How To Properly Cut, Deburr And Chamfer Threaded Stud

How To Properly Cut, Deburr and Chamfer Threaded Stud

Many projects use threaded rod, also commonly called all thread, for hanging and stabilizing structures or objects. The biggest problem is that often, you can only find it in specific lengths that may not be suitable for your project. This means you will need to cut, deburr and chamfer the all-thread down to size.

To cut threaded rod down to the size you need is fairly simple but can leave some nasty burring on the end of the stud making it hard to fasten a nut onto. We sat down with our fastener expert and asked him how to cut clean threaded studs from a long bar of threaded rod.

SHOP THREADED RODS

Cutting

The first thing to do is measure your threaded rod to length. After you have measured and marked your threaded stud, insert it into your chop saw. Some chop saws (like the evolution industrial chop saw) have a small vise for holding the material being cut, in this case all thread, in place while keeping your hands at a safe distance. Simply bring the saw down and cut through the threaded rod.

*There are two kinds of blades primarily used in chop saws. The first which we are using in our evolution chop saw is known as a cold cutting blade. This means that the blade cuts with virtually no sparks. The second kind is the old school abrasive cutting blade. We tested this process on both kinds of blades below and have found that the cold cutting blade has significantly less burring than the abrasive style blade.

The abrasive saw also generates significantly more heat which can make the threaded rod hot to the touch so wear gloves. The cold cutting blade reduces this increase in temperature significantly. Still wear gloves for safety!

Abrasive Vs Cold Cutting Chop Saw Blades

SHOP ABRASIVES

Deburring

Now that you have a piece of threaded rod cut down to size, the next step is to remove and burring caused by cutting the rod, to do this you will need a grinder. Simply, take the threaded stud you cut and press the end against the grinding wheel to remove the burrs and smooth out the cut end.

SHOP GRINDING WHEELS

Chamfering

Chamfering is the process of removing the end of the threading and cutting an angle into it. Chamfering is done to clean up the start of threads so a nut can be easily fastened to the rod. To perform this process we use a tool called the Uniburr. A Uniburr is a cone shaped tool that attaches to a drill and quickly chamfers away the edges of a fastener.

Nice Work!

Now that you have cut, deburred and chamfered your threaded stud, the only thing left to do is go use it!

What Size Drill Bit Do I Use To Drill A Hole For A Carriage Bolt?

SHOP DRILL BITS

What Size Drill Bit Do I Use To Drill A Hole For A Carriage Bolt?

carriage bolt drill size

A common question we get when discussing carriage bolts is “What size drill bit do I use to drill a hole for a carriage bolt?” The answer is simple. Use the same size drill bit as the diameter of the bolt. If you are using a 1/2″ diameter bolt use a 1/2″ drill bit.

Installing A Carriage Bolt

Carriage bolts are very misunderstood and yet very simple to install. Made primarily for wood, carriage bolts have a square shoulder right below the head. This shoulder is designed to catch on wood and be pulled into it (by tightening the nut). Often you will find the domed head of a carriage bolt countersunk into the wood. To learn how to make a countersunk hole carriage bolt in wood you can check out this video we made: How To Drill A Countersunk Pilot Hole.

SHOP CARRIAGE BOLTS

Step One

The first thing to do when installing a carriage bolt is to determine the diameter of your carriage bolt. After you figure out the diameter with a thread gauge or other measuring tool, find a wood drill bit with the same diameter and then get your drill ready.

SHOP THREAD GAUGES SHOP WOOD DRILL BITS

Step Two

Now that you have your drill bit, mark the wood and drill out the hole. Depending on the type of wood drill bit you use to make the hole, the carriage bolt may slide right into the hole or be very tight. If it is very tight grab a hammer and tap the rounded head of the bolt so it slides into the hole. *Pro Tip: Since you already have the hammer out, once the hammering in a carriage bolt square shoulder gets down to the wood give it a couple solid hits, so the square portion begins to sink into the wood.

SHOP HAMMERS

Step Three

Take a washer and nut and fasten them to the carriage bolt against the wood. As you tighten the nut against the washer, it will pull the square shoulder into the wood preventing it from spinning. Once the domed head of the carriage bolt is tight against the wood the carriage bolt is installed.

SHOP WASHERS SHOP NUTS

Conclusion

Carriage bolts are surprisingly simple to understand and yet many people still struggle with them. Hopefully this post will help you to understand which size tightening a carriage bolt drill bit you will need and how to install a carriage bolt into wood.

Self Tapping Vs. Self Drilling Screws

What Are Self Tapping Screws?

Unless you are planning on through bolting something (the process of sliding a bolt through a hole and connecting a nut to the other side to hold it in place), almost every situation involving a bolt requires a tapped hole. A tap is a tool that can be inserted into a hole after it has been drilled and creates threading for the screw to fasten into.

Self tapping screws eliminate the need for a tap by having sharp cutting threads that can tap the threading themselves while being fastened. There are two large benefits of using self tapping screws. The first is that they save time and money by eliminating the need for a tap. The second is that the resulting threading they create is much more precise and creates a tighter stronger connection. It is common to see self tapping screws used in steel and masonry materials but they can also cut into plastic or wood.

What Are Self Drilling Screws?

Self drilling screws are a commonly used variety of screw for quick drilling into both metal and wood. A self drilling screw can typically be identified by its point and flute (notch) tip. This tip acts as a drill bit for the screw making it much faster to install then having to switch between a drill bit and driver bit.

The notched area in the tip acts as a reservoir to receive wood chips or metal filings. This creates the space necessary to drill/screw the screw all the way into place.

Self Drilling Screws are almost always made out of hard steel or some metal that has been treated to increase its hardness (such as 410 stainless steel). Always make sure when using self drilling screws, the material you drill into is softer than the screw material itself. Otherwise, the screws drilling tip will dull and not cut into the material. All self drilling screws are also self tapping by the nature of how they work.

