# The Captive Nut



## combustable herbage (Oct 6, 2022)

Here is my version of this classic project, its been a fun project great for working on your threading skills   Mine is from some scrap stainless the  third  picture shows the evolution of failed attempts as at first the inside and outside threads were too thin as well as figuring out some threading issues and in the end I found a finer thread for the inside worked better. I can loosen it with the aid of the nut but its hard to loosen without the nut so its harder to stumble on the secret but there is a small crack in the threads from turning it on and off but barely visible.  Lastly my threading holder from aloris  with it and the servo drive its made threading much easier in tight situations.


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## Susquatch (Oct 6, 2022)

Cool gizmo. I made a few like that a while back too. Don't even know where they are. 

I get the sense that you are doing something very different in your threading. But it's not obvious to me what it is. Could you post a few more photos of your threading tool?


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## combustable herbage (Oct 6, 2022)

Here it is in position, I set the cross slide to zero, and then advance the compound do the cut back off  the cross slide reverse back past the start, take up the backlash set the cross back to zero and advance the compound which is at 30 degrees.
Its real nice for coming up to a shoulder, the idea as I understand it is as the tool wears you will move it up also i believe it will cut on either end as well.


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## YYCHM (Oct 6, 2022)

combustable herbage said:


> Here it is in position, I set the cross slide to zero, and then advance the compound do the cut back off  the cross slide reverse back past the start, take up the backlash set the cross back to zero and advance the compound which is at 30 degrees.
> Its real nice for coming up to a shoulder, the idea as I understand it is as the tool wears you will move it up also i believe it will cut on either end as well.
> 
> View attachment 26956
> ...



Interesting..... Where did you get that from?


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## combustable herbage (Oct 6, 2022)

It is part of the Aloris set I bought.




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						Threading Holder AXA-8
					






					www.aloris.com


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## Susquatch (Oct 6, 2022)

combustable herbage said:


> Here it is in position, I set the cross slide to zero, and then advance the compound do the cut back off the cross slide reverse back past the start, take up the backlash set the cross back to zero and advance the compound which is at 30 degrees.



That's the darndest thing I've seen in a long time. 

1. I've never seen hss shaped like that. 
2. I've never seen a mounting system like that. 
3. I've never seen anyone thread like that. 

This forum is full of surprises. 

I'm thinking the thread sizes it can do are limited by both the nose size and the lack of a Helix angle on the trailing edge. But I'm also thinking it would be easy to sharpen and might last a whole lifetime!

Very Cool @combustable herbage !  Thanks for sharing.


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## YYCHM (Oct 6, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> That's the darndest thing I've seen in a long time.
> 
> 1. I've never seen hss shaped like that.
> 2. I've never seen a mounting system like that.
> ...



Look at how you resharpen it..... https://www.aloris.com/high-speed-threading-blades-60-p-10

Very Cool


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## Susquatch (Oct 6, 2022)

YYCHM said:


> Look at how you resharpen it..... https://www.aloris.com/high-speed-threading-blades-60-p-10
> 
> Very Cool



I assumed that's how it would be done. Stupid simple. Thanks for the link to confirm. 

Aloris also specifies:

"Capacity: 10 or more TPI" 

I can't see cutting 40 tpi with that. All in all I would think it's prolly 8 to 24 or so. No idea why they chose 10 or more instead of a range. Maybe it's sharper than it looks and maybe the vertical blade does not provide a suitable relief to accomodate the thread Helix angle on the bigger thread?

All in all a very interesting threading tool.


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## combustable herbage (Oct 7, 2022)

It is sharp for sure, I haven't strayed from the normal range yet, I did put in an inquiry about the adjustments but they advised me to call the technical support which I will get around to, its doing what I want now but will play with it at a later time.
This is the link I got the idea from, originally from Jwest 7 years ago. 








						Captive nut project.
					

I completed this little guy recently. Wanted to share!  Found the instructions at: http://www.frets.com/HomeShopTech/Projects/CaptiveNut/captivenut.html




					canadianhobbymetalworkers.com
				



The frets site has a lot of good info as well a good resource.




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						HomeShopTech
					





					www.frets.com
				



I just did mine in the 3 jaw chuck, I have to make some lathe dogs and try the between centers one day as well.


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## trlvn (Oct 7, 2022)

Susquatch said:


> That's the darndest thing I've seen in a long time.
> 
> 1. I've never seen hss shaped like that.



There was an old-school tool holder for lantern tool posts that had much the same concept:






Apologies for the dinky little picture but as the text says, "it is necessary to grind its top edge only."  Then the tool bit would be rotated a little in the holder and the whole thing mounted in the lantern (which would provide a bit of back rake).

I have one of these but I've never tried it.

Craig


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## Mcgyver (Oct 7, 2022)

trlvn said:


> There was an old-school tool holder for lantern tool posts that had much the same concept:



I've got some of those, its a clever approach.  I like the tangential style as well, first time I've seen it.

Keep a couple of those bolts kicking around, and the next time the wife is heading to the hardware or bigbox store, ask her to get you some double ended bolts.  Give her one and say "here you go, the guy there will know what they are, just get the same size".


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## johnnielsen (Oct 7, 2022)

Ifanger makes a large selection of threading tools where you set the helix angle yourself so any pitch of thread can be made. Excellent tools.


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## Bruce Rossiter (Oct 7, 2022)

trlvn said:


> There was an old-school tool holder for lantern tool posts that had much the same concept:
> 
> View attachment 26964
> 
> ...


I have one of those tools also but I haven't used it.


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## Susquatch (Oct 8, 2022)

johnnielsen said:


> Ifanger makes a large selection of threading tools where you set the helix angle yourself so any pitch of thread can be made. Excellent tools.



I had some trouble finding them John. But they are actually quite popular in some circles. I even found the ifanger website but couldn't find the tool on it! Nonetheless, there were enough mentions of it out there that I was able to satisfy my curiosity. I'll just need to keep looking till I find one I can buy to try. 

What a brilliant idea though! The one I liked most holds the tool in a sleeve much like a boring bar so it can be rotated to fit the Helix angle perfectly just as you describe. 

Thanks for posting!


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## johnnielsen (Oct 8, 2022)

Here is a link to one of their catalogues. The toolholder is the third one down on the right.








						High performance cutting tools
					





					www.ifanger.com
				




Their tools are pricey. KAR is their distributor.


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## Susquatch (Oct 8, 2022)

johnnielsen said:


> Here is a link to one of their catalogues. The toolholder is the third one down on the right.
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Thanks John!


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