Thread: Trimming Screws

Hi All,
some of you may already use this method, but for those who have not yet... i was trying to cut down the length on some 0-80 torx screws on the weekend. Trying to hold something that small and take a coping saw to it was near impossible. Still can't find one head i dropped....
Anyway, i had a "lightbulb" moment. {yeah - even used Gru's accent... } i had some brass bar 1/8" thick. Drilled and tapped a hole in it. Run the screw through. Then have something easy to hold onto while i cut the excess length off { i wanted 1/8" length but couldn't find it in the gold plated screws, so started with 1/4"}.
Run the screw in and out a couple of teams to clean up the cut end and voila!

Hope this idea helps some others.
Adam

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!

No dremel? Run it thru the razor and tighten to your taste. Use a Dremel cut-off wheel and a fine drum to dress it to the nut. Polish! Should back right out, whether you want it to ....or not!

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").

Originally Posted by sharptonn

No dremel? Run it thru the razor and tighten to your taste. Use a Dremel cut-off wheel and a fine drum to dress it to the nut. Polish! Should back right out, whether you want it to ....or not!

No Nuts.
used a tube that i threaded from both ends for the pivot pin and 2nd pin. Screws run right into this. Thanks to Gabor {Buddel} for the details on that idea.
Regards,
Adam

OH! I had envisioned a pivot nut n bolt! If your threaded bar is the thickness of your desired bolts, I can see it being cool to make many of them fast without having to measure each time! A neat idea!

Originally Posted by Adam G.

No Nuts.
used a tube that i threaded from both ends for the pivot pin and 2nd pin. Screws run right into this. Thanks to Gabor {Buddel} for the details on that idea.
Regards,
Adam

Wow you tapped an 0-80 thread. God bless you. I couldn't even see that tap properly let alone use it and not snap it.
You da man!!!

It takes patience, Tarkus! Some have it, some don't! (HAR!)


I would have the same problem, of course!

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.