Question on Knurling 6061 - Floating Reamer Holder in the Making

Hi- I am about to knurl a 1.490" diameter piece of 6061. This will be my first time (lucky me!). From what I have read 1.490" is a good diameter to get a good diamond knurling pattern using a 25 TPI 30 degree spiral wheels. My knurling tool is the Aloris AXA-10 plunge-type knurler. I have read different accounts of how to proceed but this is what I think I should be doing (using SB Heavy 10" lathe - 4-jaw chuck and live center): with half the width of the wheels on the part (at the face of the bar near the live-center) use slowest lathe speed and plunge the tool to the depth of diamond desired, do not move tool until after at least one full revolution to be sure pattern does not overlap themselves. At this point should I or should I not keep plunging in after one revolution if my pattern is not at the depth I want? Once I am satisfied with the pattern engage the half-nuts for tool to travel towards chuck at .025 ipr? At the point on the bar where I want the pattern to stop do I just turn off the lathe or back out the tool first?

After knurling I will part the part off the bar and then drill both ends for the reamer and the ball bearing at the other.

Thanks for the responses.

Hopefully someone much more knowledgeable than me can help you further, but this is a decent video you can watch to start you off.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsCiVpi6qAk

OK, real simple do a test piece first. The wheels should be vertical and centered on the workpiece. YOU MUST HAVE A STEADY FLOW OF COOLANT THE MORE THE BETTER Speed about 100 or less feed slow tighten the wheels down while it is turning. A quarter turn at a time you should see what you want within a 1/4" of feed when you reach the distance you wanted pop the half nuts and back off while the spindle is still turning, done. You may want to just flatten the points on the knurled section a teeny bit, a file works. Remember the number of turns to get to pattern depth. setup your good piece and get it done. A good diamond pattern will do a number on your digits if things get out of hand. ;^)

Plunge knurls work. I've used them on occasion. Get the top knurl turning before the other, by a slight amount, then sink it in .03.

I've had most success with a scissor knurling tool.

In the end, it's practice, setup piece and luck. And as scojen said, use plenty of oil.

Tom