How Do You Cut Screws To The Proper Length?

[Billh50]

For small machine screws I have an old wire stripping tool that is used exclusivtely for screw cutting. I then touch them against the 120 grit belt sander and dress the and with a slight chamfer.

If I need it to be "exact", I use a double nut to cut up to along with dressing it against the belt sander. I also made some small holders to fit a couple of screw sizes in which I can use the 12" disc sander and then touch against the 120 grit belt sander.

This it what I do all the time....seems I never have the right length screw. And sometimes no matter how many times I cut it it is still too short.

 

[RJSakowski]

For small screws I have a combination wire cutter/stripper that shears them off. It has threaded holes in one jaw at a point where the jaws overlap and the other jaw is hardened and sharpened. Larger ones I cut with the bandsaw (run a couple of nuts on first). If I only need to remove a little bit I use the grinder.

When cutting screws with a hacksaw also use some nuts. Put several nuts on, jamming a couple together to hold the screw, clamp the nuts in a vice, and cut next to one of the nuts. Backing the nuts off will clean up the threads.

I use the wire cutter/stripper/crimping tool as well. One thing that I did with mine was to insert an appropriate tap from the threaded side and, squeezing lightly, cut a bit of thread in the clearance side. It tends to keep the jaws from spreading and gives a cleaner thread.

One of my to-do projects is to scale up that tool to cut threads up to 1/2". The idea was to use two pieces of leaf spring for the shearing blades. Weld a handle on one blade and a mounting extension for use with a vise or permanent mounting to a workbench.

 

[chips&more]

I use a Stanley screw cutter as pictured for up to 5/16”. For more delicate work I use the two plate clamp method and file it, also pictured. If I’m really fussy, I will put the screw in the lathe and hold it with a collet…Good Luck, Dave.

 

[rwm]

I use a Stanley screw cutter as pictured for up to 5/16”. For more delicate work I use the two plate clamp method and file it, also pictured. If I’m really fussy, I will put the screw in the lathe and hold it with a collet…Good Luck, Dave.

I have never seen that Stanley tool. I can't even seem to find it on the internet. Do you know if it is still made or who has it?
R

 

[chips&more]

I have never seen that Stanley tool. I can't even seem to find it on the internet. Do you know if it is still made or who has it?
R

Maybe try “Stanley 84-205” for your search. Not sure if Stanley makes the thing anymore? If they don’t make it anymore, I don’t know why? Because it sure does do the job nicely. Way better than those little combo screw cutter/strippers. And check to make sure what threads it cuts. There are different ones with different threaded holes…Good Luck, Dave.

 

[GSWayne]

I tap holes in a piece of 3/16" x 1" steel bar. Then thread the screw through, clamp the bar in the vise and then use a cold chisel to shear off extra length. It makes a pretty clean cut and as you back out the screws it cleans up the threads. I also use the wire strippers with the screw cutters, but I made my own cutter for metric screws. 6mm is probably as big a screw as I would want to try using this technique. It looks like the picture in post #40 above.

 

[Ben Nevis]

 

[xman_charl]

Made some of these, 3/8 - 1/4,





Put in lathe, use dremel for cuts, get length close to 1/16.

Charl

 

[JohnBDownunder]

I took a piece of 6mm x 20mm flat bar, drilled holes along the centreline at tapping size of the most used threads I use ( 3,4,5,6,7,8,10mm) plus one hole about 13mm at one end. Spent some time tapping the various holes then cut a slot (thin slitting saw) along said centreline to split from far end to the 13mm hole. To cut a bolt / screw (I am assuming it is machine screws not wood we are discussing.) I screw it in the appropriate hole squeeze in the vise, hacksaw off and file. Works well for me and being painted red on the non sawing side is easy to see on the wall when needed.
John B

 

[TommyD]

Double nut it so it doesn't spin in the vice, hack away on it with a dull hacksaw blade, flatten and chamfer the cut edge and chase out the threads with the nutz.