Surface grinder, mill, or lathe?

J

jawilder

Joined
Jun 27, 2006
Messages
2,331
which do you use most in your shop? I am wanting to make folders and know I can do most things with a file but would rather speed things up and get more precision.

which do you use most often?
 
I've been asking myself the same question, and even though I don't have any of the three, I've come to the conclusion that I'll use the mill more, so that's first on the buying list.

I'd be interested to know other opinions on this.
 
I am in a similar situation. I've actually decided to buy all three, :rolleyes: but, what's first will be whatever I get on Craig'slist first.
My "need" is a mill, with surface grinder and lathe tied for second.
For folders I'd say a mill first.
Are you wanting a mini-mill or a bench top mill?
 
I have a mill and a surface grinder. I'd definitely buy a mill and some quality tooling prior to a surface grinder.
 
I have a mill and lathe, I use the mill about 3 to 4 times more often than the lathe.
CW
 
I'm in exactly the same position, and I've decided for mill first, surface grinder second, and lathe last. This order could be changed depending on what comes up on craigslist. Of course, I just bought a new (old) grinder, so all of them are out for the near future.
 
I have a small benchtop mill, a small lathe and a really really old surface grinder. Of the three I would say the surface grinder is by far the most useful for knifemaking. Just about every part of every knife I make gets surface ground at some point.

The mill I really only use for slotting guards and cutting lock-bars for framelocks and I can cut a lock-bar almost as fast and just as accurately on the drill press. Guards take a bit longer without a mill but I did it that way for years and although it's annoying, it doesn't actually take a whole lot longer.

So far I haven't used the lathe for anything knife related that I couldn't do just as easily with a drill press and a file. I have used it a lot for custom hardware and tooling for use in my cabinet shop though.
 
Mill by a long shot for me. With proper set-up you can almost mill as close a s a sg. It would only take some time on the lapping plate to bring it all in. Now getting the mill set-up to those tolerances could be a challenge, but still mill for me. Then it is a tie with the SG and Lathe. I have been using the SG a lot more and am beginning the journey into folders. So in that the SG would edge out the lathe but only slightly. I really miss my old sheldon lathe though. Wish I had not sold it.
 
Mill first then surface grinder for sure... Lathe gets little use compared to these two but would hate not to have it.
 
I don't make folders, I use my good lathe (5 horsepower 19x52 Leblond Regal 15C5) every day I am in my shop and average $45/hour profit running it (typically once a week, my shop is 60 miles from my house) of course I have 2 toy lathes in my basement (9 inch South Bends) that I use for rough eyeball non-production work. My benchtop mill-drill is essential but I should have gotten something more rigid for production work, I really need a Bridgeport. For doing folders I would start with a milling machine (a good solid one) I bought one of my SouthBend lathes from a well known folder maker because he was not using it enough to justify the space it was occupying. Making folders you can get by without a surface grinder I think, but you really need to be good with hand tools to get by without a milling machine

-Page
 
Mill, lathe, surface grinder. I have a mill, and use it for a lot of things. I very often wish I had a lathe, and only occasionally wish I had a surface grinder. The lathe is the next machine on my list for sure, other than my press build.
 
As a maker of single/multi-blade slipjoints, both my mill and surface grinder are used on every knife. I have three stations set up on my milling machine. Bolster/frame milling, frame relieving and nail pull cutting. I surface grind blades and springs after heat treat to get really dead flat/true surfaces. A mill would not work in this instance.

Mill and surface grinder are a tie!
 
Great answers so far. Has anyone ever used a Smithy mill/lathe combo? If so, are they any good?
 
Being I make mostly folders I'd put the surface grinder ahead of the mill, but that would
also depend on what kind of folders. Surface Grinder, Mill, Lathe-s. A slipjoint folder doesn't
have to have an integral milled frame to work well, but the spring and blade do need to be
flat and parallel.
Ken.
 
Last edited:
I was kind of waiting to hear what others had to say before posting as I knew I would be the odd duck but it turns out I’m not. If I was setting up to concentrate on the making of folders I would have to go with I surface grinder as a priority over a mill or lathe. I use my surface grinder on every folder to get my thickness/flat and parallel on my blade and back spacer. To be honest the only thing I use or really need a mill for on one of my folders is to cut a relief down the length of the back side of the lock bar. As for the lathe I use my little Unimate lathe more than then mill in my folder making. I use it for facing pivots to length, turning down the heads of my screws and the making of the thumb stud.
Now with all this said I think most makers could make a folder without a mill, surface grinder or a lathe without too much extra effort.

Brett Mathews
 
I make slipjoints and for me the surface grinder is the most important then the mill it all depends on the style folders you make I have two lathes and dont use them on any of my slipjoints but thats just me
 
I feel a great start on any knife is to have the two sides parallel. The easiest way to do this is a surface grinder. Sure wish at times, I had one to do my liner locking folders !!! Frank
 
You can do surface and lathe work with a mill, but it's sure a lot harder to do mill work on a lathe or a surface grinder. ;)

I'd get a quality mill first, if it were me.
 
Page, who clearly knows his machines, mentions the Bridgeport for the mill, what SG would be considered to be the equivalent in quality?

Dean
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top