Thread: Trimming Screws

Originally Posted by cudarunner

The idea and principle sounds pretty solid! Did you file the cut off end any before you backed it through the threaded plate?

I would ‘think’ that even if the end was smooth that the slightly torn and sharp threads would end up ruining the threads in the brass bar! Would steel bar work better by having the threads last longer?

I would suppose it would all matter with how many times you needed to cut a screw down.

In the past when I needed to make a jig or suchI always tried to think of a way to make it last so I wouldn’t have to make it over again!

Just wondering your thoughts!

Nah - seemed to work fine. Did four screws this way, cut off with a coping saw, and did not seem to damage the brass bar maybe because the screws are so small. Dunno, but if the thread in the bar does start to fail, it is about an inch wide so plenty of room to drill more holes.
Adam

Originally Posted by Adam G.

Nah - seemed to work fine. Did four screws this way, cut off with a coping saw, and did not seem to damage the brass bar maybe because the screws are so small. Dunno, but if the thread in the bar does start to fail, it is about an inch wide so plenty of room to drill more holes.
Adam

Sounds good as I said:

("I would suppose it would all matter with how many times you needed to cut a screw down").

I've always just:
threaded a nut on
cut with a flush cutter
filed the end
took the nut off
filed any remaining burr

I think your method would work well for doing screws to the same length. Usually mine are just for mockups or to hold the scales together for sanding.