Unthreaded Rods
-min.jpg?ts=1757453424 "Unthreaded Rods")
What are unthreaded rods? Unthreaded rods are plain round steel bar supplied in stock lengths, with no thread cut into them. They are raw material rather than finished fasteners: you cut, drill, thread, or machine them into whatever the job needs, whether that is a pivot pin, a roller shaft, an axle, a guide, or a spacer. Buying plain bar and making the part is often faster and cheaper than sourcing a finished component in a non-standard size. AlbanyCountyFasteners.com stocks zinc plated steel unthreaded rod in 3 foot lengths from 3/8 inch through 1 inch.
Unthreaded Rods
3 Foot
Plain unthreaded rod in 3-foot lengths for shafts, spacers, and general fabrication stock.
When is plain rod the right starting point?
When the part you need does not exist as a stock item. That happens constantly in machinery repair: a pivot pin an eighth of an inch longer than anything in the catalogue, a roller shaft in an obsolete machine, a guide rod nobody stocks in that diameter. Buying bar and cutting it to size takes minutes and gives you exactly the dimension required. It is also the right call when you need several similar parts at different lengths, since one three foot bar yields all of them. What plain rod is not is a substitute for a properly specified shaft in a precision application, where ground and hardened material with a controlled tolerance is the correct product.
Why choose unthreaded rod
- Cut to any length, so the part matches the requirement exactly
- Faster than sourcing a finished component in a non-standard size
- One bar yields multiple parts, reducing cost per piece
- Can be drilled, threaded, or machined as the job requires
- Zinc plating gives moderate corrosion protection and clean storage
Sizes stocked
- Diameters of 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 5/8, 3/4, and 1 inch
- All supplied in 3 foot lengths
- Zinc plated steel throughout
- Cut, drill, and machine to suit your application
Common applications
- Pivot pins, clevis pins, and linkage components
- Roller shafts, axles, and spindles
- Guide rods, slides, and alignment pins
- Spacers, standoffs, and bushings
- Machine repair where the original part is unavailable
- Jigs, fixtures, and shop-built tooling
Where the part needs to transmit torque between a shaft and a hub, keystock is the correct product. If you need continuous thread rather than plain bar, see our threaded rods.
Related Categories
Unthreaded Rod FAQs
Can I thread unthreaded rod myself?
Yes, with a die of the correct size. Chamfer the end first so the die starts square, use cutting fluid, and back off periodically to clear chips. For a long threaded section, buying threaded rod is faster and gives a more consistent result.
What is the tolerance on the diameter?
This is commercial bar stock, so tolerance is looser than ground shafting. For pins, spacers, and general fabrication that is fine. For a bearing fit or anything requiring a precise slip fit, specify ground and polished shafting instead.
How do I cut it cleanly?
A bandsaw gives the squarest cut, and a cutoff wheel works well. Deburr and chamfer the cut end afterwards, particularly if the rod is going into a hole or through a bearing.
Will zinc plated rod rust?
The plating gives moderate protection indoors and in light exterior exposure. Note that cutting exposes bare steel at the ends and machining removes the plating wherever you cut, so those areas will corrode first in a damp environment.
Can I harden this material?
This is mild steel bar and will not through-harden meaningfully. For a wear surface or a shaft that needs hardness, specify a hardenable alloy or use case hardening compound on the finished part.
Do you stock other materials?
Currently zinc plated steel in this category. For stainless or other materials in rod form, our threaded rod range covers 18-8 and 316 stainless, brass, silicon bronze, and aluminum, and we can advise on plain bar availability.