Possible to make a well-made modern liner-lock knife without a CNC machine?

I can get by just fine with only a band saw, belt grinder & drill press.

A surface grinder is Real Nice to have!

Mill & lathe are the least used pieces of equipment in my shop. But handy at times.
 
You can do a good job of leveling a drill press table by simply taking a piece of wire - old type coat hangers used to work well - being it into the shape of a "Z" , place one end into the drill chuck and set the other so it just touches the drill table at any place on it .Now turn the chuck by hand.
Frank
 
Frank Niro said:
You can do a good job of leveling a drill press table by simply taking a piece of wire - old type coat hangers used to work well - being it into the shape of a "Z" , place one end into the drill chuck and set the other so it just touches the drill table at any place on it .Now turn the chuck by hand.
Frank
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That's... amazingly brilliant!
 
If you want a low-tech way, just chuck a piece of drill rod, or some other relatively straight round rod in your chuck and use a machinist square, 1-2-3 block, or some other appropriate size square to check the table a 12 and 3 o'clock. If you're table is flat, and the rod is square to the table in at least these two positions, you're likely good.

If you want it to be as square as possible, a DTI and a spindle clamp is about as accurate as you'll be able to get.
 
i onlny use a mill cause i dont have and have never owned a drill press (its a HF mini mill) i have used the coat hanger trick before and the farther away from the chuck you can get it to touch the better. not as much a fan of the drill rod and 123 block cause of the short distance covered
now that i have a few more toolls and a need to check things not and then i got a cheap mag clamp on dial indicator. the mini mill is within.001 left to right over 8 inch span far better then i ever thought i coudl get it
 
One of the best in the world doesn't at least per the video link below (Stan Wilson). Just don't be turned off because it's the Skelton network on youtube. I was just trying to find out as much as I could on this maker, as his products appear from afar to have some of the best fit and finish out there. He does hidden button autos and stuff, and his attention to detail is mind boggling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCW0TDikags
 
stompbox64 said:
One of the best in the world doesn't at least per the video link below (Stan Wilson). Just don't be turned off because it's the Skelton network on youtube. I was just trying to find out as much as I could on this maker, as his products appear from afar to have some of the best fit and finish out there. He does hidden button autos and stuff, and his attention to detail is mind boggling.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCW0TDikags
Click to expand...


There isn't anything wrong with using cnc, it's just another tool. What is happening is that a lot of guys that have machining backgrounds are starting to make knives. Not bad or good, just what is happening.

I can buy a cnc machine and I can definitely learn to use one, there is just something about cutting metal on a bandsaw, shaping and spotting by hand and just finishing it all without automation that I love.
 
Pittknife said:
There isn't anything wrong with using cnc, it's just another tool. What is happening is that a lot of guys that have machining backgrounds are starting to make knives. Not bad or good, just what is happening.

I can buy a cnc machine and I can definitely learn to use one, there is just something about cutting metal on a bandsaw, shaping and spotting by hand and just finishing it all without automation that I love.
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Not trying to say there's anything wrong with using CNC. CNC = Automation, Automation = Faster, cheaper, less room for error (unless initial specs were off). I was just saying, in terms of CNC vs Handmade, can Handmade be done - ABSOLUTELY. Is it best, that is a different question that deserves more questions... ;)
 
stompbox64 said:
Not trying to say there's anything wrong with using CNC. CNC = Automation, Automation = Faster, cheaper, less room for error (unless initial specs were off). I was just saying, in terms of CNC vs Handmade, can Handmade be done - ABSOLUTELY. Is it best, that is a different question that deserves more questions... ;)
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I am totally planning on buying a CNC machine when I can afford one, but that might be a few years off at this rate hah. I have nothing against them, other than before this thread, I wasn't sure it was possible to make a modern style liner-lock knife without one.

If I have a larger workshop at some point, an older Bridgeport with digital readouts. If I win the lottery, a nice Haas machine :D
 
guy-montag said:
I am totally planning on buying a CNC machine when I can afford one, but that might be a few years off at this rate hah. I have nothing against them, other than before this thread, I wasn't sure it was possible to make a modern style liner-lock knife without one.

If I have a larger workshop at some point, an older Bridgeport with digital readouts. If I win the lottery, a nice Haas machine :D
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I would get a manual mill first. The cost of the cnc isn't a fraction of the real cost. Even experienced cnc machinist crash theirs and it can cost tens of thoundands to fix. I know cad and cam and it would still take me 6-12 months before I made good parts consistently on a cnc. It's very complicated. You will wind up spending more time playing with fixturinf rather than actually making a knife.
 
^^ Truth

That's my background. I'm fully versed in 3d modeling, CAM, and fixture building. It's still a lot of front end work, especially to make 1 or 2 of a model. To date I've only actually finished 1 knife that I turned out on a CNC as a proof of concept for myself, because even though I machined a dozen blanks, I decided the design sucked.

CNC is like a log splitter. I can split a face cord of wood with a maul faster than any normal log splitter. The log splitter will be on the 6th full cord long after I'm inside drinking icewater and taking some Advil :p

For someone without any machining experience to say they plan to purchase one solely to make knives...take the learning curve and investment of a typical grinder/stock removal knife operation and quintuple it a couple times. The only reason I screw around with it is because I can for free at work on off hours.
 
I would not want the expense of CNC Automation just for knives I would use it for contract work to make money to fund my HANDMADE Knives. The simple satisfaction of producing a knife start to finish with basic tools is what gives a knife soul. Now that I am a retired machinist the last thing I want to do is feed a cnc center.......
 
kuraki said:
^^ Truth

That's my background. I'm fully versed in 3d modeling, CAM, and fixture building. It's still a lot of front end work, especially to make 1 or 2 of a model. To date I've only actually finished 1 knife that I turned out on a CNC as a proof of concept for myself, because even though I machined a dozen blanks, I decided the design sucked.

CNC is like a log splitter. I can split a face cord of wood with a maul faster than any normal log splitter. The log splitter will be on the 6th full cord long after I'm inside drinking icewater and taking some Advil :p

For someone without any machining experience to say they plan to purchase one solely to make knives...take the learning curve and investment of a typical grinder/stock removal knife operation and quintuple it a couple times. The only reason I screw around with it is because I can for free at work on off hours.
Click to expand...

^^^Good run down, man!!!^^^
 
They are not liner locks but I can make my folders without any CNC work or a mill. I don't see why a frame or liner lock would not be possible.

I say 'I can' because I have done, but as a rule I get the blanks water jetted, it works out cheaper than doing it by hand and saves weeks of unnecessary and unskilled hard work.

I do have a mini-mill but rarely use it as such and find my lathe more useful.

 
I made my first liner lock with a $40 drill press and a hacksaw! I didn't even buy the right drill bits and used a file to size my holes.

It is really important to have an accurate way of measuring thickness (some inexpensive digital calipers will do) and a way to get parts flat (surface plate and sandpaper is excellent)
 
Absolutely man. I know of two very popular names from my home town here that do all their work on Bridgeports and do not use CNCs for their custom one off. One is Jeremy Marsh and Jeff Vandermeulen. Look them up and see their work.

Jay
 
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