Locating threaded-unthreaded rod

[bob]

Hi,

I'm trying to locate some 5/8" steel rod - threaded for about 5" and unthreaded for about 3" - for a total of 8" long. thread required is

11 threads per inch. The rod is to replace the elevation screw on my Rockwell jointer. Someone suggested buying a threaded 5/8" bolt and cutting off the head, but I can't seem to locate long bolts with this much thread on them. They typically have 1.75" of thread. Anyone know a source of these bolts with 5" of 11 TPI thread, or a source of threaded/unthreaded rod.

thanks in advance.

bob

[Lew Hodgett]

The operative words are "little elbow grease".

Having done this job a time or two, it is a lot of friggin work

If it were me, I'd buy some grade 2 hex head bolts and head to a machine shop.

Let them do the hard work.

A question:

What is the problem using a fully threaded rod?

Faster and lower cost.

Lew

[CW]

??

[Upscale]

What's to stop you from buying unthreaded rod and threading it yourself? < $20 to buy a die and steel rod and an investment of a little elbow grease should give you what you want.

[Phisherman]

Try an auto store.

[Doug Miller]

Have you tried MSC (mscdirect.com) or McMaster-Carr (mcmaster.com)?

[Joe AutoDrill]

He didn't buy the handle to drive the die and is turning it with his fingers. :)

Seriously though... Why not a fully threaded rod?

Or... Pay me and I'll do it for you. ....But I'm sure a local machine shop will cost you less in the long run.

Regards, Joe Agro, Jr. [phone]

01.908.542.0244 Automatic / Pneumatic Drills: Spindle Drills:

[spaco]

try Fastenal.

Or go here:

Stanaitis

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bob wrote:

[joeljcarver]

Not really. Use thread cutting oil -- it contains sulfur which facilitates cutting steel. You should be able to get it at a plumbing supply.

By the way, I also use this oil when I'm drilling into steel. I've even used it with a hole saw . Also a couple drops on a hack saw makes the work go faster.

Joel

[Larry W]

This is a standard diameter and thread size. Is there any reason the rod cannot be threaded for it's entire length. If regular allthread is strong enough, that would be the least expensive solution.

If the rod _must_ be unthreaded for a portion of it's length, you could buy a 5/8-11 die and some 5/8 steel rod, and cutting and threading the length you need. If you need higher strength steel for this part, say the equivalent of a grade 5 or grade 8 bolt, consider buying 8" bolts, using the die to thread to the correct length, and cut off the head. If you make these with grade 8 bolts you (and the die) will get a minor workout cutting the threads.

[bob]

Thanks for all the suggestions.

I am considering buying a die and threading the 5" section that I need. From what I understand this is tedious, and not as accurate as buying a pre-threaded section. Hence, my desire to avoid doing the threading myself.

The original elevation adjusting screw in my jointer is not threaded on the end that sits in a 5/8" hole in the jointer table. I suspect it could be threaded there, but that might tend to enlare the hole in the cast iron. It might also make turning the screw more difficult if the threads tended to "bite" into the cast iron. I'm not sure about this; maybe Rockwell did this as a cost-saving measure.

So far, all the bolt suppliers I've contacted have only bolts that are threaded the last 1.75 inches or so. But i'll keep trying.

bob

[Doug Miller]

Check to make sure it's standard threads, and not Acme threads. The difference is that standard screw threads look kinda like this: (view in a fixed-space font)

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

and Acme threads look more like this

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ / \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \_/ \