Drill Presses

[barney]

Well I'd love to have $2grand for a mill and appurtenances but can't swing it. Discouraging.
Maybe I can make do with the slowest drill press I can find, a decent chuck and a drilling fixture and collar as suggested.
Thank you for the tips gentlemen.
Merry Christmas.

 

[Doug Lester]

From experience looking for drill presses I have noted that the bench top models tend to be set up for wood and non-ferrous metals and run at a higher speed. The ones that are meant to stand on the floor seem to be set up for running at slower speeds need for steel.

Douig

 

[barney]

I've watched some videos of talented clock makers using small escapement files and curved rifflers for cutting clearances in difficult faces. Their finished work looked excellent. I can't see why this method can't be used to 'mill' a liner pivot clearance on a small slipjoint. While this method wouldn't make sense for someone making many knifes I can't see how it wouldn't be appropriate for the occasional small slipjoint for a person interested in primarily using files to make a slipjoint .

 

[John Wilson]

I've watched some videos of talented clock makers using small escapement files and curved rifflers for cutting clearances in difficult faces. Their finished work looked excellent. I can't see why this method can't be used to 'mill' a liner pivot clearance on a small slipjoint. While this method wouldn't make sense for someone making many knifes I can't see how it wouldn't be appropriate for the occasional small slipjoint for a person interested in primarily using files to make a slipjoint .

You’re absolutely right. Folding knives, clocks, and guns for that matter were made long before anyone had a milling machine. It absolutely can be done. The equalizer is time. If time is no object you can do just about anything and do a beautiful job of it.

You don’t have to mill liners at all. Plenty of people use washers. You just have to account for that clearance by making your backspring thicker.

We were only suggesting a mill over a drill press because unless you’re just making a slipjoint or three for fun, time and effort are what you can never get back. Fighting with tools that make things harder on you is a miserable way to spend valuable time.