Knurling
Glossary · Machining Operations
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Knurling presses a crosshatch or straight pattern into a cylindrical surface to create grip, usually with a hardened rolling wheel rather than by cutting.
In practice
Most knurling displaces metal instead of removing it, so the diameter grows slightly as the pattern is formed. It is used on handles, knobs, adjusting collars and occasionally to build up a worn diameter for a press fit.
Why it matters
Because knurling raises the diameter, the blank has to be turned undersize by a calculated amount first. Getting that wrong is the usual reason a knurled part will not fit its mating bore.
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