Milling guard shoulder

J

JamesPEmmons

Joined
Sep 3, 2008
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269
I have recently set-up a milling machine in my shop to be used in the knife making process.

IMG-20110410-00210.jpg


This will make guard slotting much quicker.

My question is why not machine in the guard shoulder also. I found this fixture http://www.riversidemachine.net/item78682.ctlg so I guess there are some makes that use this method, but I never see it discussed here. Am I missing something and this does not work very well?

I used my filling jig as the fixture this weekend and milled the guard shoulders in on 4 knives in about 2 hours (taking my time and going really slow). I have not fit the guards yet, but as far as I can tell the shoulder are perfectly square and inline with each other.

I would like to hear what other makers think about this and/or why this method is not more common.

Thanks,

James
 
I works VERY! well provided you have the knife secure and the mill has tight tolerances.
Mill one side of the knife using dial indicators on the table, raise the quill, move the bit to the other side, mill that shoulder to the same settings.
Piece of cake.
 
Karl,

That is exactly how I have been doing it. Also at the same time I took a skim cut along the choil in order to make sure it is perpindicular to the guard face. I have seen a few of your WIPs, and you use a file jig. I know the step you go thru in order to make a percision fit up. Is the file jig fast for you?

I will be uses the mill from now on, especially on air hardened steel. Hardened 3V has killed more then a few of my files putting in the guard shoulder.

Thanks,

James
 
I go back and forth on my guard shoulders.
Most of the time I file them as my mill is, well, lacking.
I'm about to get a new one and then I will go back to milling them.
That's a good idea about the choil.
I file before hardening.
 
I lock the blade in my filing guide, put one side of the guide into the milling vise, cut to the depth I want and the flip it over. This way the 2 sides are cut the same. I put the knife in the jig with the tang exposed enough so I don't hit the jig with the mill.
Chip Kunkle
 
I grind my tang slightly smaller than the area where the guard will sit. I then clamp my blade against an angle plate that is overhanging the edge of the table -tip down- and square it up before I tighten it up. Then using a long series 3/4" endmill I go around the 4 sides of the blade all in one go. This way there is no chance of misalignment. Also I do my shoulders when the blade is hard as well, so I prefer a carbide 4 flute endmill . Next the guard is made, with the slot being my first operation of that item.
 
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