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Shortening up action screws

hogpatrol said:
Collet and it's done the way a real machinist would do it. As stated in many of my previous posts, there are myriad ways to use machine tools for a given result and the best way is not the other guy's. :D

Actually, a friend has an old Atlas lathe. It's great for shortening all kinds of fasteners. Last time I used it was for scope base mounting screws, 8-40s.
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A real MACHINEST? What is your idea of a "real" machinest.
Jerry, I have 2 sets for my 2 lathes in 64ths. One is a 10EE Monarch and the other is a 6913 Clausing. I learned how to turn on a lathe in about 1969.
aa7gcj.jpg

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My old fashion Bridgeports in the bottom photo. I have a surface grinder, tool and cutter grinder, couple belt sanders, a couple Baldor pedestal grinders, a tig welder, a Rollin saw, and 50 years accumulation of tooling.
I am not a CNC button pusher or programmer. There is a place for them, but I don't need them for what I do.They're a lot of guys out there that know a lot more than I do about machine work, but I'm smart enough to call on them when I need the help.
 
Butch,
I would never have implied that you weren't a real machinist and would have been shocked if you hadn't had collet setups.

Maybe I overuse my lathe. It is my favorite tool. It lives 20' from my easy chair where I am typing. I sold my old lathe 7 days ago and my new lathe has been delayed and I'm having a tough time coping....

I'm also shopping for a 2nd lathe and likely will get a 10EE.

Much respect,

--Jerry
 
So it appears I over-use my lathe...which might explain why I'm not the fastest out there. I tend to leave chucks set up for a job so I can just swap in a chuck and be ready to go. My lathe probably spends 30-50% of the time set up for collets. I definitely should get a lathe dedicated to collets. Here are the action screws from a stock I just happen to have no rifle on right now (but that's another story). Also I photographed a stock screw I had laying around. Finish isn't great because I did it in a hurry because it didn't show.



Anyway, it appears there are lots of ways to do it but this is my favorite.

--Jerry
 
Jerry, If one of my lathes had the collet closer on it I would push a screw through from the inside of the collet and do the same thing. I would not tear down a setup to do it.
 
I will add one more thing. The threads in the action are not easy to repair and you want them to last many, many years. Do not use them to straighten out the threads on your cutoff bolt. I have an old 40X action with some bad threads on it and I sometimes spend spare time thinking about clever ways to repair those threads. Whatever way you used to cut it off make sure the threads are good before you put them into your action. --Jerry
 
I cut all small bolts the same. With a good pair of electrician wire strippers. As all the good ones have several sizes of bolt cutters. These cut very good and straight. If you have not tried these you should.
 
I'm guessing the op just needs to take off two or three threads.

I know puting a bolt in a collet, turning a pretty face and puting a cute little chamfer on it gives you that warm fuzzy of a job well done. But, I will say if you worked in a job shop and couldn't take three threads off and dress it up with a bench grinder and/or belt sander faster than puting it in a lathe your boss wouldn't be to happy. And actually the boss would probably walk over and do it himself while the customer waited.
 
Last edited:
boltman223 said:
They have a hole for a 1/4 bolt? I gotta see someone do that by hand.
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They are usually manufactured with metric screw holes #M2.5 - M5. You simply thread the screw into the correct size hole and shear it to length. It doesn't damage the threads.
 
JRS said:
They are usually manufactured with metric screw holes #M2.5 - M5. You simply thread the screw into the correct size hole and shear it to length. It doesn't damage the threads.
Click to expand...


I'm not talking about damaging the threads, but thank you.
 
Several lathes inhouse.....which you certainly can setup to do this.

But gotta agree with posters above on get'n it done.Got 1/2dz stationary belt grinders/sanders which is what we use.Understand the difference on these,you have a "hard" side(platen side)....and a "soft" side(slack side).

Use the soft side when taking off a cpl threads.If you're making a career of it?Set up a "collet" for a 1/2" drill motor/belt grinder....positive stop for bolt head then measure off the collets end with spring leg deviders preset for X amt of threads.
 
I use a disc sander with a nut turned down the threads.

Trim to length, back the nut off and push the bur (s) out then dress the end of the bolt to a nice finish.
 
JRS said:
They are usually manufactured with metric screw holes #M2.5 - M5. You simply thread the screw into the correct size hole and shear it to length. It doesn't damage the threads.
Click to expand...
None of mine are metric. And I don't remember for sure just how big a bolt I can cut but I will check. And if it messed up the threads then why would I use it? I think some people post before thinking!! As far as being hard to cut well I am about 160 and I can do it. But I do work with my hands a lot.
 
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