relieving the liners? Please help

B. Davis knives

B. Davis knives

Joined
Mar 22, 2008
Messages
452
I have look at old post and searched the old threads and not much there.

What I am looking for is how do Yall relieve the liners on slip joints?
Some photos would help I have a mini mill.
I need to know:

#1 what kind of fixture do you use?

#2 how would I make a fixture?

#3 how do you keep from cutting the fixture with the milling bit?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks
Brian
 
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There is no need to relieve slipjoint liners, unless you are using washers.
Liners can be clamped directly to the milling table for this operation.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
There is no need to relieve slipjoint liners, unless you are using washers.
Liners can be clamped directly to the milling table for this operation.
Click to expand...

I use no washers and If I did not relieve the liners, the liners WILL scratch the tang. Very unsightly in a handmade slipjoint. :eek:

I use a rotary table , (because I had one) that has a center 3/32 pin. I use different size end mills depending on the pattern and blade. I normally use a 1/2 cutter or 7/16" In the bottom photo, top knife you can see were the exposed when open portion of the tang is protected from scratches when closed. I use a 4 flute cutter and normally will mill to a dept of .008. slow even feed, makes for less clean up in the relief.

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IMGP3777_edited-1.jpg
 
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Hey Ken: What is the secret to achieving the exact same relief on both right and left liners using your method? I tried this and always had slightly different exit points on the side of the liners:eek: I now relieve with a square relief profile. I do have a turntable on my Benchmaster mill. Thanks for any help here.
 
John,

No secret to this method at all! Just do not move your x y axis on the table once you do the first side. Just clamp the second side liner on, does not matter were as long as its on the center pin. The cuts will match perfect. One issue could be the center pin on the rotary table. I made a spacer and center pin for this rotary table. Most rotary tables have the t slots that meet in the center so this spacer and pin is a must. I turned mine on my lathe and was certain that it runs on true center of the rotary table. I might also add that both side liners have to be mirror images of each other for this to work. In other words if the side profile of one side was much wider than the other, it would appear as if the exit point was different, however both reliefs would be the same size, and same distance from the center , or blade pivot hole.

One of these days I may try and do a quick video tutorial using the rotary table for relieving liners.

Ken
 
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Thanks Ken. I think I need to turn a center plug and pin in it. I probably need a 3/32 and a 1/8 style as I change the pins depending upon knife size. Thanks again and it makes sense. I was just trying to center cutter on pin and obviously not doing a very good job:eek:
 
Your Welcome John,

Hope I was some help. I had made a few milling in the reliefs going with the square method and I must say, in my opinion, that milling them rotary gives the knife a much cleaner, higher end look.

By the way, thanks slugge for linking to the Bose tutorial! I would have made up a jig as shown if I had not already had my rotary table.

Ken
 
I don't have a rotary vice for my mill so I have been making a little template that I scribe onto the liners. I'll line up one of the scribe marks with the axis on my mill and just mill out to the marks. I just use that plastic packaging everything seems to come in these day to make my template.

IMG_1969.JPG


Alistair
 
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