Posted: 9/22/2009 12:29:29 PM EDT
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Ok, I know, long time no tool tips...
from a survival standpoint if SHTF, or TEOTWAWKI, hardware will be very important to keep our mechanical crap alive, and here's a good way to limit the vast amount of bolts you have to keep laying around. (partial reposted from my original post on my forum) How do you go about having every sized bolt you may need, but never know you need it till you strip one? Get a small selection next time you're at the hadware store instead of getting 10 of each bolt that is in your gun or project. Here's a short how to on how to cut bolts down to size: Cut one side of a correctly threaded nut thru to the center: *note that I frequently use the side of my vise jaws as a saw guide 
Detail of split nut: 
Inserting bolt/machine screw in this fashion allows for use of the vise jaws as saw guide an easier to steady your hand if using a dremel: 
After using a hacksaw/dremel to shorten the machine screw, use a sanding drum on the dremel, or a hand file to clean up the cut if needed. Completed shorter machine screw: 
and while I don't have pics, you can also make bolts of any length by using all-thread and welding/brazing a nut to the end (assuming you have the ability) and cutting it to length... in a pinch you can use a similar method by jamming two nuts on one end of the all thread and using that as the head (if there's room on your project) Feel free to add your nut/bolt tips here... |
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Quoted:
Explain the split nut to me, why can't you just screw a nut on the bolt, cut the bolt, and then when you unscrew the nut it will fix the threads? What am I missing? the split nut is so you can hold the bolt in the vice without damaging the threads, and without the bolt twisting, as it would without the split. |
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Quoted:
Quoted:
Explain the split nut to me, why can't you just screw a nut on the bolt, cut the bolt, and then when you unscrew the nut it will fix the threads? What am I missing? the split nut is so you can hold the bolt in the vice without damaging the threads, and without the bolt twisting, as it would without the split. In addition to that, the split also works as a relief, to where the chips/burrs can accumulate and not cause damage to the threads. ETA: If you have a tapped hole that has some crud in it, but you don't have the right size tap, you can put a slit in the first couple of threads of a bolt to clean out the threads. The slice must be perpendicular to the threads. |