Acme / lead screw threaded rod

[jdeacon]

Has anyone bought any coarse-threaded rod or have any ideas as to where to find short lengths? Acme thread I believe it's called (maybe that's a US term), or lead screw thread perhaps. So far I've only found American sites, special orders or crazy quantities.

I made a couple of long reach G clamps using standard threaded rod and they are pretty tedious to use. At a pinch I could just buy some cheap clamps and throw away everything but the screw (probably cheaper that route anyway).

 

[marcros]

eBay. But it is not cheap. I looked as an alternative to buying a vice screw but it wasn't worth the cost.

 

[jdeacon]

Ah, right. Thanks. I'll chop up some cheap Far Eastern clamps instead.

 

[andersonec]

You should find threaded rod in most builders merchants and I know our local B&Q has it.

Andy

 

[Phil Pascoe]

You won't get Acme or square thread there, though.

 

[Eric The Viking]

The stuff you find tedious - what size threaded rod is it?

The metric threads have several thread pitches in the larger sizes. Is it possible you have a fine pitch version?

I often make jig clamps using 6mm or 8mm studding. I agree it would be annoying for G-clamps, but 12mm possibly wouldn't be - IIRC that has 1.5 or 2mm pitch.

 

[Normancb]

I've bought it in the past from Marchant Dice, via their ebay shop:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Marchant-Dice-Ltd

Prices didn't seem unreasonable to me. £20 ish for a 500 mm length of 20 mm dia x 4 mm pitch. Very good quality stuff and they do nuts to fit it too.

 

[jdeacon]

The stuff you find tedious - what size threaded rod is it?

The metric threads have several thread pitches in the larger sizes. Is it possible you have a fine pitch version?

I often make jig clamps using 6mm or 8mm studding. I agree it would be annoying for G-clamps, but 12mm possibly wouldn't be - IIRC that has 1.5 or 2mm pitch.

The threaded rod I use is 1.5mm pitch. I could have tried for 1.75 which would be a bit better, true. I don't think I've seen 2mm, at least not in the diameters I use.

 

[jdeacon]

I've bought it in the past from Marchant Dice, via their ebay shop:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Marchant-Dice-Ltd

Prices didn't seem unreasonable to me. £20 ish for a 500 mm length of 20 mm dia x 4 mm pitch. Very good quality stuff and they do nuts to fit it too.

Aha! That is quite reasonable. Thanks. Cheaper (and easier) than buying and chopping a couple of throwaway G clamps.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've bought it in the past from Marchant Dice, via their ebay shop:

http://stores.ebay.co.uk/Marchant-Dice-Ltd

Prices didn't seem unreasonable to me. £20 ish for a 500 mm length of 20 mm dia x 4 mm pitch. Very good quality stuff and they do nuts to fit it too.

Aha! That is quite reasonable. Thanks. Cheaper (and easier) than buying and chopping a couple of throwaway G clamps.

You've got me interested now, too!

Do they also sell Acme nuts to match? I had a look, but could only see very expensive things (or taps). Ithink I'd rather weld or glue a nut into place than try to tap the thread. IIRC, my Record G-clamps are double-start anyway, which would be really interesting to tap in a large size.

 

[Normancb]

Give them a call - they were very helpful when I wanted some to build a Moxon style vice and I got two lengths of thread plus nuts. Epoxied the nuts into a hexagonal recess and it has all woked just fine. Usual disclaimer!

 

[Steve Jones]

I've never used Marchant Dice but always use Zapp automation, in fact I'll be buying from them for a forthcoming cnc build

EDIT: 20X4 @ 500mm from Zapp is £8.50 + delivery

Cheers

Steve