Author Topic: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off  (Read 7596 times)

Offline Captain Jerry

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I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« on: March 24, 2019, 12:00:36 AM »
The only way to get tall nuts is to make your own.  I have made a few in the past but my current project is going to need about 36 tall #2 -56 nuts.  I have used 303 stainless hex and parted them off after tapping but I seen to loose more than I make and there is still a bur to remove and chamfer to add.  On top of that, since you can only tap about 5/8" deep with a #2-56 tap, you only get 3 useable nuts, allowing for parting tool loss for each setup.  A slow and laborious process at best.


Today, I decided to get serious and get some production going.  The first step was to keeo from loosing them so used a short stud a a #2-56 large pattern nut.  After cranking the nut down against the shoulder, I ground off the threaded shank to leave 3 full threads.  This will be used as a mandrel for polishing and chamfering the nut after cutting off.


The hex stock is drilled and tapped in the lathe as you would expect.  The three exposed threads are then screwed into the stock, tight up against the large pattern nut.  The mandrel is only an inch long.  I then use a special gauge ( small needle nose pliers) to set the exposed length of stock to the desired height of the nut plus the thickness of two steel washers.  The washers are slipped over the end of the mandrel and the large nut to act as a guide and to protect the jaws of the lathe chuck.  Using a small hacksaw against the second washer, I cut the nut off.  I drops into a small tray under the chuck, and because it is attached to the mandrel, it doesn't bounce around and get lost.  I pick up a file and file the end of the stock in the chuck to remove any burr and the pickup the mandrel with nut still attached from the tray.  A five second twiddle against the belt sander to remove any burr and add a little chamfer.


Take a breath and repeat.


I can get four nuts before needing to drill and tap again.  My tap drill wanders off center very slightly but I can get three sets before the hole has wandered off center enough that I need to clean up the end of the stock with a parting and respot with a center drill.


After I got the process worked out, I was able to 40 nuts in less than an hour before running out of stock.


From now on, I will hacksaw my nuts off.


Jerry
NOTARY SOJAK

There are things that you can do and some things you can't do. Don't worry about it. try it anyway.

Offline crueby

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #1 on: March 24, 2019, 12:36:12 AM »
Are there supposed to be pictures?


Um, with that thread title, forget I asked...   :o

Offline Captain Jerry

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #2 on: March 24, 2019, 12:50:26 AM »
Are there supposed to be pictures?


Um, with that thread title, forget I asked...   :o




Of course there are pictures.  Wanna see um?
NOTARY SOJAK

There are things that you can do and some things you can't do. Don't worry about it. try it anyway.

Offline crueby

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #3 on: March 24, 2019, 12:54:01 AM »
think so!

Offline Captain Jerry

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #4 on: March 24, 2019, 01:05:52 AM »

Technical difficulties.  Try later.


Jerry
NOTARY SOJAK

There are things that you can do and some things you can't do. Don't worry about it. try it anyway.

Offline Pete49

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #5 on: March 24, 2019, 04:09:32 AM »
bit of a worry with that heading  :lolb:
I used to have a friend.....but the rope broke and he ran away :(....Good news everybody I have another friend...I used chain this time :)

Online Jo

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #6 on: March 24, 2019, 08:04:37 AM »
With that heading I was expecting to see blood  :facepalm2:

When I did the 10BA square (3.2mm A/F) nuts I use a carefully shaped thin parting off tool to part them off but found it was best not to drill/tap beyond one nut & parting off length or the drill wandered off  ::)

Jo

Enjoyment is more important than achievement.

Online Jasonb

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #7 on: March 24, 2019, 10:06:52 AM »
And if you grind your parting tool correctly it will put the chamfer on the stock still in the chuck as well as parting off the completed nut so no need to file or do a second op to chamfer.

Offline Captain Jerry

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #8 on: March 24, 2019, 03:15:05 PM »
I suppose I could do a better job of grinding the parting tool.  I may try that again.  But there is still the problem of flying nuts as the last bit is parted.  I also felt the need to run the tap through the parted off nut to be sure of good thread form without burrs. But I think I will stick with the hacksaw for now.  I get a very high rate of output compared to previous parting efforts.


Technical problems resolved.  Here are pics.




#1  Spot with center drill.


nuts l0001 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#2 Drill for tapping, 3/5" deep.


nuts l0002 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#3 Tap #2-56 to full depth of tap


nuts l0003 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#4  Insert mandrel


nuts l0006 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


nuts l0008 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#5  Set depth to height of nut plus thickness of two washers using special gauge


nuts l0009 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#6  Add two washers to protect chuck jaws


nuts l0010 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#7 Hack it of with blade against outer washer


nuts l0011 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#8 Mandrel with rough nut.


nuts l0012 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#9 File end of stock for next nut


nuts l0013 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#10 Twiddle the cut off nut against belt sander or disk sander or file if you prefer


nuts l0015 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


# 11  Finished nut


nuts l0016 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


#12  repeat from #4




This is a bunch of finished nuts and a couple of nuts applied.  They are not perfect but that is not out of character with the rest of the model.


nuts l0019 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


nuts l0020 by captain.jerry Ginn, on Flickr


I know.  I need to work on washers now.


Jerry
« Last Edit: March 24, 2019, 08:48:24 PM by Captain Jerry »
NOTARY SOJAK

There are things that you can do and some things you can't do. Don't worry about it. try it anyway.

Offline Brian Rupnow

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #9 on: March 24, 2019, 07:50:39 PM »
Jerry--that has to be the absolutely best thread title I have ever read. I've been chuckling about that all day.--Brian

Offline Art K

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Re: I Have Decided to Hacksaw My Nuts Off
« Reply #10 on: March 25, 2019, 12:37:20 AM »
That's almost as good as drunken shop elves.
Art
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