machine screw cutter

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JJWalecka

JJWalecka

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Is there a tool that can make a clean cut on a machine screw. Some Wire strippers have the cutters but you have to screw the screw in to cut. When dealing with many screws it can be time consuming.
Saw a pair of knipex diagonal pliers that one could just push in the screw and make a clean cut. But this is for metric.
Is there something similar for sae. Just push in cut . quick?
I have used pliers but cut isn't always clean, sometimes I have to rethread the hole

Thanks
 
JJWalecka said:
Is there a tool that can make a clean cut on a machine screw. Some Wire strippers have the cutters but you have to screw the screw in to cut. When dealing with many screws it can be time consuming.
Saw a pair of knipex diagonal pliers that one could just push in the screw and make a clean cut. But this is for metric.
Is there something similar for sae. Just push in cut . quick?
I have used pliers but cut isn't always clean, sometimes I have to rethread the hole

Thanks
Click to expand...

I'm not familiar with anything other than the cutters on wire strippers.
However, on larger size (10 & up) I use a Dremel tool with a fiberglass cutting wheel. I put the screw in a vise or vise grips if a vise isn't available. Try to rest a finger or hand on something to steady it, then try and stay in a single thread. It usually cuts better from the bottom side. You can also clean up any burrs with the wheel, usually with the face/flat side of the wheel.

It's not fast but usually able to keep the threads in tact if you are careful.
 
I've used these at times. Best to make two cuts: 1) cut one thread long 2) then cut last thread off. A little flare on end, but usually good enough to not require any extra 'processing'. Suggest not using them on hardened screws though. Comes in handy for a few other things that electricians do. :p

 
screw cutter

screw cutter

JJWalecka said:
Is there a tool that can make a clean cut on a machine screw. Some Wire strippers have the cutters but you have to screw the screw in to cut. When dealing with many screws it can be time consuming.
Saw a pair of knipex diagonal pliers that one could just push in the screw and make a clean cut. But this is for metric.
Is there something similar for sae. Just push in cut . quick?
I have used pliers but cut isn't always clean, sometimes I have to rethread the hole

Thanks
Click to expand...

If I had that many screws to cut I'd just go buy a box of the correct length.
 
just a thought but the reason you thread the screw in is so the screw thread is clean and ready to use, the tool cleans the thread when backing it out, so you don't have to do any of the before mentioned extra steps to use it. I find the Klein works well. If you don't have a cutter you could screw a nut on the end before cutting it and back the nut off.
 
FREEBALL said:
just a thought but the reason you thread the screw in is so the screw thread is clean and ready to use, the tool cleans the thread when backing it out, so you don't have to do any of the before mentioned extra steps to use it. I find the Klein works well. If you don't have a cutter you could screw a nut on the end before cutting it and back the nut off.
Click to expand...
That's why you use an impact gun to drive the screw in after you cut it with your lineman's. It cleans all the burrs, guaranteed!
 
I once had to cut about 100 machine screws shorter than they were (cheap boss, no respect for labor costs). What I did was to thread nuts on them all, right to where the correct length was at the trailing edge of the nut as it went on. Then I put about 10 and a time into a vise, gripping the nuts, with the excess thread material sticking straight up and buzzed off the excess with a cutting wheel. Then when you back the screws out of the nuts, it cleans up the threads. Same basic principal as the feature built in to the wire cutters, just a way to do more than one at a time.
 
Hacks said:
That's why you use an impact gun to drive the screw in after you cut it with your lineman's. It cleans all the burrs, guaranteed!
Click to expand...
If the screw material is harder then the material it is to be threaded into - you mess up threads in the softer material.

I also agree if there are a lot of screws to cut - why not purchase screws that are the length you need, even driving 10 miles to some hardware store to find them is probably worth it.
 
When, in a pinch, I've taken my linemans and cut on an angle so the screw has a small point. This makes it easier to start in a box or nut.
 
Just put a nut on first, cut the screw any way you want, then remove the nut. Always work for me.
 
I can't attest to how safe this is, but I often use my porta-bandsaw. I hold the screw with My pliers. As far as cutting with linesman pliers, you can always file the end and it will work perfectly.
 
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