Best way to shorten a screw?

[BigB_117]

as cheap as screws are i just have all the sizes i need "thumbsup" ...........bob

....

This was a case where the exact lenght I needed didn't exist. Traxxas motor mount screws make great servo mount screws because they have a big fat flat head on them, but they were a little too long for the lower servo mount holes on my Berg.

 

[Andsetinn]

Not really. I use these all the time to cut screws but it messes up the last thread from being sheared. It is especially bad on larger stainless screws. I would still recommend chamfering the end of the screw so it will both start easier and not gouge the mating part.



It will cut stainless just fine. Stainless screws are softer than the steel screws so they cut easier but tend to deform more at the end.

You're probably aware of this but, if you put the screw in from the wrong side you'll get deformed threads.

 

[dkf]

You're probably aware of this but, if you put the screw in from the wrong side you'll get deformed threads.

Yeah, I know which side to put it through. The fit is too loose on crimp tool to straighten the very last thread out the way its supposed to be. Its the worst on stainless screws because they are soft the steel screws shear more cleanly. I use the good Klein tools too not the cheapies.

 

[philthewrench]

X3 "thumbsup"

When you take the screw out, it straightens the threads out.

It's one of those great tools... must have.

Phil

 

[Joat]

Just go to lowes and see what they have. You might be able to find a better set online though. I cut stainless with mine also.

Lowes is a 45min drive and the only one we have is a joke

I use the good Klein tools too not the cheapies.

Got a part/tool # or a link,TIA

 

[dkf]

Lowes is a 45min drive and the only one we have is a joke


Got a part/tool # or a link,TIA

I never found a Klein stripper with the holes to cut metric screws. They don't show a metric stripper in their catalogs. I pretty much always use standard screws and cut them on a regular basis. McmAster sells a metric stripper that should be a good one (they don't specify brand) www.mcmaster.com # 69275K86. The standard Klein cutter I use most often is #1010 but #1000 is good also and provides a little more leverage.

 

[DwaneO]

I cut em with a pair of side cutters and then chamfer the end on the belt grinder , takes me about 5 seconds . "thumbsup"

 

[Undead Jeeper]

Ah. Glad I found this thread and the answer I sought--in other words the *second answer*; cutting screws with the screw shears on wire stripper pliers.
From what I understand, it will make a clean cut with very little of a burr on the end and likely not damage the remaining threads...

Would buying metric screws (M2, M2.5, M3) in the maximum lengths you can find (20-30mm long) and cutting them to size with
the pliers be a viable course of action?

Sure seems better than trying to find an assortment of different lengths (what a bore)...

:roll:

 

[themountain]

Ah. Glad I found this thread and the answer I...

After 12 years "thumbsup"

 

[austin-92]

Don’t touch yourself for a few days prior?


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[svt923]

Would buying metric screws (M2, M2.5, M3) in the maximum lengths you can find (20-30mm long) and cutting them to size with
the pliers be a viable course of action?

Sure seems better than trying to find an assortment of different lengths (what a bore)...

:roll:

I really don’t know what that would accomplish.

Longer screws cost more so buying a ton of M3x25 or 30s would cost 30-40% more than common 10 or 12mm screws just to spend your time shortening them and then throw that extra material you paid for in the trash.

If you can knock out shortening each screw in 10 seconds, you are approaching 10 minutes for 50 screws. I’m pretty sure I can look up what sizes I need and order 1000s of screws in under 10 minutes so the time spent on shortening screws would end up far greater after a relatively small quantity.

So in conclusion, this plan of theoretical convenience would cost more in both time and money not to mention the difficulty of consistently cutting equal length screws.

 

[fyrstormer]

I personally find that cutting screws is the best way to shorten them.

<_<

>_>

I use a Dremel cutting wheel. It doesn't mangle the threads the way bolt-cutting pliers do.

 

[HugoBiermann]

M3 screws are so cheap if you buy them form a engineering supplier over here. I can fill up trays of each different length for the same cost of a Mabuchi silver can. Thats years of building....


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