Bolt shortening
Posted: Fri Mar 28, 2014 8:37 pm
A couple of people have asked the question: "The Bolt/Screw/Fastener is too long, How do I shorten it?"
Well, it is pretty simple really but if you follow this simple guide you will never have a problem. This is going to be a pictoral "How To" because I like pretty colours:-)
So, for this exercise we are going to shorten a High Tensile Cap screw by 10mm or so:
You will see that there is a nut wound onto the threads and this is the best way I have found to cut bolts. It acts as both a guide and, more importantly as you will see later, it helps with the integrity of the threads. Okay, in the vice:
You can see that the nut is protruding ever so slightly beyond the vice jaws and I used this as the guide for the hacksaw after first ensuring the bolt is wound through it leaving the correct length:
Now, I have wound the bolt further through the nut and fastened it in the vice nice and vertically, ready with one of my favourite tools:
A couple of light strokes with the file and it is nice and smooth and I have cleaned up the edge:
Next up, back in the vice and a good tight grip of the nut, this deforms the nut slightly and this is intentional. As I wind the bolt out the threads at the tip of the bolt are assured of their correct form. This almost guarantees the bolt will easily start back into a nut or whatever without hassle. Occasionally, when sawing or cropping a bolt, you can unintentionally deform the threads or otherwise damage them making it impossible to use the bolt at all. A note of caution: If you then try to repair the threads by running a Die down them it will end in disaster as a high tensile bolt will not re-cut and the Die will bind on the bolt.
Here you go, the finished item. Works perfectly:
Well, it is pretty simple really but if you follow this simple guide you will never have a problem. This is going to be a pictoral "How To" because I like pretty colours:-)
So, for this exercise we are going to shorten a High Tensile Cap screw by 10mm or so:
You will see that there is a nut wound onto the threads and this is the best way I have found to cut bolts. It acts as both a guide and, more importantly as you will see later, it helps with the integrity of the threads. Okay, in the vice:
You can see that the nut is protruding ever so slightly beyond the vice jaws and I used this as the guide for the hacksaw after first ensuring the bolt is wound through it leaving the correct length:
Now, I have wound the bolt further through the nut and fastened it in the vice nice and vertically, ready with one of my favourite tools:
A couple of light strokes with the file and it is nice and smooth and I have cleaned up the edge:
Next up, back in the vice and a good tight grip of the nut, this deforms the nut slightly and this is intentional. As I wind the bolt out the threads at the tip of the bolt are assured of their correct form. This almost guarantees the bolt will easily start back into a nut or whatever without hassle. Occasionally, when sawing or cropping a bolt, you can unintentionally deform the threads or otherwise damage them making it impossible to use the bolt at all. A note of caution: If you then try to repair the threads by running a Die down them it will end in disaster as a high tensile bolt will not re-cut and the Die will bind on the bolt.
Here you go, the finished item. Works perfectly: