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TOPIC: Is there a good way to shorten screws?

Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73869

  • Wolfsaber
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I bought some of the acetal screws from tcss. Is there a good way to shorten them without messing them up? I tried a dremel cut off wheel and that did not work for me.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73872

  • KelbornX
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The best option is to put it in a vice and use a metal file. It'll give you much less of a chance of ruining the screw than other methods.

If you need to shorten it significantly, you can use a hacksaw with a metal cutting blade first, then finish it up with the file to save time. It can take quite a while using a file on a stainless steel screw. Brass screws are nice and easy to shorten with a file since it's such a soft metal.

Once it's shortened you'd want to use the file on an angle at the end to taper the threads a bit, otherwise it may not thread properly (cross threading is bad) and you can risk stripping the threads when you try and screw it into the hilt.
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Last Edit: 3 months 1 week ago by KelbornX.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73873

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Thanks kelbornX. I will try that next then.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73874

  • Vechaljian
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I usually use a metal file ( its a slower process but gives you control), if I have a lot of threads to remove, then I go to my bench grinder, but I invested so I would have all the tap and die sets needed for all the screws I use, to clean the threads when I finish shortening them.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73875

  • wamphyri13
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I like to use the bolt cutters on a standard electrical crimping tool, the one that comes with all the wire connectors and stuff. It even has an 8-32 sized thread. I've trimmed several to the exact length I needed because you can see exactly how much you're cutting, it cuts clean, and takes very little effort.
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Last Edit: 3 months 1 week ago by wamphyri13.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73876

  • SadiraOrphesu
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I use a pair of bolt cutters and a small nut. So I don't ruin the threading I put a nut above where I'm cutting and after the cut I use my dremel to grind down the end so its flat and smooth. Then unscrewing the screw from the nut realigns any threads that were crushed or bent during cutting.
Last Edit: 3 months 1 week ago by SadiraOrphesu.
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73909

  • Wolfsaber
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Hmmm thanks! Much knowledge to digest! Lol.
I tried some rivet cutting dikes the other night. Idk if the blades are dull or what, but I could not even get them to cut the screw. And the dremel cutoff wheel even took forever! Do they use a stainless steel or really hard steel on those acetal screws or what?
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Is there a good way to shorten screws? 3 months 1 week ago #73911

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Dude!@ whamphyril13 Love the profile pic!
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