Bolt cleaner

murray moore · Jul 29, 2019

Got me one of these in the mail the other day. For 26.00 bucks thought I would add this to my arsenal. Cleaning bolts has been a kind of a therapy for me when necessary. Typically I will soak in lacquer thinner for overnight and a day, shake the closed container dislodging the grease, paint, some rust, and oils; pour out the old solvent, and do it again. Thread cleaning was either wire brushing or chasing the threads and soaking in zinc phosphate. But I found this to work faster with less need for chasing threads with a die unless the threads are gaummed up bad.

If I had lots of bolts to clean I guess sandblasting them in a metal pail would work in short order, but for a hobbyist like me...I don't need that type of production.

Check it out.
Untitled URL Link

Mike M · Jul 29, 2019

what will they think of next ?

Mutt and Jeff · Jul 29, 2019

$25-$30 a pop
somehow I think it would have a relative short lifespan
not long before the wire brush had brushed enough

kencombs · Jul 29, 2019

Ultrasonic cleaner works well for that. Cleans the whole bolt, not just the threads and as a bonus works great for carbs too.

Lot more money of course, but worth it IMO.

Dick L · Jul 29, 2019

Neat tool for those that don't have thread dies. I clamp a thread die in the vice which works the same way with a socket in a small air impact.

Steve@Advance · Jul 29, 2019

Be careful chasing bolt threads with a die!

Nearly all bolts have rolled threads instead of cut threads.

Running a die over them will undersize the threads.

SVcummins · Jul 29, 2019

all you have to do to prevent making the bolt undersized is not run the screws in to tight on the die handle just snug them up enough to hold the die

Dick L · Jul 30, 2019

If running a die over rolled threads would undersize a bolt then any bolt that was die cut would be under sized. Take a new rolled thread bolt which would be most now and run a die on it and see what it does. Some the die will spin over the threads and some will have some rough spots that will actually damage the threads in a hole. If a new bolt will not screw in a clean threaded hole by hand to depth it is damaging the hole threads. Not that it makes it unusable. That never use a die of tap to clean holes nonsense came from tool salesmen selling thread cleaners. Same as don't run a tap in a hole to clean it. I have tapped thousands of holes and always run the tap down the second time to clear the chips before blowing them out.

Steve@Advance · Jul 30, 2019

Dick, I'll have to try running a die over some bolts, see what happens.

But I have had a die remove material from a bolt to the point it was sloppy in a nogo thread gauge.

Possibly the die was set too tight, been a long time. I've just always heard that was not a good practice. If a wire brush won't clean it up, I'll generally replace it if it's just an off the shelf bolt.

Now running a tap in a tapped hole, no problem.

ztrmowers · Jul 30, 2019

I used those cleaners in my shop on carbs but was really disappointed, maybe you used different solution but I had 4 of those units and really was not much better than just setting overnight in the canned type carb cleaner only have one left,and its for sale now

Mike(NEOhio) · Jul 30, 2019

Not quite the same thing Dick. Taps, dies and reamers are ground to leave the proper thread after a full cut. They will not act the same on just a skim cut. I've cleaned lots of tapped holes with taps. Usually works, especially in castings but I've also ruined a few. And cleaning threads on a grade 8 bolt will easily wreck a good die.

Dick L · Jul 30, 2019

Sloppy holes come from a bad bolt being turned out not running a tap in. A tap don't bend but can be started cross threaded in a damaged hole. A bolt that is bottomed out in a hole damages the end of the bolt. When the bolt is backed out it widens the threads as it come out making a hole sloppy.
I have fought that for 50 some years with sloppy mold setters using a bolt that is to long. It happens often enough that molding suppliers sell the repair inserts. If they didn't put a four foot cheater bar trying to get the clamp tight sometimes they will still hold by running a tap in and out of the hole but the bolt will turn in real free. I have caught them using a cheater bar on a 3/4" ratchet screwing in a damaged bolt which also damaging the threads going in. I have the taps on the tool cart which makes my blood boil when I have to think about a 100,000.00 mold pulling loose and getting damaged as well. I bought a magnetic drill to drill out damaged holes in my molding machine platens. I know opinions will not be changed by what I post but this is not an opinion. This crap came out of my pocket book.

Mike(NEOhio) · Jul 30, 2019

I get where you're coming from, Dick. I was a die maker in a former life, sheet metal and lamination stamping. The problem was often using too short a bolt in die setups. Every press had a selection of bolt lengths but the operators did their own setups and were paid a piece work rate. Five or six fewer turns saved time. One of our press operators even told me once that two or three threads is enough to hold it. Whenever we made a new bolster plate it got inserts in all the holes from the start.

Dick L · Jul 30, 2019

I have different length bolts and two inch by two inch spacers to go under the heads in 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" thickness. My rule is three threads longer than the diameter of the bolt. I found over the years rules worked best when I was watching. Short cuts here is to save from walking a couple steps at my place. I have found an inch and a half of spacers under a long bolt rather than walk two steps to the tool cart with 20 bolts the length needed. I have a new guy today that pulled an insert, cleaned the vents, put it back together and back in production in 15 minutes. The other guy has spent two hours doing the same thing. They weigh about 40 pounds and claims they are hard to get lined up because they are so heavy. Has anyone noticed that it is gripey out today.

^D

Steve@Advance · Jul 30, 2019

I see it all too...

Using SHCS for set screws, then wonder why it pulls the threads when they take it back out!

Using socket head bolts and set screws until the head completely rounds out, while boxes of new bolts are laying in the bins!

Bolting tool holders on with 2 bolts instead of 4 'cause the others were broke off, but forgot to say anything.

Using set screws for pipe plugs!

Sometimes I feel like I'm just a baby sitter! LOL

Mike(NEOhio) · Jul 30, 2019

I think it's the same in any shop. Sounds like your new guy is a keeper. The way I learned was thread length equal to the diameter in steel, 1.5 times in cast iron and 2 time in aluminum and plastics. When I was doing die designing I always went with 1.5 just because of the repeated disassembly. Whenever I got new screws (socket heads mostly) I always burnished them a little on a wire wheel. Sometimes they would be a little fuzzy. If they didn't spin right in on a new hole I always made sure they would. Just me being picky I guess.

Bolt cleaner

murray moore

Member

Mike M

Well-known Member

Mutt and Jeff

Member

kencombs

Well-known Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

SVcummins

Well-known Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

ztrmowers

Member

Mike(NEOhio)

Well-known Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

Mike(NEOhio)

Well-known Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

Steve@Advance

Well-known Member

Mike(NEOhio)

Well-known Member

Similar threads