Very interesting thread.. id like to chime in =-)
I have been a CNC machinist for about 4 years.. I have lots of experience programming, setting up, and running CNC mills and lathes of all sizes (as well as running manual machines), even some grinding machines. Currently I am making parts for Blackhawk helicopters (the parts aren't nearly as cool as they sound however..)
Lets get one thing straight here.. There is nothing magical about a CNC machine. Programming, setting up, and getting one to run well is a difficult job (more so than a manual machine). Getting that first part off the machine is a big challenge.
I learned a beautiful analogy for comparing CNC to manual machines. Its like a drag race between a conventional gas powered car, and one of those trucks with the jet engines strapped on.
If the race is only 1/4 mile, chances are the gas car will cross the finish line before the jet even spools up. But if its a mile long track, the jet car will lag behind a bit, but once it gets that engine going, it will rocket past the gas car in a glory of deafening sound and flame.
The short moral to that analogy is this: If you are only going to make a few parts, manually machining them is almost always far easier than programming, setting up, troubleshooting etc etc.. the cnc. But if you need thousands of parts, cnc is the way to go.
Dont forget that CNC machines do a whole host of jobs.. Not just milling, turning and grinding. There are CNC bandsaws, laser cutters, stamping.
The part of the discussion that really is very subjective is what qualifies as a 'custom' piece, or what process the knife must go through to be truely 'high quality'.
Just because a knife was made on a CNC does not mean it was any easier to produce. Some of the problems are eased, but new problems are introduced. You can do things with CNC machines that just arent possible with most manual machines... But this does not mean it is easy! A CNC machine is like any other type of machine. It can expand your capabilities, but only if you have the skill and patience to learn to use it. The idea that you simply write the program, plug it in, and wait for your part could not be further from the truth.
Many times I have thought to myself 'Man, this part would be so much easier to just do manually'. This brings another point;
If you have little or no experience with manual machining, using a CNC wont solve ANY of your problems. If you know (from experience) that a certain type of steel just 'wants' a high feedrate, or you have discovered how to machine a type of metal to get the finish you want via manual machining... feeling the cut as you turn the dials.. then you will be in good shape to try it on a CNC.
There is almost no feedback with a CNC machine. You have to know what your doing through and through to get a good result without a pile of scrap.
Also, with most parts (especially ones made out of hard steel), you cannot CANNOT simply push the button and walk away. Tools wear out, chips pack up, coolant clogs.. anything can happen. If I am making a limited quantity of parts, very often I will be 'riding' the feedrate knob, my nose all but pressed against the glass trying to glean any feedback I can.
It is very difficult to get a high quality part like a knife to come out perfect.
Almost ALL parts need hand finishing or deburring after being machined. They have yet to create a machine that can replicate the skills of a human. Ever seen a CNC gaze down the edge of a blade, mechanical tenticles gently flicking over the edge, searching for that wire edge? Didnt think so.. Some things just cannot be replaced by a machine.
Let me be clear, I am not diminishing the value of a truely 'hand made' knife. There is something special about a piece of steel that has been worked over by sweat and muscle. But I ask that you do not diminish the value of a blade made using a CNC. The same amount of *human* attention has been lavished on it, just different tools.
Knives can be made *with* CNC machines, not *by* them.
I have been a CNC machinist for about 4 years.. I have lots of experience programming, setting up, and running CNC mills and lathes of all sizes (as well as running manual machines), even some grinding machines. Currently I am making parts for Blackhawk helicopters (the parts aren't nearly as cool as they sound however..)
Lets get one thing straight here.. There is nothing magical about a CNC machine. Programming, setting up, and getting one to run well is a difficult job (more so than a manual machine). Getting that first part off the machine is a big challenge.
I learned a beautiful analogy for comparing CNC to manual machines. Its like a drag race between a conventional gas powered car, and one of those trucks with the jet engines strapped on.
If the race is only 1/4 mile, chances are the gas car will cross the finish line before the jet even spools up. But if its a mile long track, the jet car will lag behind a bit, but once it gets that engine going, it will rocket past the gas car in a glory of deafening sound and flame.
The short moral to that analogy is this: If you are only going to make a few parts, manually machining them is almost always far easier than programming, setting up, troubleshooting etc etc.. the cnc. But if you need thousands of parts, cnc is the way to go.
Dont forget that CNC machines do a whole host of jobs.. Not just milling, turning and grinding. There are CNC bandsaws, laser cutters, stamping.
The part of the discussion that really is very subjective is what qualifies as a 'custom' piece, or what process the knife must go through to be truely 'high quality'.
Just because a knife was made on a CNC does not mean it was any easier to produce. Some of the problems are eased, but new problems are introduced. You can do things with CNC machines that just arent possible with most manual machines... But this does not mean it is easy! A CNC machine is like any other type of machine. It can expand your capabilities, but only if you have the skill and patience to learn to use it. The idea that you simply write the program, plug it in, and wait for your part could not be further from the truth.
Many times I have thought to myself 'Man, this part would be so much easier to just do manually'. This brings another point;
If you have little or no experience with manual machining, using a CNC wont solve ANY of your problems. If you know (from experience) that a certain type of steel just 'wants' a high feedrate, or you have discovered how to machine a type of metal to get the finish you want via manual machining... feeling the cut as you turn the dials.. then you will be in good shape to try it on a CNC.
There is almost no feedback with a CNC machine. You have to know what your doing through and through to get a good result without a pile of scrap.
Also, with most parts (especially ones made out of hard steel), you cannot CANNOT simply push the button and walk away. Tools wear out, chips pack up, coolant clogs.. anything can happen. If I am making a limited quantity of parts, very often I will be 'riding' the feedrate knob, my nose all but pressed against the glass trying to glean any feedback I can.
It is very difficult to get a high quality part like a knife to come out perfect.
Almost ALL parts need hand finishing or deburring after being machined. They have yet to create a machine that can replicate the skills of a human. Ever seen a CNC gaze down the edge of a blade, mechanical tenticles gently flicking over the edge, searching for that wire edge? Didnt think so.. Some things just cannot be replaced by a machine.
Let me be clear, I am not diminishing the value of a truely 'hand made' knife. There is something special about a piece of steel that has been worked over by sweat and muscle. But I ask that you do not diminish the value of a blade made using a CNC. The same amount of *human* attention has been lavished on it, just different tools.
Knives can be made *with* CNC machines, not *by* them.