Self drilling screws are a time saver eliminating both the steps of drilling (in most cases) and tapping a hole prior to installation. This also eliminates the need for drill bits and taps and switching between them for each hole.

*While these screws are able to drill their own holes, we still recommend using a standard drill bit first especially when going through very thin wood. This step will limit the amount chance of splitting/cracking significantly.

Self Drilling Vs Self Tapping: Which Is Better?

In the world of fasteners, the usual answer for which is better comes down almost entirely to the situation the fastener is being used for. From a time saving point of view, a self drilling screw is the better choice because it can eliminate the need for a drill bit making installations a one step process. However, both have their place and it comes down to knowing which to use in the situation at hand.

When To Use Fasteners Over Welds

Welds Or Fasteners?

A confusing subject to say the least. Welding is a common practice that creates a physical and (what is considered to be) permanent connection. Fasteners (for our discussion bolts) create a joint which is considered to be a temporary connection.

But, which is better? Is there a definitive answer to this question? The answer is: It depends. There are always situations in which welds or fasteners will end up on top. The harder part is trying to determine when to use one or the other. Today we are going to look at why you might think twice before starting a weld.

Why Welds Are Great (And Why They Are Not)

Welding is an excellent way to make a permanent joint between two materials. It is one of those set it and forget it types of connections, but what happens over time as that weld is put under stress? How do you know if the joint is still as strong as on day one?

The answer is welds are often harder to check and maintain than fasteners. Some of the special equipment required for weld testing costs excessive amounts of money. Welds require some intensive tests such as x-rays to check integrity throughout the weld. Welds are also considerably harder to remove and replace than fasteners. They can also be inconsistent in strength along a joint.

What May Make Fasteners A Better Decision

Fasteners are used for creating temporary joints. Fasteners, installed at equal distances, will provide the same strength at each joint without significant change. This makes them a better choice for weight distribution. They are also simple to check for corrosion or other weakening factors.

By far the best part about using a fastener over a weld is that if a fastener is bad, it is simple to remove it and replace it with a new one. They can also be adjusted over time to compensate for changes in the materials such as swelling or shrinking with minimal effort.

Welds and Fasteners

It really comes down to the application to truly determine if a weld or fastener is right for you. Ultimately, we think the majority of situations that can use both should use fasteners because it just makes maintenance easier.

How To Install A Threaded Insert Into Wood Without The Insert Tool!

Installing A Threaded Insert Into Wood Without The Insert Tool

Threaded inserts are great fasteners that dramatically extend the life of a hole by creating a metal threading point instead of using wood repeatedly. By using metal inserts, the bolt can be installed and removed multiple times without diminishing the hold strength of the hole. The downside of threaded inserts is that they usually require some type of vendor specific bit or driver to install them properly.

We, for example, carry the E-Z LOK Threaded Insert Install Tool. This tool works great for installing these inserts but what happens if you get to a job site and you’ve forgotten the bit that makes working with these inserts so easy at home? The answer is simple, use a tap bolt to create a different drive point for the insert!

Step 1: Drill The Hole

Tap Bolt and Threaded Insert Ready for Installation

Of course, the first step is to drill the right sized hole (if there isn’t one already). The trick to using these in wood is to drill a larger countersunk section that the insert will fit into and then a smaller hole the rest of the way through the material.

Step 2: Screw The Tap Bolt Into The Insert

Tap bolts have an externally driven hexagonal head. This head will sit wider that the threaded inserts head. Before installing the insert, you need something to drive it with. We use a hex tap bolts head as a drive to drive the threaded insert down into the wood.

Step 3: Get The Insert Started

Using a Socket Wrench to Install the Threaded Insert

It is easy to install the threaded insert from this point on. Simply take the assembly and begin hand threading it into the hole with the hex head facing away from the hole. The insert really only needs to begin gripping the wood before stopping and proceeding to step 4.

Step 4: Use A Socket And Ratchet To Quickly Install The Insert

At this point all you need to do is find the appropriate socket for the tap bolt head you are going to drive. Once found, attach it to the ratcheting handle and begin tightening. You will not have to use any down-force for this as the threading should grab on its own and pull itself into the wood. Continue tightening until the insert sits flush or just below the surface and the bottom of the head of the hex tap bolt is sitting flush with the surface of the wood.

Tap Bolt Sitting Flush With Wood Surface

Now that you have installed your threaded insert, switch the ratchet to loosen and break the bolt loose from the insert. You can now remove the bolt and place a different one in if you need or just leave the tap bolt installed if that is what needs to be there.

Installed Threaded Insert Without The Tool

Installing Threaded Inserts in Wood Without a Tool | Quick Tips

Installing Threaded Inserts in Wood Without a Tool Transcript

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Bob: Welcome back to Albany County Fasteners – Fasteners 101. I’m Bob and today I want to demonstrate to you the installation of a (brass threaded) insert.

So there’s two ways you can put this insert in. You can do it with the manufacturers driving tool. Which goes right into a drill or if you don’t have the driving tool you could just use your fastener or a hex cap screw.

Install the hex cap screw all the way into the insert and take the insert and get it started. Grab your ratchet and drive it in. Okay, we’re almost there. Not there 100% yet. Okay. That’s pretty good. Ok, I’ve driven in the insert with a hex cap screw. I’m going to now back this off. Take the screw out and you can see there that the insert is in place.

Now a lot of people have said to me “Whoa you got the insert in backwards”. Fact is, it’s not in backwards it’s in correctly. Each manufacturer and manufactures these differently. This is an EZ-Lok product. This is their system for installing with their tool. But you don’t need the tool to install one of these as I just showed you.

Thanks for watching.