Bolt cutters are tools used to cut threads on steel bolts, with both manual and electric options available. Cutting heads can be integral or interchangeable, and cutting paste is necessary for lubrication and chip removal.
A bolt cutter is a hand or power tool used to cut threads on new steel bolts or to recut threads on bolts with damaged threads. Both hand and power driven threaders use a standard head or die that rotates around the steel stock or bolt. These heads feature an integral cutting surface or interchangeable cutting insert sets. The powered bolt threader is generally a fairly large static tool typically fitted in a shop, while the manual varieties are portable and usually fit in the average toolbox. Both types are used with a specially formulated cutting paste that acts as a lubricant and aids in the removal of cuts from the head.
The characteristic spiral threads that provide the driving forces to tighten a corresponding bolt or nut are cut into a steel round blank with a wire cutter. These tools can be operated manually or driven by electric motors. In both cases, a cutting head equipped with a set of cutting ridges is rotated around the steel stock cutting the wire as it advances along its length. Cutting ridges are integral parts of the head or are cut into the ends of removable inserts that fit into channels milled into the head. Integral heads, or dies, can of course only cut a particular thread pitch and profile, while interchangeable insert heads can be used to cut any number of different threads.
Electrically operated bolt threader types are fairly large and heavy machine tools that come with a spare clamp and motorized cutting head attachment, both mounted on a sturdy table. Hand-held threaders typically consist of a double-sided handle into which the die or cutting head locks. In both, the cutting head is rotated around a hollow steel round bar to cut new threads or around a stripped bolt to restore existing threads. As the threads are cut, they serve as a guide to feed the cutting head along the length of the rod or bolt, cutting new threads as it progresses.
Both types of bolt threader are always used with a cutting paste. This is a special compound that lubricates the cutting point, relieving the amount of stress placed on the cutting edges. It also helps remove chips, or cuttings, from the cutting area and away from the cutting head. No threading machine should ever be operated without cutting compound, as it can lead to accelerated die wear or even total failure of the cutting surfaces.
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