- Joined
- Dec 20, 2012
- Messages
- 9,422
In this thread, @EmilioG asked this question:
Anyway, I need some ways to hold/clamp small fasteners.
Sometimes I have to repair or cut & clean small bolts. How are people here holding bolts in general and
on the mill or lathe? Photos welcome. Thanks
I thought I would share a tool that might be one option to consider.
Quite some time back, maybe 25 years ago, I had the need to shorten small machine screws to a precise length and trying to hold them by hand to grind them or turn them to a consistent length on the lathe was really problematic. I’m referring to socket head and flat head screws in the #6, #8 and #10 range and I needed to turn the threaded sections down to as short as 1/8” in multiples. I don’t know about you but this was hard for me to do.
To resolve this issue, I decided to make a hand held tool that would allow me to safely grind a screw at need, or turn it to a precise length on the lathe. This tool is what I came up with and it works really, really well.
The tool is a simple knurled cap that takes flat washers of the same diameter and thickness with tight clearance holes for #6 and #8 socket head cap screws or round headed screws; #10 screws need no washer as the cap is drilled to pass them. The appropriate flat washer simply fits inside the knurled cap and the cap then screws onto a mandrel, the tip of which pushes on the back of the screw to hold it solidly. Simple hand pressure is all that is required to hold the screws more than tightly enough for grinding or turning on the lathe.
Another cap with a 82°countersink was made for flat head screws. No washers are needed for different sized screws because the countersink inside the head centers them nicely as the mandrel screws down on them to hold them solidly.
In addition to the handle, I also made a short mandrel that can be chucked up in a 3 jaw or collet chuck and the same knurled caps and washers work with it.
In the back of the handle is a dummy threaded shaft that holds whichever cap and washers that are not in use so they don’t get lost.
That’s it. A simple tool that works well, keeps me safer and allows for greater precision.
Anyway, I need some ways to hold/clamp small fasteners.
Sometimes I have to repair or cut & clean small bolts. How are people here holding bolts in general and
on the mill or lathe? Photos welcome. Thanks
I thought I would share a tool that might be one option to consider.
Quite some time back, maybe 25 years ago, I had the need to shorten small machine screws to a precise length and trying to hold them by hand to grind them or turn them to a consistent length on the lathe was really problematic. I’m referring to socket head and flat head screws in the #6, #8 and #10 range and I needed to turn the threaded sections down to as short as 1/8” in multiples. I don’t know about you but this was hard for me to do.
To resolve this issue, I decided to make a hand held tool that would allow me to safely grind a screw at need, or turn it to a precise length on the lathe. This tool is what I came up with and it works really, really well.
The tool is a simple knurled cap that takes flat washers of the same diameter and thickness with tight clearance holes for #6 and #8 socket head cap screws or round headed screws; #10 screws need no washer as the cap is drilled to pass them. The appropriate flat washer simply fits inside the knurled cap and the cap then screws onto a mandrel, the tip of which pushes on the back of the screw to hold it solidly. Simple hand pressure is all that is required to hold the screws more than tightly enough for grinding or turning on the lathe.
Another cap with a 82°countersink was made for flat head screws. No washers are needed for different sized screws because the countersink inside the head centers them nicely as the mandrel screws down on them to hold them solidly.
In addition to the handle, I also made a short mandrel that can be chucked up in a 3 jaw or collet chuck and the same knurled caps and washers work with it.
In the back of the handle is a dummy threaded shaft that holds whichever cap and washers that are not in use so they don’t get lost.
That’s it. A simple tool that works well, keeps me safer and allows for greater precision.
Last edited:
