of the small lathes to aid in making folders? I am specifically interested in information on benchtop lathes 7" x 10" etc. And do these gear driven lathes have an advantange over the belt driven taigs and sherlines?

If you have one tell us what all you do with it. Do you like it? Would you change something? If so what?


I have read through the archives and still wonder. Now I am begining to think a lathe may be a better choice for a small machine. YOu can make or add a milling attachment and still have a viable milling machine while turning pins and blade stops. Will vertical mill attachment you can drill ream and do other precise boreings, right?

Any and all info. is welcomed.

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Tony Huffman
thuffman@texinet.net
Sporting Clays & Shotguns ... my other bad habit!
 
I have a edelstaal mini lathe. Its nice but I only seem to use it to make the thumb bobs for folders. The best use it got was to turn the pommels and gaurds for daggers. The mill is by far more useful I think. I like the way it surfaces roughed out damascus billets, mills to thickness for blades and spacers, handle materials, woods and ivorys. Only takes minutes. Drills precise holes, cuts the slot in the liner, ect.ect. I want a bigger lathe but dont know why. It is not a small mill, a Chinese import about $999 new. It will take the place of a good drill press, but a small drill press would still be handy for just drilling.
 
Bruce, thanks for your input. I originally started looking at mills too. Especially the benchtop models. But after looking at Taig's page and I was thinking a lathe with a milling attachment to add the third axis might be the best all around answer. You could mill the integral bolster, do nail nicks, turn blade stops, mill slab material instead of grind, turn bearings, spacers, bushings,etc.

I was just thinking a small 7 x 10" lathe might be an all around good tool for folder making.

I know lots of formites say bigger is better. And big machines can help build tools for knifemaking. Some say get knee mills and such but I just don't have room and money for that now.

I just thought it would improve my folders. I am already making folders and have even sold a few. I just am looking for ways to improve them.

So I am really looking for someone that has aready traveled the road I am on and can give me advise on the benchtop lathes and mills. With a small lathe for $300 to $400 vs a mill for $550 to $600, which one to get if you can only get one right now.

[This message has been edited by Shotgunone (edited 01-03-2001).]
 
Tony, I bought my benchtop mill used for $700 The trouble with mills is after the machine is bought you cant use it without end mills and a vice ect. The cost of the mill is only the beginning it seems. Its the same trouble with a lathe too. Maybe we should go Neo Tribal?
 
Tony, I use a Unimat 3 lathe and like it alot. The little Unimat does a great job of turning piviot pins, making spacers, thumb studs and cutting the linner for the spring. Check out my photo point page under folding knife their there are some pics of it cutting a nail knick and making some spacers.

Yes I would like a bigger milling machine and alot of other tools, but I am glad that I got the little guy because it really does help out making folders.

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Ray Murski
Photo page
http://albums.photopoint.com/j/AlbumList?u=935667&Auth=false
 
Tony,I have owned a Taig for about 3years now. I also own a bench top mill and a 9 inch South Bend.The Taig gets used as much as any of them.All small stuff gets done on the Taig.If you have limited space and limited cash the Taig is the way to go.Don't be fooled into thinking that this is only a toy,this little lathe is tough and can turn out some very accurate work.I have never done any milling on mine but I think it could handle small milling jobs ok.Check out the Taig site if you haven't already.I really do like mine.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Bruce Bump:
<snip>The trouble with mills is after the machine is bought you cant use it without end mills and a vice ect. The cost of the mill is only the beginning it seems. Its the same trouble with a lathe too. Maybe we should go Neo Tribal? </font>
Click to expand...

Rule of thumb with lathes/mills - expect to spend at LEAST as much tooling up the machine as you did on the machine. No I'm NOT kidding

 
I bought a mini lathe from harbor freight. Cost for lathe and tooling was around $400

It was a well spent $400 the lathe isnt quite as good as a $1800 Prazi but its dang close.

But my recomendation for someone that wants to make good folders is a surface grinder.
IMHO its much more nessasary than a mill to make quality folders.

A mill is on my want list but the surface grinder was on the must have list.

Arthur D. Washburn
ADW Custom Knives
www.adwcustomknives.com
 
Thanks for all your replys. It basically sounds like there are lots of people making quality knives using everything from next to nothing to the best machines money can buy.

My real objective it to get a machine to do two jobs.

1. To cut nice looking nail nicks in my folder blades. Better than what I am currently doing anyway.

2. Make intergral bolsters and liners out of nickel silver, and stainless steel (400 & 300 series), primarily. Thought about Titanium too but I don't know if anybody is making intergral out of T or not.

I orginally went with the mill idea. But I don't want to limit myself so I thought a lathe with a milling attachment might be the best ticket. Just in case I do start making tactical folders and need the stops, spacers, etc.

The taig mill was looking really good but then the mini grizzley mill looks good too and it has some features like gear drive and larger table and motor.

I am getting confused.
confused.gif




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Tony Huffman
thuffman@texinet.net
Sporting Clays & Shotguns ... my other bad habit!
 
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