screw slots

[inlikeflint]

Is there any easy way to cut a very thin slot in a home made screw? I have been planning to get a jewelers saw soon, but have nothing else to use. John

 

[Col. Batguano]

I've not tried anything thinner than a hack saw blade myself. You might pose the question on the engravers' cafe if you can't get an answer here..

 

[bpd303]

A jewelers saw is what I usually use. I have used a Dremel fine cut off wheel on larger screws, but it takes a steady hand.

 

[kaintuck]

A jewlers saw will be needed if your doing anything around guns......BUY ONE.

I worked w/o one up till late~ i now wonder how the heck did I get stuff done????? and it wasn't as pretty!

get one...and a bunch of blades and just put it in the tool drawer.....

 

[Rusty_Nail]

Maybe the small thin cutting disk of a dremel?

 

[Grizzly Adams]

I think there are commercially available screw slot files, they have 2 thin working edges and 2 wide safe edges, check it out.

 

[Jim Kibler]

I like tapered screw slots. These seem to be most often encountered on original work. A fine cut knife file works well for this purpose. If you have a mill, a fine saw type mill cutter works quite well. You can clamp screws in a small v-block or with some care, they can be squeezed between hardwood blocks in a vise. Another option for parallel slots is to take a hacksaw blade and grind the set / thickness down to the desired size.

Jim

 

[galamb]

Jim, welcome to the forum here.

We will all benefit, particularly in the builders section if you decide to hang around.

---------
For those not familiar with Jim's work you can google his name or check some out at the contemporary makers blogspot.

He is certainly up there amongst the most talented contemporary builders today.

 

[Tinker2]

All of the above ideas will work and I do some that way.

This is what I use sometimes, screw slot files.
Link



William Alexander

 

[Zonie]

Another way to hold a screw for doing any work on it is to simply clamp a hexagon nut with the right thread size into a vise or even with a pair of Vise Grip style pliers.

The screw will enter the nut easily before the nut is placed into the vise or locking pliers.
Once the vise or pliers are tightened, the nut will collapse enough to tightly hold the screw in place without damaging its threads.

 

[inlikeflint]

Thanks guys, I have the jewelers saw comming. I don't know if I can get 8/32 carriage bolts locally but if I can, I know I will have some nice looking screws for my flint lock. I set it aside for way too long. John

 

[Vaino]

If the head doesn't have any slot remnant then a jeweler's saw starts the cut for the slot and is finished w/ a knife edged needle file. If the head has some slot showing, then only the knife edged needle file is used. The needle file is held at an angle to make the slot walls w/ somewhat less angle.

All the scrrewheads on my guns are "Kasinited".....hate "buggered slots" even though I have thin bladed screwdrivers......Fred

 

[Mercian]

If you want a really fine slot you won't get any finer than a jewellers saw, blade thickness starting at .15mm up to .42mm. As you can see these are very fine blades to work with. Again depending on just how fine you need to be, what we over this side of the pond call a junior hacksaw will give you a slot width of just under 1mm, around about .75mm, measured by eye and magnifying glass. Remember if you are not over practiced with hand tools the initial start of the cut, due any wobble which may occur will mean that the opening of the slot may be slightly wider or as we say bell mouthed. This can be remedied by allowing a little extra depth of screw head and then filing down to finished size. Hope this helps.

 

[ehoff]

I'll offer this piece of advise on jewelers saws. Don't by a cheap one (x-acto, etc) it will only cause you headaches.

 

[Mercian]

Yep, as they say, you get what you pay for.

 

[phoenix511]

There are files specifically made for making/renewing screw slots. They have safe edges on the side and only cut at the bottom, and are available in a variety of slot widths. They are used mainly by jewelers and watchmakers.

Do GOOGLE search on "screw head files." Be prepared for some sticker shock! The version suggested above using ground hacksaw blade is a good alternative, especially for firearms-sized screw threads.

 

[M. De Land]

I cut them with a circular slitting saw in the milling machine. This makes them very sharp, straight and crisp, something that rarely happens when cut by hand with file or saw. Mike D.

 

[crockett]

Depends on what you mean by thin. Tandy leather and Harbor Freight tools sell needle files for around $5 a set. These are very small files and they usually include a file for screw slots.

 

[Zonie]

You forgot to mention those $5 a set files are worth just about what you paid for them. :grin:

I will say I've seen the same $5 files on sale at some gun shows where the seller was asking $15 for them. :rotf:


EDIT: By the way, anyone buying a Jewelers saw, be sure to buy LOTS and LOTS of saw blades.

These fragile blades have a habit of breaking if the sun is moving thru any of the zodiac's constellations. Don't believe the old wives tail about Virgo rising coming into it. :wink:

 

[Mercian]

Over this side of the pond a set of twelve good quality Swiss needle files will cost you a few pence shy of £90, which according to todays conversion rate is something around $150 dollars, that's if the conversion table that I looked at is accurate. Which prompts me to go out to the workshop and make sure mine are all safely stored away.