Can I make a good knurl pattern in steel with only one knurling wheel?

[cazclocker]

I need to make a couple of missing parts on the tailstock for a watchmaker's lathe (a Rivett 1R).
One of those parts is a small circular locking knob at the top of the tailstock, including the knurl around the circumference.
Here's what I'm talking about (this is not my tailstock, the photo is of L Vanice's tailstock from his lathe of same make & model:


I'll be fabricating the knob itself on my own watchmaker's lathe, but obviously I want to knurl the circumference.
I ordered a 90-degree straight knurling knob from MSC. Specs are 29 tpi, 5/8" OD, 1/4" width, 1/4" ID.
The reason I chose a 29 tpi knurl is the other knob on my lathe is shaped/sized the same. It has a total of 58 knurls (I counted them!).
The knob's circumference is a perfect 2" so it will fit the 58 knurls perfectly.
MY QUESTION: how do I use the knurling wheel to create the pattern? I don't have an engine lathe to hold the wheel, so I'll have to do it by hand. Is there an inexpensive hand tool I can use?

 

[seasicksteve]

You could use something like the one in the link. I have one that you can borrow if you want send me a pm if interested.
Hand Knurl

 

[cazclocker]

You could use something like the one in the link. I have one that you can borrow if you want send me a pm if interested.
Hand Knurl

Thank you for your kind offer. The tool in the link says it requires 3 knurls, but I only ordered one (I haven't received it yet). Will the tool you have NOT work if it only has one wheel mounted?

 

[seasicksteve]

Thank you for your kind offer. The tool in the link says it requires 3 knurls, but I only ordered one (I haven't received it yet). Will the tool you have NOT work if it only has one wheel mounted?

I honestly dont know, I would think you could put plain wheels in 2 positions. I think mine is set up for a straight knurl Ill look when I get home

 

[cazclocker]

I honestly dont know, I would think you could put plain wheels in 2 positions. I think mine is set up for a straight knurl Ill look when I get home

Thank you. Right now, the only wheel I have is the single knurling wheel. I don't have any plain wheels. If the plain wheels are steel, I would be concerned about the knurled surface being crushed on its way around.

 

[derf]

Use a checkering file.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Knurling takes a lot of pressure, not matter how you slice it. Doing it by hand requires something to multiply your strength and the part and tool must rotate relative to each other. The hand knurler linked above will do the job, but you must have 3 knurling rolls and enough stock to clamp in a vise (or similar) while you knurl. Plain rolls will simply flatten the knurl. I have done very coarse straight knurling with a single roll on my SB Heavy 10. The amount of pressure required was scary. Won't do it again.

 

[mickri]

Does your lathe have an indexing feature? If it does you could use that to scratch the lines. My Craftsman 12 by 36 has that feature and I have used it to straight knurl parts. If it doesn't then you can try making an index wheel to evenly space the knurls. I did this when I needed 25 equally spaced lines on a chamber reamer stop that I made. I used sketchup to make the index. Sketchup allows you to divide a circle into however many lines you need. You could make it with 58 equally spaced lines. More info on how to do this is in my thread about making the chamber reamer stop.

 

[Forty Niner]

You don't have to knurl that knob. You cut those grooves in it a number of ways, depending on what tooling you have available. I have used an indexing fixture (rotary table) and an end mill to make a really nice knob.

Example here on this forum:

Grooving : alternative to knurling

I have not yet obtained a decent knurling tool for my small (Sherline and Taig) lathes. My project yesterday required a "knurled" head on a small brass screw I made. Head diameter is 3/8". Using a little math I figured that 24 grooves on the outside diameter would work out fine. Simple to do...

www.hobby-machinist.com

 

[cazclocker]

Knurling takes a lot of pressure, not matter how you slice it. Doing it by hand requires something to multiply your strength and the part and tool must rotate relative to each other. The hand knurler linked above will do the job, but you must have 3 knurling rolls and enough stock to clamp in a vise (or similar) while you knurl. Plain rolls will simply flatten the knurl. I have done very coarse straight knurling with a single roll on my SB Heavy 10. The amount of pressure required was scary. Won't do it again.

View attachment 422204

Yes, I realize knurling a lot of pressure. Here's a picture of the tool (which I don't have...yet) that someone used to knurl the SAME knob of his Rivett 1R watchmaker's lathe:

Does your lathe have an indexing feature? If it does you could use that to scratch the lines. My Craftsman 12 by 36 has that feature and I have used it to straight knurl parts. If it doesn't then you can try making an index wheel to evenly space the knurls. I did this when I needed 25 equally spaced lines on a chamber reamer stop that I made. I used sketchup to make the index. Sketchup allows you to divide a circle into however many lines you need. You could make it with 58 equally spaced lines. More info on how to do this is in my thread about making the chamber reamer stop.

View attachment 422238

Yes, on my Rivett 2b watchmaker's lathe has a very nice indexing feature. When I first decided to fabricate this knob I thought I would use the indexing holes to file a series of 60 notches to replicate the knurling. I just thought it would be better to knurl it than file the grooves. I may yet have to resort to filing.

You don't have to knurl that knob. You cut those grooves in it a number of ways, depending on what tooling you have available. I have used an indexing fixture (rotary table) and an end mill to make a really nice knob.

Example here on this forum:

Grooving : alternative to knurling

I have not yet obtained a decent knurling tool for my small (Sherline and Taig) lathes. My project yesterday required a "knurled" head on a small brass screw I made. Head diameter is 3/8". Using a little math I figured that 24 grooves on the outside diameter would work out fine. Simple to do...

www.hobby-machinist.com

Thanks for that link, I'll take a closer look later today.