Knitting Needles

[billybrown]

Hi, I want to manufacture knitting needles that vary in diameter from 12mm, down to 2mm (length from 10cm to 30cm) – I intend to produce about 10,000 a year, so it would need to be as automated as possible.
Any advice as to machinery ? :?

 

[Scrums]

At the risk of seeming cynical (.....who me ? ) :wink: have you thought of approaching a Chinese exporter ?

Chris

 

[Archy]

ow thats thin , i'm a bulk turner by trade and use fells rotary knife lathes, going from my memory i think the thinnest i've turned was 5000 oak drum sticks and they were 3/8" at the thickest part tapering down slightly to small lump at the end, i haven't got a copy lathe only rotary knife and my hand lathes , i know a couple of turners who have copy lathes, for my own info i will give them a ring tomorrow and ask whats the thinnest they will do and post back if it helps,
no doubt there is some machine out there somewhere that can handle that without losing half of em up the extractor

Richard

 

[billybrown]

Thanks for the replies.

Chris : Thanks, but I am trying to appeal to the "green" market.

Richard : Great, any info would be most appreciated...maybe I should be looking at more than one machine/process.

Mike

 

[Archy]

Hi Mike,
The only way i can think of is to buy the dowels in from abroad ie denmark finland sweden , i know someone who imports alot for use in stems for wooden flowers, get them @ 3/8"or 1/2" dia then just turn the taper and button at the top , you would have to leave what we call a halfpenny on each end to be cut off then dolly sand the end point,
I don't know what dia a doweling machine will go down to as that could be another way to go but you would still need to taper the needles ,
Do you mean the dia starts at 12mm tapering down to 2 mm? the same for all lenghts?
A lot of the windsor chair firms that i know buy the dowels in @1/2" then just taper the ends down on a copy lathe to 3/8" or if there only about 12" long then they send them to me and i put them on the rotary knife and do a small taper, but turning that thin you will get a lot of flyers so you will need to take that into account.
Time wise a rotary knife will be much faster than a copy lathe
Richard

 

[Bodrighy]

2mm knitting needles aren't going to be very strong if they are in wood even if they are only 10cm long. , my missus and my sister are both into this sort of craft and I don't remember ever seeing anything that thin except crochet needles. My brother-in-law turns needles but they are oversize specialist ones, nothing that thin.

Pete

 

[billybrown]

Hi Richard,
I need to produce a full range of different sizes. The smallest diameter ones will be double pointed only (2mm, 2.5mm and 3mm). The 3.5 mm size and above sizes will be produced in both double pointed and normal knitting needle style. Ideally I want a turned cap end. There is a company in the US who make these but, I would be in direct competition with them so can’t ask for advice. Any recommendations for manufactures of a rotary knife?
Mike

 

[billybrown]

Hi Pete,
They are sold in sets of five for knitting socks, one company give you a sixth needle in the set – ready for breakages !
Mike

 

[dickm]

If you are down to 2mm, I'd expect you to have real trouble turning something that small. My daughter has some needles of that size made from bamboo, but they appear to be "as grown". Maybe that would be the way to go? Choose your species and conditions and you might get pretty precise dimensiions.

 

[Archy]

hi Mike
2. 3 .mm i wouldn't even try them on a rotary knife lathe it wouldn't be cost effective at all , 3/8 tapering down over 20 cm to 1/8" i think would be your limit , i've been using rotary knife lathes for 40 years and have never tried turning that small .
There a specilist machine , and are hard to come by but i've got 3 W A fells lathes , i used to have a very old Mattison lathe which was from the USA that was rotary knife as well ,
i'm not sure what more to suggest , i'm sure there must be a machine out there that will churn them out , but everyone i've spoke to about it cant help , all those i know with copy lathes said that they wouldn't be interested in trying them due to the thin size.
Sorry i cant help more but i will continue asking around , as big trees from little acorns grow
Richard

 

[billybrown]

Thanks again for the replies -
This forum is one of the most active and helpful that I have come across.
****: I have seen them in birch, but I am looking at walnut.
Richard: As you can tell I am very new to this so many thanks for your time and sharing your knowledge.

 

[tekno.mage]

I inherited some very thin wooden knitting needles in a bunch of sewing/knitting stuff when an aunt died. They are very old, about 3mm in diameter and 7" long (inc knob on one end) and appear to be made of boxwood. I have no idea how they were made, and would hate to have to turn something like that myself! However, they have obviously been used and are surprisingly strong - having outlasted similar vintage plastic examples which are now incredibly brittle and easy to break!

tekno.mage