Best way to make studs

[ShedBoy]

I want to make my next model more authentic looking and want to go away from cap screws holding it together. I wish to use studs and nuts but don't want to use all thread. I read lots about people making studs but have not seen how it is done. I am looking at small ones (2mm, 3mm etc) the threading bit is a no brainer but holding the stud to do the other end without damaging the threads has me stumped. How do you do it and do you have pics?

Brock

 

[MachineTom]

I make a stub of hex stock say 1/2" long for a 1/4 or smaller thread, center dril and tap through. Now from the back end insert a bolt and jam nut to set the depth of the open end. Cut to lenght your studs, thread one end of all them, install the hex piece in the chuck and screw in the now threaded end of each stud and thread the other end. On small sizes most will unscrew with a bit of help on the unthreaded portion, if not then backoff the stop screw you installed and your fingers should remove the stud.

 

[ShedBoy]

Sounds too easy, do you ever get problems with alignment or wobble to off centre?
Brock

 

[moanaman]

I use collets for this process then you are always holing on an un threaded section
Barry

 

[ShedBoy]

I have er32 collets, would these be okay?
Brock

 

[ProdEng]

ER32 is good, I use one all the time in my lathe.

Jan

 

[Jasonb]

I use the same method as Tom, the problem with holding in a collet or 3 jaw is that is its quite a short stud you don't always get a good grip and it starts turning as tou try to thread it. These ones were all quite short, only about 1/8" of unthreaded shank so would be hard to get a decent grip of.


If you have a number to do and trun the die down while the lathe is under power you can make sure they are all the same length of thread by slipping a loose sleeve over the stud and then just release your grip on the tailstock die holder as it touches the sleeve. This is best done on teh non nut end then all the studs will screw into the part the same amount so you will get the same projection above the nut.

J

 

[steamer]

Unless you have a turret lathe, I would second Jason's method....simple and very effective.

A collet for very short studs would seem a necessity

Dave

 

[Ogaryd]

Hi Brock, Yesterday I made some #3-48 brass studs, 3/32 rod wouldn't clamp in my 12x36 lathe 3 jaw chuck, I clamped the thread die in the headstock and the rod in the tailstock. In the tailstock 1/2" chuck I mounted a 5/16 chuck modified with a bearing mount similar to a live center. This gives sensitive finger control for small taps, drills ect. Hope this gives you another option. Gary

 

[mzetati]

I make a stub of hex stock say 1/2" long for a 1/4 or smaller thread, center dril and tap through. Now from the back end insert a bolt and jam nut to set the depth of the open end. Cut to lenght your studs, thread one end of all them, install the hex piece in the chuck and screw in the now threaded end of each stud and thread the other end. On small sizes most will unscrew with a bit of help on the unthreaded portion, if not then backoff the stop screw you installed and your fingers should remove the stud.

When I need several identical studs, I do what Tom said (but using a round stock in an ER32 collet) adding when possible a locking nut to the already threaded portion of the stud.
Finished studs that have jammed can be removed by tightening two nuts each against the other on the newly threaded part thread, then unscrewing the inner one.
Marcello

 

[rkepler]

I must be the only guy here to use a 5C emergency collet. Just drill & tap to the stud thread with the pins in, pull the pins and you have something that'll grip and preserve the threads and release quickly. After threading the easy end as normally I use the collet to hold the studs for the second operation. Works really well on short studs and pipe nipples, longer studs are more easily held in a regular collet..

 

[steamer]

Great tip Mr Kepler!

Dave

 

[rhitee93]

I must be the only guy here to use a 5C emergency collet. Just drill & tap to the stud thread with the pins in, pull the pins and you have something that'll grip and preserve the threads and release quickly. After threading the easy end as normally I use the collet to hold the studs for the second operation. Works really well on short studs and pipe nipples, longer studs are more easily held in a regular collet..

OK, that was worth a k point. I use emergency collets all the time for strange stuff, but this one never occurred to me!

 

[rkepler]

In case some folks don't know what I'm talking about here's a pic of one cut to hold a 5/16-27 (aka 1/16 NPT):

This is a 'emergency' collet, a collet designed to be bored out to an odd size or irregular shape. It's 'soft' and relatively easy to machine for purpose. To do so you insert pins with an identical diameter (1/8" in this one) and mount in your collet fixture as you would, pulling with a normal holding force. Machine the face as you need to, in this case I drilled up a bit from the previous size, bored to size and tapped 5/16-27 as I would any fitting. Release, pull the pins and you have a collet that'll hold with just 3 threads.

It is tricky holding precision length with this, about all you can expect is maybe .025" or so, but for most threaded parts that's still acceptable.

 

[steamer]

Oh as rhitee93 stated , I use them all the time, just not like that!

Slick!....and why not!.....Definitly worth some K.

Dave

 

[fltenwheeler]

I must be the only guy here to use a 5C emergency collet. Just drill & tap to the stud thread with the pins in, pull the pins and you have something that'll grip and preserve the threads and release quickly. After threading the easy end as normally I use the collet to hold the studs for the second operation. Works really well on short studs and pipe nipples, longer studs are more easily held in a regular collet..

I was thinking of using 5C emergency collets as well. I am wondering where I can find the correct size stainless steel for the 2-56, 6-32 and 8-32 studs. Or should I plan on turning it to size ?

Tim

 

[peterl95124]

hopefully you can see from the photo what I've done here,
making "collets" that go in the 3-jaw for various sizes of screw threads,
drill & tap the hex stock and part off, then slit one side with a saw, that's it !!!

besides machining studs I also drill threaded pipe stubs this way
if you drill out a hex socket setscrew without damaging the
hex part you can use a hex driver to install/remove the pipe stub !!!