3 Foot Unthreaded Rods
What are 3 foot unthreaded rods? These are plain round steel bars supplied in three foot lengths, ready to cut and machine into pins, shafts, spacers, and custom components. Three feet is the practical stock length for this kind of work: long enough to yield several parts from a single bar, short enough to ship without freight complications, and manageable on a standard bandsaw or bench vise. AlbanyCountyFasteners.com stocks these in zinc plated steel, in six diameters from 3/8 inch through 1 inch.
Why three feet is the useful length
It comes down to how bar stock actually gets used. Most parts made from plain rod are short: a pivot pin a few inches long, a spacer under an inch, a roller shaft maybe a foot. A three foot bar yields a good number of those with minimal offcut waste, so the cost per finished part is low. It also ships as a standard parcel rather than as freight, which matters more than people expect, since a six foot bar often costs more to deliver than the material is worth. And three feet fits on a bandsaw table, in a bench vise, and on most shop racks without needing to be cut down first just to handle it.
Why choose 3 foot lengths
- Yields multiple parts from one bar, lowering cost per piece
- Ships as a standard parcel rather than as freight
- Manageable on a bandsaw, in a vise, and on shop racking
- Minimal offcut waste for typical pin and spacer work
- Convenient stock length to keep on hand for repairs
Diameters available
- 3/8 inch and 7/16 inch for pins and light linkage work
- 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch for shafts, spacers, and general fabrication
- 3/4 inch and 1 inch for heavier shafts, axles, and structural pins
- All in zinc plated steel
Common applications
- Pivot pins and linkage components in equipment repair
- Roller shafts, axles, and spindles
- Guide rods and alignment pins in jigs and fixtures
- Spacers, standoffs, and custom bushings
- Shop-built tooling and machine modifications
- Keeping stock on hand for unplanned repairs
For torque transmission between shaft and hub, keystock is the correct product rather than round bar. Background on working with plain bar is on our unthreaded rods page.
Related Categories
- Unthreaded Rods
- Zinc Plated Steel 3 Foot Unthreaded Rods
- Keystock
- Threaded Rods
- Rods, Studs & Keystock
3 Foot Unthreaded Rod FAQs
How many parts will I get from a three foot bar?
It depends on part length and cut width. A saw kerf takes roughly a sixteenth of an inch per cut, so for two inch pins you would expect around seventeen or eighteen from a bar allowing for the kerf and a squared first end.
Do you stock six foot lengths?
Not in unthreaded rod currently. Our threaded rod range includes six foot lengths, and if you need longer plain bar, contact us and we will advise on what can be sourced.
Which diameter should I choose for a pivot pin?
Match the existing hole if you are replacing a pin, allowing a small clearance for a free pivot. For a new design, the pin diameter should be sized to the shear load with a reasonable safety margin.
Is the bar straight?
Commercial bar stock is supplied straight within normal tolerances, though long thin sections can have slight bow. For a critical straightness requirement, specify ground and polished shafting instead.
Can I bend this rod?
Mild steel bar bends cold in smaller diameters with the right tooling, and heat helps on larger sections. Bear in mind that heating destroys the zinc plating locally and produces fumes, so remove the plating at the bend area first and ventilate.
How should I store it?
Horizontally on a rack or vertically in a tube, kept dry. The zinc plating handles normal shop conditions, but standing water or damp concrete will attack the ends where bare steel is exposed at the cut.