1. Home
  2. ⏣ General Metalworking
  3. Cutting straight with a die: Follow-up

Cutting straight with a die: Follow-up

I bought a new Irwin (Hansen) 5/16-24 die with a matching stock.

1) It cut much easier than the previously mentioned POS 2) I still did not manage to get the thread straight! 3) The die being hexagonal it fit better in my drilling vise. Being sharper I had little difficulty turning the chuck with my hand only for the first few threads. 4) In between the time of the two posts I managed to come up with a method whereby this procedure can be avoided altogether by redesigning the project:-)
Reply to
Michael Koblic
Loading thread data ...

Is the back side of the die stock machined parallel with the pocket?

The table of your drill press very probably isn't square to the spindle. Loosen the belt and unplug the cord. Chuck a piece of stiff wire in it and bend the wire out over the edge of the table. Lower the end of the wire almost to the table and sweep it around, watching the clearance.

My drill press table dips noticeably toward the front. The base is squarer, so I chiseled off the lip in the head at the top of the column and cut a hole in the belt guard to let the head slide down.

Jim Wilkins

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

Jim I found a far more precise way was to take some drill rod of about quarter inch dia (so that it doesnt flex) nip it up in the jacobs chuck nice and tight and then use an engineers square to set the table up. compared to the bent wire method it works so much easier.

Stealth Pilot

Reply to
Stealth Pilot

========= If you are turning the blank to size in the lathe, you might want to take a look at

formatting link
most useful sizes for the home shop machinist will be
formatting link
formatting link
a 1/2 inch shank that will fit most tail stock chucks. Most of the mill supplies will have these. These used to be a typical apprentice project. More elaborate units are available or can be constructed, but cost more.
formatting link
?ProductID=2314Similar holders are available for tapping in the lathe.

Unka' George [George McDuffee]

------------------------------------------- He that will not apply new remedies, must expect new evils: for Time is the greatest innovator: and if Time, of course, alter things to the worse, and wisdom and counsel shall not alter them to the better, what shall be the end?

Francis Bacon (1561-1626), English philosopher, essayist, statesman. Essays, "Of Innovations" (1597-1625).

Reply to
F. George McDuffee

You have to be sure the rod doesn't wobble when rotated first. The chuck on a cheap drill press can't be trusted.

Reply to
Jim Wilkins

I've had the same problem threading rod in the way that the original poster did. I found that it worked better if I measured the (major) diameter of a sample piece of threaded rod and then made sure that my blank was that diameter before I started to thread it with a die. A button die like the OP is using works won't reduce the diameter of an oversized blank and will give the poor results that the OP describes.

Reply to
Denis G.

Re-reading the original post I misled you: On this occasion I tried threading the rod using the new die in the hand stock with poor result. When I clamped the work piece in the chuck of my cheap drill press the result was quite good.

I have played with truing up the drill press table using both methods described below. Like most tables, it can be adjusted from side to side but back to front is another matter. In my case the error was rather small so I left it. In any case, today I ordered a new drill press!

Reply to
Michael Koblic

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.