Beall manual wood threader cutter questions

[Evan Ryan]

I have a 3/4" beall manual wood threader and I was able to make some working screws and taps(?) out of Borg dowels and Borg pine. They're not pretty. Threads are chipped and a couple of the sets slipped under tension. I'm planing on buying quality dowels made of maple and birch this week. But I have a couple of questions about the cutter bc it seems like the weak link in the thread box.

How do I sharpen the cutter?
I tried using finger pressure to hold the angle and gently slid the cutter on my shapton stones. The ends of the cutter are not straight, but I was afraid of removing too much metal, so I only tried sharpening the outsides of the cutter. I didn't get noticeable results but I didn't fully commit to the sharpening bc I wanted advice in case I'm doing it wrong.

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Has anyone made a cutter?
They sell replacement cutters but I thought I could get better steel if I cut off the end of a V gouge to use in the box? Has anyone tried cutting the end off a V gouge or opened the groove in the thread box to accommodate a full gouge, maybe a gouge without a handle?

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I'm not sure that I can buy a V gouge with the right angle, so can the angle be achieved by squeezing the gouge in a metal vise? I have a few V gouges with the wrong angles that I've picked up at garage sales and a small metal vise.

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[John Kananis]

Hey Evan, wooden threads are a ton of fun (IMHO).

First, squeezing hardened steel in a metal vise will only yield a broken tool (however v-tools do come in different sizes and different sweeps.

The cutter can be sharpened (by hand) the same way you would sharpen a v-tool, water stones, slip stone, diamond paste, etc, etc. However, your issue is most likely not preparing the stock properly...

Saturate the dowel with oil (I prefer the Danish variety), let it soak, then harden a bit and then try cutting the threads (world of difference). This is the easy part, wait 'til you tap the threads, keep your tools completely perpendicular to the stock unless you're planning on loose-fitting thread and nut (desirable in some instances) in which case just tap the whole 2-3 times being a tiny bit off 90 degrees each time (in different directions). GL

[Keith Outten]

I never had much luck using a thread box so years ago I purchased the Beal router threading jig. The threads rarely chip so the quality is about as good as is possible. You can purchase high quality dowels for threading from Beal as well, they fit the jig perfectly.

I started a batch of 3/4" Corian nuts and bolts a long time ago. I finished threading several of the nuts but haven't been able to find the time to make any bolts yet. I plan to create the dowels on my metal lathe so I can get the OD the proper size for the router threading jig.

FWIW the wood I used to make the walnut bolt and nut in the picture came from Colonial Williamsburg. When the tree was cut down they counted the rings and determined that it was planted about 1776. The mill that I purchased the lumber from was only allowing their best customers to purchase just a few boards from this particular tree.
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[Evan Ryan]

Hey Evan, wooden threads are a ton of fun (IMHO).

Saturate the dowel with oil (I prefer the Danish variety), let it soak, then harden a bit and then try cutting the threads (world of difference). GL

Other threads recommended oiling the dowels so I used mineral oil. I have used Danish oil for finishing, flexner says danish oil is a wiping varnish, which would explain the hardening. I'll try it, but I want to make sure you're not using a true oil "Danish oil?"

Thank you for keeping me from ruining my v tools! And thank you for your response.

[Evan Ryan]

I never had much luck using a thread box so years ago I purchased the Beal router threading jig. The threads rarely chip so the quality is about as good as is possible. You can purchase high quality dowels for threading from Beal as well, they fit the jig perfectly
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My new router is a 2.25hp Bosch, is that too large for the beall jig? (Whoops I just left the Bronze Age)

[John Kananis]

I use the off-the-shelf variety because it has the varnish. Should work well for you.

[Keith Outten]

My new router is a 2.25hp Bosch, is that too large for the beall jig? (Whoops I just left the Bronze Age)

Evan,

I expect that your new router would be fine. I have the original Beal router style threading jig, the new model is much improved and I expect that Mr. Beal can let you know what the requirements are so give him a call. My jig has a very old Craftsman router on it that I must have purchased back in the early 80's :)

Try making some "U" Bolts and some turnbuckles when you get the time. Got both of them on my list of things to try. Also look for one of our Members who has a laser engraver and ask him/her to engrave the heads of your bolts, they look amazing when they are engraved. When I use black walnut I stain the fasteners with walnut stain to get it as dark as possible. Finish it off by buffing and it will look like the real thing.
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