Cutting stainless bolts

[Weyalan]

Ok, here is the latest question from your bumbling re-fitter:

How to cut of stainless bolts? Both the new deck organisers & the new rope clutches have numerous (30 total) bolts sticking down into the main saloon at just the right height to "scalp" tallish folks such as myself. I am keen to cut them off flush to minimise head-wounds.

With the deck organisers, the botls are 1/4" with stainless steel nyloc nuts. With the deck organisers, the bolts are 6mm, and come out through a drilled and tapped stainless steel plate.

I am guessing that it would not be smart to attempt to cut them in-situ? Presumably youwould mark them in some way, then remove them, one at a time, cut them and re-fit them? Also, I don't even know what is the recommentded way to cut them so as to not screw up the thread...

Once again, all advice greatfully received!

[hellosailor]

Well, you could wrap primer cord around them and just blow the excess bolt away.<G>

Or slice the ends off with a Dremel with the black cutting wheels, or a carbide blade for a hacksaw.

But if you want to preserve the threads, the usual approach is to run an extra nut onto the bolt, cut the thread, and then remove the extra nut--using it to recut the threads properly as it comes off. Or take a gamble, just cut them off and carry some extra bolts, in case the existing ones get messed up when/if you finally DO unscrew them, and it "retaps" the bolts at that time.

[AnchorageGuy]

My main tool has been the Dremel for quite some time. Be sure to use the heavy duty larger cut off disk. It makes short work of the bolts.

[clausont]

It seems that if you are going to the trouble to remove the bolds to cut them, you might try to find replacements that are the right length and keep the over long ones as spares. This would be quite a bit easier than removing them, cutting them and replacing them.

[Zach]

Lock them in a vise (not on the threads!) cut them with a cut off wheel on a grinder, then use a bench grinder or equivelant to clean up the first thread. Taper the thread for ease of assembly!

The easiest solution would be to get some acorn nuts. No more holes in the scalp, though it'd still hurt if you wacked your noggin against one.

[delmarrey]

Originally Posted by clausont

It seems that if you are going to the trouble to remove the bolds to cut them, you might try to find replacements that are the right length and keep the over long ones as spares. This would be quite a bit easier than removing them, cutting them and replacing them.

clausont has it right on. Before installing any bolt/screw one needs to know where it's going to end up. Just as if you were drilling a hole with water or wiring at the other end of the hole.

Before a permanent install stick a bolt/screw thru the existing hole and see what sticks out the other end. If it 's to short go for a longer one. if it's too long put the backing plate, washers or whatever and a nut. See what's left, then buy the right ones minus whats sticking out. Once you tighten it down good you should have just a couple threads sticking out.

If you can't buy them, then cut them off before the final install and dress-up that first thread. And number them if you have to, sometimes a pattern of bolts will be of different lengths.

[Evan]

Angle grinder with a cut off wheel. A dremel tool works well too, but for 30 bolts, you'll go through a lot of the little fiberglass cut off discs. Wear safety goggles please!

[donradcliffe]

The angle grinder will go through them like butter after they are installed, but be careful with the part you cut off--its going to be very hot. I cut off my new traveler bolts and put a tarp under the work area, but they melted through the tarp and into the cover of the back bunk mattress. I had to sleep in the dinghy for a week.

[cooper]

Yep ..little angle grinder, but get the super thin discs. Nice neat job and manageable. A second saftey clad helper with a damp rag can make a differance to your clean up. You hold it up like a curtain (not to close) and the gindings will stick to it. Also stops you setting things on fire.