KeithB
Resident Half Fast Machinist
I was working on a project (that I will post here shortly) and ended up needing some 1-1/2" long 1/2-13 socket head cap screws. Unfortunately I had purchased some that were 2" long. Would have swapped them for the right ones but it was late and the vendor I deal with was closed so I decided to shorten the ones I had.
I found a nut and used the upright band saw to cut through one side. Then I threaded the nut onto the cap screw until the bottom of the nut was 1/8" shorter than the desired length, in this case 1-3/8" from the bottom of the head to the bottom of the nut. This lets me measure from the bottom of the nut to the end of the cap screw to get 1-1/2" length.
Be sure you make sure the split in the nut is between the jaws so that jaw pressure closes the nut up tightly onto the screw. The photos below show (1) the unaltered screw ready to be cut, (2) the screw being cut in several light passes, and (3) the finished screw after being cut to length and chamfered to clean up the end threads.
I found a nut and used the upright band saw to cut through one side. Then I threaded the nut onto the cap screw until the bottom of the nut was 1/8" shorter than the desired length, in this case 1-3/8" from the bottom of the head to the bottom of the nut. This lets me measure from the bottom of the nut to the end of the cap screw to get 1-1/2" length.
Be sure you make sure the split in the nut is between the jaws so that jaw pressure closes the nut up tightly onto the screw. The photos below show (1) the unaltered screw ready to be cut, (2) the screw being cut in several light passes, and (3) the finished screw after being cut to length and chamfered to clean up the end threads.
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