Chasing Threads with a Bolt?

I demonstrate taking a 3/8" x 16 TPI bolt and making a thread chase to hand thread chase wood threads. Does it work! Check it out.
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Sorby Thread chasers
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You can download demonstration handouts, downloadable copies of articles I have published, and other useful woodturning information available on my website www.mikepeacewo...

[@rbollard1]

Gracias Mike! Neat experiment. We learn as much, if not more from ideas that don't quite work.

[@Johnsonturning]

I bought my first thread chasers yesterday, mike. Great job explaining.

[@carolriley569]

I have the Sorby thread chasing set, but haven't used it yet. Thanks for showing me how!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Watch the Wyoming Woodturners playlist on thread chasing.

[@rockinrswoodshop]

I have never thought of threading a box top. Something to attempt later on... Thanks Mike!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Folks find threaded boxes very intriguing.

[@diydarkmatter]

nice i have thought about this a few times . thanks mike .

[@oldgeezer1746]

I had a similar experience try to grind a bolt. Thread chasers work so much better.

[@LewisKauffman]

Thanks, Mike! I use the bolt as a hole tap trick!

[@mountainviewturning5319]

Nice job 👍

[@bryanharman9753]

Could a left hand thread bolt work better for male threads? Standard thread would try to push back rather than pull into work.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Maybe. Or maybe you are over thinking it. My experience tells me a bolt is a poor substitute for a thread chaser.

[@icespeckledhens]

Interesting Thanks James

[@hayesrutherford9415]

Mike, the lead angle will be wrong when you try to cut outside threads with the bolt. You could in theory use a left hand threaded bolt for the outside threads and a right hand bolt for the inside threads.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

No, As I showed in the video I picked up the thread started with the bolt with a hand thread chaser and continued the thread. I cut on the right hand side of outside threads and the left side for the inside threads. They match the directions you get with a hand thread chaser.

[@hayesrutherford9415]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Yes, you were able to scratch a shallow thread with the bolt and then pick it up with a straight cut chaser. If you view a normal bolt at eye level, the threads appear to slant to the left. On the opposite side the threads will be slanting to the right making it impossible to cut a decent right hand thread to any depth. . It just cant feed smoothly in the direction you need to go. What you see at eye level slanting to the left is what would make contact for an internal thread and would feed in, potentially chasing a thread. The curvature of the bolt and amount of lead create other problems as well so good advice to just get the right tools.

[@bernardfutter5327]

Hello Mike, Despite using a Beall tap for internal threads I had not thought of cutting down a bolt. That way the helix is provided, but you might need a reversing lathe to cut the second thread. Actually a helix is not essential, as the Ashley Iles Unichaser is square cut , and works very well for both male and female threads. Others have commented that because a thread chaser does so little work, top quality tool steel is not entirely necessary. I inadvertently made my first chaser when checking rigidity of some cross slides that I built. A redundant door lock axle produced a very serviceable 12 tpi tool. However, for a serious attempt I cut down an erstwhile good quality 5/8" flea market firmer chisel (£1.50) and,with Dremel mounted cutting wheel, followed by triangular file, built a superior 2 in 1 chaser; the male cutter being across the top of the blade. It really isn't that difficult, even with a 6 degree helix (again 12tpi), providing you have a steady hand and good lighting! Thanks for showing this. Bernard.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

You have probably fogotten more about metal working than I ever knew. Some folks can do a lot with a little but the average guy can't do what you did with that chisel.

[@bernardfutter5327]

@@MikePeaceWoodturning Thanks for the compliment Mike, but I was never trained in metal work. On reflection, using both sides of your bolt you should not need a reversing lathe, but I can appreciate the pressure needed with your method; and angular approach, as in shear scraping. Sorry; my confusion. Bernard.

[@kengunnell6398]

How about welding the grade 8 bolt T 90 degrees to the tool handle like sorby. Just thinking, there you go again making me think! Great job Mike keep up the great work!

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

If you weld you could probably do that. Too much effort for me as I don't weld to come up with a sub par thread chaser when you could get perfectly serviceable ones of HSS with handles for about $75. But sometimes it is all in the journey. A friend of mine designed the threading jig I made that I wrote an article on. He used it once. His fun was all in making the jig. Different strokes...

[@sidmatheny8500]

You can grind a tap down and it works great for threading.

[@garythomas6866]

Thanks Mike good to know

[@tomcross6567]

Mike... I like the idea and I think I will give it a try. But what I think I will do is drill and tap a lateral hole thru the shank just back from the cutting teeth and make a little “push handle” that can be removed for the female thread chasing.

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

Two handed thread chasing... Let me know how that works for you. If you have the metal working ability to do that, you might consider using old chisels and make your chasers in the traditional manner.

[@billbinnicker5400]

why not weld a bolt to the end of a steel rod to get same pushing action?

[@MikePeaceWoodturning]

If you weld you could probably do that. Too much effort for me as I don't weld to come up with a sub par thread chaser when you could get perfectly serviceable ones of HSS with handles for about $75. But sometimes it is all in the journey. A friend of mine designed the threading jig I made that I wrote an article on. He used it once. His fun was all in making the jig. Different strokes...

[@charliestovall9953]

put a 90 on the bolt where you can push into the wood........................................JS*