Anyone have time for a milling question?

H

hollowhandle

Joined
Jan 24, 2001
Messages
70
Whats the scoop on milling?
I am looking to get a survival type blade done.
I am thinking this would be a milling job.
How much can be done with mill?
Thanks
Chip
 
I'm not really sure I understand your question, but I'll give it a shot. If you're talking about milling the slot for a guard, they work fine. I suppose a mill could also be used to cut saw teeth on the spine, but I've never cut them that way. I have heard of people milling the blade instead of grinding it, but it looks to me like the setup time would be significantly longer than the time it takes to grind a blade, particularly if you want the blade to have a distal taper.

I have met one maker who tapers tangs using an angle jig and a flycutter, but I've never tapered one that my myself.

I suppose you could use a ball end-mill to mill a blood groove, but I've never tried that one either.

My own experience in using a mill in knifemaking has been in milling slots and using the mill to repair other equipment. Of course, that doesn't mean someone else may not have a better idea.

John Ownby


John C. Ownby Handmade Knives
 
chip:confused:

I don't think we have enough info to answer.

do you have a bridgeport mill and are looking to get started, or are you looking for someone to do the milling for you?

are you looking for other alternitives? (forge and file work well also)

please refrase the question...:confused: Eric
 
Sorry.
I have a couple of the hollow handles to make the old survival type knives.
My question is : IS the saw teeth, the sholder for the guard and the small tang something that would easily be done on a mill or could it just as easily be done by hand?

I don't have a mill but I think I can get to one - When you hear about people milling entire blades, what are they doing?
It sound like a lot of set up. Do people mill the bevels as well?
Probably not much clearer but I hope that helps.
Chip
 
the english languge is funny, I can mill out half a doz blades, and not use a mill. Mill in this sence wuold mean make. this may be how they used the word
I would cut the saw teeth with a file. the tang can be ground out or filed by hand if you are careful.
Mills are handy, they cut a tang slot in a guard or bolster very nicely. round end mills can cut fullering.

You can do alot with a mill but you don't need one to make knives.
(if you have access to one and want to play well....have fun:D )
if you want to know how to do something, or what tool we would use, ask
 
I use my milling machine maybe 3 hours a month. Mostly a dust collector. Theres not much you can do on a milling machine that you can't do with other tools, especially files and patience.
 
I wouldnt trade my cheap chinese mill for anything except a better one. They are very nice to have for most operations on more techical designs and operations. Knives can be made without them of coarse, the cave man had no milling machines.

Ask Chris Reeves if he uses his.
 
I sorta agree with Bruce. I use mine all the time but it is almost always on ssomething that I need to make a knife with, not a knife. I have never had anything that couldn't be done without a mill but I sure as He!! didn't want to do them without a mill. It's a handy piece of equipment but it's something you should pick up at a good price rather than running out and buying one.

A good example of the things I make are knife vices. I must have 40 of them, all sizes and shapes. Some made to attach to the grinder, some to attach to the bench, some for sharpening, Etc, Etc.:rolleyes:
 
Of coarse cutting the slot for gaurds but there are more.. Fly-cutting damascus scale, squaring and reducing thickness of damascus bar stock, drilling, taking off metal from an integral, dovetailing bolsters and handle materials, cutting the slot in the liner (with dremel cut off disks), drilling for the detent ball, surfacing wood, bone and ivory, jeweling the inside of the liners, (The cross vise helps in alot of these procedures) Milling for inlays, cutting the blood groove on dagger blades, milling damascus sections for mosaic damascus or multi-bar damascus. finger grooves, staggered saw teeth on the back of survival blades, making one-piece bolster/liner folders, Drilling holes in a straight line, precision boring and reaming pivot bushings ect. ect. I realize a good drill press will do some of these things well but a good drill press is about the same price as my elcheapo mill. Ive said it before that the mill isnt the final investment. The accessaries cost quite abit but this is how I spend my knife profits. I remember when my profit from a sale barely paid for a whopper at burger-king.
 
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