[Pete] purchased himself an old South bend lathe, however sadly a few of the thumb screws were missing from this fine old machine. Originally, the lathe had knurled thumbscrews, as well as with a thumbscrew from Ace hardware the lathe itself was functional, however by no implies looking its best. With a lathe you can make just about anything, so [Pete] chose he would make his own knurled thumbscrews and bring this lathe back to life.
Knurling is a diamond or linear pattern of indentations typically discovered on elegant metal knobs, flashlights, as well as other devices that needs a great grip. While there are knurling tools for lathes, [Pete] chose to utilize his knurlmaster – a handheld gadget that appears like a pipe cutter – to cut a few knurls into a steel bar.
As for making this knurled bar into a appropriate thumbscrew, [Pete] shows us two methods: the very first is tapping the knurled steel, putting in the best screw for the job, as well as protecting the parts with Loctite. The second technique includes cutting the threads on the lathe, an outstanding example of exactly how a lathe can make just about anything, even parts for itself.