How do I cut off the end of a threaded rod?

[James Biddle]

So, I'm working on my pergola and I need to cut off the top 1/2" of a 5/8" threaded rod (http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/sstb.asp) embedded in concrete with a U-bracket mounted to it (http://www.strongtie.com/products/connectors/ab-aba-abe-abu.asp). I have 16 of them to do. Well, 15 now. It took me 20 min and 3 Fein Multimaster blades to cut the first one. There's got to be a better way. I also have a Dewalt reciprocating saw, but I don't have any metal blades for it and I don't have a feel for if it would work any better than the MM. Any ideas?

[Paul Muhlstadt]

Hack saw - 18 tooth blade
reciprocating saw - 18 tooth blade (slow speed - not full on)

Paul Muhlstadt
Kankakee, IL

[John Lanciani]

http://di1-3.shoppingshadow.com/images/pi/ea/d4/82/42545299-260x260-0-0_Lenox+High+Tension+Hand+Hacksaw+Frame+20918+4012 .jpg
1 minute each with a good blade.

[Julian Tracy]

All of the suggestions are the slow and hard ways. Easiest, fastest and best way is a simple 1/16th cut-off wheel in a grinder. Each will take about 20-30 seconds to cut, maybe take a couple of the wheels to do it.

Good luck,

JT

[Todd Burch]

Recip saw with a proper metal blade. That Fein MM is not a production tool for this type of work.

[Dick Parman]

Four inch grinder with a cut off blade is the best way to go. RotoZip also makes a cut off blade.

[Larry Rasmussen]

Hello James,

I've had a multimaster tool for a year or two now and have been consistently dissappointed with the cutting power on metal. I have cut a few pieces of 5/8 threaded with either a hack saw or bosch brand metal blade in a cordless jig saw with good result. Even the hack saw didn't take 20 minutes and the jig saw less than 2 minutes and will be good for a couple/three cuts per blade.

One question that occurs is whether the metal on the strongtie is tougher than the generic threaded rod that I bought at Home Depot. I made a couple upsized picture frame clamps with the rods I had and didn't need a top strength rod. Using my Makita cordless recip saw vs the jig saw has been actually less effective on metal due to difficulty of placing and controlling the blade on small cuts. Plus the cost of those blades hurts. If you don't have a jig saw you might try the best quality blade you can find for a hack saw just out of curiosity, you could be pleasantly suprised if the metal is not too tough.

Hope that helps,
Larry R, Seattle

[Jacob Reverb]

If you can find a nut that fits onto the threaded rod, it can make your life easier if you thread the nut on before cutting the threaded rod. Then when you take the nut off, you'll align any burrs that otherwise could foul you up when trying to thread the nut on after cutting.

[Rich Engelhardt]

One of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/4-1-2-half-inch-angle-grinder-95578.html

And one of these:

http://www.harborfreight.com/10-piece-4-1-2-half-inch-grinding-and-cutting-wheel-assortment-47572.html

You'll actually find a lot of uses for a 4.5" angle grinder.
I bought one to cut off a lockset - which it did in a min or two, then found a whole lot of other uss for it later on.

Probably the best of which was cutting off old frozen toilet flange bolts.

[Harvey Melvin Richards]

http://di1-3.shoppingshadow.com/images/pi/ea/d4/82/42545299-260x260-0-0_Lenox+High+Tension+Hand+Hacksaw+Frame+20918+4012 .jpg
1 minute each with a good blade.

In the shop I have a 19" metal cutting bandsaw, a reciprocating power hacksaw, a cold saw, an abrasive cut off saw, a pneumatic cut off grinder, a 4.5" electric grinder, a few Dremels, and a couple of hacksaws. I usually reach for the hacksaw, it's quick, clean and quiet.

[Sam Murdoch]

Metal blades on the Dewalt will be fast enough. You already have the tool you just need the blades.

[Kevin Bourque]

All of the suggestions are the slow and hard ways. Easiest, fastest and best way is a simple 1/16th cut-off wheel in a grinder. Each will take about 20-30 seconds to cut, maybe take a couple of the wheels to do it.

Good luck,

JT

Thats how we do it

[Ole Anderson]

Ditto on the thin abrasive cut off wheels on an angle grinder as the fastest, next would be a bimetal blade on your recip saw.

[James Biddle]

Thanks everyone. I didn't include this, but I have a 4-1/2" angle grinder, but it wouldn't fit in the 3-1/2" U-bracket opening. The hacksaw also wouldn't work in the area I was restricted with. I did make a trip up to Lowes and bought some 18T metal-cutting Lenox blades for the reciprocating saw. It took me all of 5 minutes to cut through the other 15 bolts with one blade. Amazing.


It makes me wonder what material the Multimaster universal blades are that it takes 3 of them to cut through one bolt?


I sprayed the cut end of the threaded rod with Boeshield. Think there's any chance it will stop it from rusting?

[Todd Burch]

... I sprayed the cut end of the threaded rod with Boeshield. Think there's any chance it will stop it from rusting?

No way, Jose.

[Alan Lightstone]

All of the suggestions are the slow and hard ways. Easiest, fastest and best way is a simple 1/16th cut-off wheel in a grinder. Each will take about 20-30 seconds to cut, maybe take a couple of the wheels to do it.

Good luck,

JT

That's how I do it.

[Jason Roehl]

It makes me wonder what material the Multimaster universal blades are that it takes 3 of them to cut through one bolt?



The problem is the high-frequency, short stroke and thin blade--major heat buildup that kills the blades. I have a VS Fein MM, and it took me a while (and several blades) to figure out that for metal especially I have to turn the speed down and keep the blade moving.

[Jacob Reverb]

The problem is the high-frequency, short stroke and thin blade--major heat buildup that kills the blades. I have a VS Fein MM, and it took me a while (and several blades) to figure out that for metal especially I have to turn the speed down and keep the blade moving.

Yep, either that, or keep dipping the blade in water to cool it before it loses its hardness. (You should cool it before it makes the "SSSSS" sound.)

[Todd Burch]

This last Saturday, I was cutting off the top of an anchor bolt I had just set in concrete. I was at my sisters and did not bring all the tools I should have (like a big drill and a recip saw). We raised the southwest corner of the garage 6"+ due to rotting/termite eaten 4X4s. Hammer drilling for the last anchor, I hit rebar, so the bolt didn't go as deep as I wanted, so the bolt stuck up too high. I asked my mom to see if she had a hacksaw. She went and looked, and did, and brought it back.

Now, my eyes aren't as good as they used to be.

I started cutting. I was about 1.25" from the floor, sawing, sawing, sawing, busting my knuckles, not making very good progress at all. I couldn't get good strokes at all - it was easiest to just go back and forth in the middle of the blade, which, as we all know, gets dull first. I had made it about 1/3 through the 1/2" bolt and had to sit back and sigh. I decided to flip the blade around. No progress. Flipped it back to where it was. No progress. Tightened the blade more - no progress. I decided I had had enough. I put my glasses on. THE BLADE HAD NO TEETH ON IT!! Only at the ends did it have any teeth. I felt like a fool. I asked mom if she had any extra blades, and she did. When she got back, my dad (almost 73) grabbed the saw frame from me, put the new blade in, and in about 15 seconds, had cut the bolt off, and then he asked me WHAT WAS THE PROBLEM TODD??? That turkey!

[ian maybury]

Not sure if it would suit what you have in mind, but stud cutters or threaded rod cutters are fairly commonplace construction tools: http://www.mccusainc.com/Tools/Threaded-Rod-Cutter.htm Hitachi and probably others do a power version as well. Maybe hiring is an option?

ian