I need a better way to shorten bolts

[Prashun Patel]

"Drill some holes in a scrap of wood the diameter of the root of the thread, and turn in the bolts or screws so the amount sticking out is what you want to cut off. Now use an angle grinder to cut them all flush with the wood. You can clean up the threads by grinding a small chamfer on the end of the bolt. I find this more effective than threading on a nut before cutting, to clean up threads on removal." (Alan Schwabacher)

+1. Exactly how I have done it. It has also worked to pre-thread a nut on the bolt. After the cut, when you unthread the nut, it helps to debur and cut the threads on the very tip.

[Victor Robinson]

Perhaps overkill, but I often use a small portable bandsaw (Milwaukee M12). Super fast and clean.

[michael langman]

If I had a lot of bolts to do I would use a pair of vise grips to hold them by the end of the threads the correct distance to get the length I needed and use either a dremel or a 4" grinder with a thin cutoff wheel set in a vise or on the bench and cut them off.

[Bill Dufour]

I use wood scraps as soft jaws in the vise on my chop saw. Or now that I have lathe chuck the waste end and use a parting tool.
Bill D

[lowell holmes]

Bolt cutter and a grinder to square the cut end also works for me.

[Ted Phillips]

I double nut them and then use a reciprocal saw blade in a plastic/rubber handle. I can cut through most bolts in just a minute or less.

TedP

[Mike Kees]

I just went out and bought a proper bolt bin and keep it stocked. Saves me a ton of time,I live 30kms from the nearest town with a hardware store.

[John K Jordan]

I usually use a small metal-cutting abrasive disk in a Dremel. This doesn't leave much burr but I do chamfer a bit at a grinder.

JKJ

[Bruce Wrenn]

Stanley used to make, and probably still does, a tool just to cut bolts (up to 1/4".) I bought one over thirty years ago when installing metal doors and their hardware.

[Matt Mattingley]

If I have one or two to do and they’re small(under 1/4”), I’d probably use a hacksaw. If I had 20+, 5/16”+ I would put a fibre wheel blade in the surface grinder with a small set up and a V block.

If I’m only taking off a little bit 1/8”, I’d probably do that all on a pedestal grinder. Up to half inch diameter.

If I had 6+ that I need to take off half inch that are 3/8” or bigger, I would probably do on the vertical bandsaw with a vice. Then touch up on the pedestal grinder.

It really depends on diameter, amount needed to be taken off, original length, and how many.

The fastest handheld way is with a 4 1/2” disc grinder with a Zip cut wheel.

[Frederick Skelly]

Thanks for the additional ideas guys. Appreciate it!
Fred

[Art Moore]

I use the Dremel with 426 cutting wheels, then clean the end up on my belt sander.

[Rich Engelhardt]

Good idea Andrew aka. Chuck Norris.

Nope - that would be Mike Rowe that did that.....

[Jesse Silver]

The diamond dremel is the wrong bit. Dremel has a series of metal cutoff disks that work really well!

[Brian Holcombe]

Buy the correct length bolts Truly, I buy one up and one down of every length I need when sourcing bolts or screws for projects, it saves a lot of grief and crappy threads.