How To Bend Threaded Rod Without Breaking

You can use threaded rod (oft called All-Thread) for a million things.  Make a long bolt, or just the right size fastener.  It'south also expert for special brackets if you weld to information technology.  And, if you're not careful, you can make it fail in a meg ways too. Here are some tricks for success when cutting, bending, welding and torqueing it.  It's not magic, simply yous should retrieve about a few of these earlier finding out the hard way that threaded rod doesn't e'er work the way you recall.

Non All-Thread Is The Same

Sad about the dizzy play on words.  Just like with regular bolts, threaded rod comes in unlike grades (materials) for unlike strengths.  The stuff you buy at the local hardware store is almost certainly not rated.  In other words, information technology's grade 2 or beneath, which is also the most mutual.

Other threaded rod grades which are stronger include ASTM A449 (Class 5) and ASTM A354 (Grade viii).  Though stronger, these are as well harder to cut and form if that'southward what you demand.  Neither of these are as mutual.

The other pretty common all-thread is B7.  It's ASTM A193 which is a loftier forcefulness 4140 alloy steel if that ways anything to yous.  B7 threaded rod is too good with heat.

Finally, at that place are several other grades of threaded rod, including diverse versions of Stainless Steel and aluminum, but they are less mutual and harder to get.  If you're interested in more particular, visit this page from Hunker.

Typical lengths are 36″, 48″ or 72″.  I've also purchased it in 120″ lengths.  Or, the Metric standard is ane meter, and two.  Y'all tin probably find longer, only I oasis't looked.

Hands Cutting Threaded Rod

It's non very ofttimes that you demand a bolt that is a full meter long (metric).  Or the total (imperial standard) length every bit noted above.  Anyhow, that means y'all'll probably need to cut information technology — and that tin can lead to a couple bug.  So, before ending upward with harm to the treads, retrieve about these things.

Note, this applies with all the other factors in Choosing the Right Bolts.  It besides applied to cutting existing bolts to proper length.

Offset Cutting

First, use something soft to hold the all-thread.  Something unproblematic like wood in the vise to concord it volition do the job.

Second, if you worry, put a nut on the rod just inside the cut and then subsequently cut, you can twist the nut off and it volition "clear" the threads.  This works for quick and easy deburr, and it's specially nice if you can't use other deburr methods (similar if it'southward already attached in an bad-mannered location).  However, read below for the better methods.

The nut on the rod can also serve as your cutting guide.  The pair of basics shown, jam together so they won't move, do but that.  Just run the hacksaw bract on the side of the nut.  (Yes, it will scar the nut, so when you finish, but throw it away.)

Third, start slow.  With a hack-saw, information technology'due south pretty easy to accept it "skip" over and impairment some of the other threads if you lot're not conscientious.  Start deadening and that'southward not equally probable to happen.  Same is true using a handheld annoying cutter.

Fourth, finish ho-hum.  Banging through it, or letting information technology bend out when finishing the cut will also damage the threads.  Finish careful and smooth to minimize that.

Finally, when cutting equal length threaded rod studs, use the first as a guide to cut the rest.  It's as uncomplicated as setting them in the vise together, then running the saw on the end of the first.  Encounter the image below.

And then Finishing

Proper deburr after cutting is the key to making the end accept a nut nicely.  There are several ways to reach this including a file, a thread file, or my favorite.  I don't recommend finishing with an abrasive grinder as that leaves a pretty rough surface that can be as bad equally the cut burrs.  Choose a file instead.

Here is a video of my favorite approach.  It'south quick and easy, and works pretty flawlessly.

Bending Threaded Rod

It'south a chunk of steel, then bend it to fit the need — Correct?  Well, sometimes.

Failures in metal often begin with cracks at what we call "stress risers".  That'southward a fancy word for areas where loading, stress, concentrates.  With a aptitude threaded rod, that is at the thread roots in the bend.  Here's a typical bend, then below information technology, a close-up of the threads in the bend.

The tight bend stretches the areas between the threads.  Depending on the material, this deformation can cause small cracks in the valleys between the treads.  Those are frequently the failure point for threaded rod that is bent.  Either way, when loads are applied over this area, the stress risers are significant.  That ways a threaded rod is weaker with a bend.  It doesn't mean you tin can't exercise it, it simply means you need to know it's non every bit strong equally normal.

The tighter the bend, the worse the condition, and then the easiest way to maximize forcefulness with a bend, is to make the bend over a bigger radius.

In this case, bending the threaded rod over something with a bigger radius.  A good rule of pollex — Make the radius you are angle over at to the lowest degree the same as the outside diameter of the threaded rod.  Bigger is better, merely that depends on your needs.

Solutions!

Anther trick, the sleeve, is in this image.  To brand the rod bend at the point we want (and non warp the rest of the rod), simply put a sleeve over the rod.  This is but a chunk of round steel tube, a little larger than the all-thread.  Working the end up as the rod bends allows the curve to start and cease in the correct places.

But, if you do happen to mess up a thread, don't worry, about things (if the harm is not likewise bad) tin can exist stock-still with a Thread Die, or perhaps a triangular file.  Hopefully you have those in your mix of Essential Tools.

Torque Capacity

Bending and forming all-thread also weakens information technology.  Please take that into consideration when applying loads and torque.  I've seen a lot of times when a chunk of threaded rod was bent, then broke when torqueing the nuts.  That's manifestly not the best, so have care in making the bends, and use a larger radius when possible.

Also notation that the medium force steels, like Stainless and B7 tend to piece of work better for this.  The cheap box store Grades can be a mixed bag — some will do fine, and some will crack right off.

All-Thread for U-Bolts

Sometimes U-Bolts are hard to get in the size you lot demand.  The simple solution . . . . curve one out of All-Thread.  This works adequately well when the U-Bolt is a existent U shape with a full round cease, only not so much when the U-bolt need is actually a rectangle shape with  square-ish corners.

As an option, consider making the U-Bolt not a U at all.  If at that place'due south room, leave the all-thread straight, and use a cross bar for the end of the U.  This preserves the strength of everything all around, and you can make the finish plates every bit thick equally needed.

Over again, this won't piece of work for every state of affairs, simply it can certainly assist in some.

Threaded Rod

Thanks for joining us for this short discussion nigh threaded rod.  The stuff is extremely useful to make the bolts you need. Try these techniques (if y'all haven't already).

Likewise, if you lot know of other proficient tricks using All-Thread, delight let us know.  Our customer submission folio is a great place for that.

For more than reading, see our mail service on saving coin on bolts and other fasteners.

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