I’m using a bunch of 8/32 t-nuts and the shortest screws I could find at the HW store are 1/2″. I need them about 1/4-3/8″ long. What’s the best way to cut them so they will still thread in easily.
I have a pair of “electricians” pliers with the screw cutter built in but 8/32 screws are the largest they will cut and just barely at that.
I also have a cheap set of taps/dies which include 8/32
The biggest problem with hacksawing them is that the screws, after cutting, become a pain in the neck to start.
I thought about putting the screw into the die, cutting it off then backing the die off – but that does not solve the “getting started” problem.
Any Suggestions?
Thanks,
Mark
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Replies
If you thread the nut on the screw first, then removing the nut will re-align the distorted threads.
You can purchase special files called "thread restoring files". They are square in crossection, 8.5" long. Each one has eight T.P.I. on it.
I have three such files, one for SAE fine thread, SAE coarse and metric threads. Mine happen to be called "Nu-Trix", from Reiff & Nestor Co. Lykens, Penn., but there are other sources.
Practice...'till you can do it right the first time.
As someone already mentioned, threading a nut on first is the way to go. If you have a bunch, the burr may ruin the bolt so try using your die instead of a nut if there is enough threads left.
A dremel with a cut off wheel is a cleaner way to go, just make sure you wear safety glasses as they DO throw stuff.
Mark,
Thread on a nut, or even two or three, which can help establish your cutting length, and then clamp the bolt head and the nuts in a vise, with the threaded end to be cut off projecting.
Using a new, fine tooth, good quality hacksaw blade, carefully, and gently cut off the extra threaded portion. It will take a minute or to, but relax and let the saw work at its own pace, just like hand sawing wood. If you use smooth strokes and keep the blade in the cut, you won't create burrs or damage the adjacent threads. A little oil or wax on the blade will keep it sharp longer.
After cutting off the bolt, use a small, sharp file to clean up, and square off if needed, the end of the remaining bolt before you thread off the nut. After the nut is off, going around the bolt end again with a fine file, to finish the cut threads with a small bevel, helps to make it easy to start the bolt.
If the bolt is hardened, such as a socket head screw or a sheet rock screw, which can't be cut with a hacksaw, use a reinforced cutting disc on a Dremel to cut the bolt using the same basic procedure as above. If you use the Dremel, be sure to wear eye protection.
Hope this helps, John W.
Mark, I know the problem-and it is worsened by the fact that you need to end up with a short screw. I assume you do not have a lathe, but you do have a disc sander or bench grinder, so here's a quick method-faster and cruder than using a lathe but effective:-
Tkae a piece of wood the same thickness as your desired screw length-drill a hole the same dimeter as the screw, place the screw through it and hold a backing piece on it as it will get hot when you hog off the excess length on your disc sander, bench grinder or best of all belt grinder if you have one. Do them all like this , pressing them out into a tin can or something to hold them until cool. Now they are all the same length, but the ends are flat and sharp-not good for starting into their tee nuts. You can cure that in a jiffy by chucking into your cordless drill and grinding a bevel by holding the revolving screw against the grinder-just think about the direction first. If the screw heads are c/s you need to be careful about how you chuck them- you can dodge that by having a tube to fit over the screw threads, which has an outside diameter equal to or a little less than the head diameter, so the drill chuck can close down evenly on it .
Sounds complicated but in fact very easy and fast-much better than messing with files and hacksaws etc, .
Philip's method is very good.I usually just use vise-grips. Then a standard file will put a nice chamfer on the end.
Great. Just the solution I was looking for. Belt sander, here I come...
THanks,
Mark
Visit my woodworking blog Dust Maker
Or you could go to Home Depot or a similar place and get a new stripper/crimper with the bolt cutter. Gardner Bender sells one that's better than the cheap one at HD, even though it looks almost identical. I have been using the G-B kind over the past 20 years and have found it to be a great value at less than $20 and I use mine all the time.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Mark,
I use two nuts (don't go there!) threaded onto the machine screw. Figure out how long it needs to be and thread on the nuts, one on either side of the finished length. Back one off (to the waist side) so your hack saw will fit neatly between them. This ensures your cut is square. Once you finish the cut you have only one nut left on the screw. Don't remove it yet, first file or grind the cut end of the screw, flush with the nut, this will remove much of the burr.
Now turn the nut toward the screw-head a bit and chamfer the cut end with a file or by grinding, then remove the nut, which will knock off the remaining burr if any.
Sound like a lot of steps but it goes very quickly.
Best,
David C
Mark,
Take a Nut and cut a slot across the thread.
Put that nut on screw .
Clamp nut with screw in vice , slot will prevent screw from turning.
Set to right length and cut with hack saw.
Take file and 2 to 3 strokes will remove burr.
Loosen vise a bit and back screw out.
You are home free, will do 50 screws in 20 minutes with same nut.
Hilmar
Edited 10/21/2005 10:36 pm ET by h12721
Edited 10/21/2005 10:38 pm ET by h12721
Plenty of good advise there BUT WAIT, when did youse Yanks slip 8/32" into the Pandora's box of imperial measurements? I seem to recall it was 1/4" when I went to school in the bad old days of pre-metrication.
It's bad enough with 6/4 & 4/4 timber for us poor English* English speakers so why not go the whole hog & call them 250/1000ths then at least the engineers out there will talk to you
:-)
Tongue stuck firmly in cheek, Don
*Compared with microsoft, US, or any other than wot the queen speaketh
It's not 8/32", it's an 8-32 screw. That means #8 screw, 32 threads per inch. The fractions don't usually come in 'till the diameter is a bit larger. 1/4-20 or 24, 5/16-18, etc. I keep hearing people call them 6/32, 8/32, etc and these people should know better, in most cases.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
Highfigh, Sorry my error, it's what we call a No.8 UNC. Still, I've got to watch those old imperialists in case they slip another non metric measurement in just to confound us all:-)
Don
I should have been more clear about the people telling me about 8/32 and 6/32 screws. These are the ones working in hardware stores, suppliers and people at work. After re-reading, it looked like I was dumping on people here and I didn't mean to.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
did you ever have to deal with 'Nuffield's mad metric'?
My old MG ('54 TF) had French metric threads with BS or Whitworth heads on most of the engine bolts. Apparently this was to allow the average British mechanic to work on the engine when some of the components were imported. Fortunately the smaller ones were sufficiently close to BSF to re tap if you needed a new bolt.
David
Hilmar, that is the machinists way-it is effective but slow. That is the way of the machinist and metals-they like hacksaws and files ans sweat. We woodworms like results quickly , especially when dealing with the nasty cold unyielding metals. I am just funning again.Philip Marcou
That is the way of the machinist and metals-they like hacksaws and files ans sweat. SWEAT? A machinist? Hardly! It gets stuff rusty unless ya workin in brass or 416 stainless...
Mark: McFeelys has 8/32's as short as 1/4''. Duke
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I did a quick search at http://www.mcmaster.com for #8-32, 5/16 long, any material or head type, and they have 31 different selections of 5/16 long #8-32 screws. You can buy a pack of 100 pan head in plain steel for $2.52.
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