Making Bolts-- youtube video

[35fordtn]

Thought I'd share a little video of making some hardware. Boy I have the most monotone boring voice ever haha

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDiPHcFjCl0

[The Art Doctor]

Wow, I had no idea you literally modify nearly every single bolt for all your bolt kits. Amazing dedication, thank you for making these for all of us. I will no longer gripe to myself that 4 bolts cost $20 and be thankful they do not cost $40.

[GB SISSON]

I loved your video and far from boring, I listened closely to every word. I have altered bolts for some of my antique gas engine projects to remove grade stamping etc, and I carefully save every single tall head bolt when I junk stuff. To me a hardware store, cad plated, thin headed bolt amongst otherwise rusted originals on, let's say an original fordson tractor is a form of blasphemy. Excellent job with those bolts, and keep 'em coming!

[19Fordy]

Ecellent presentation. I admire your dedication to making such high quality bolts. It's labor intensive, but worth every penny. When I was teaching high school metal shop we used Geometric Dies to make threaded bolts. https://www.ebay.com/itm/37656759356...648ab3e90ff8fe d The dies are very expensive but I was lucky to have them donated by a local company many years ago. Today, shop classes are long gone.

[outlaw]

Thank you for the video. It is very informative. I had always thought that the hardware was mass produced by machines, not finished by hand one at a time.

[ford38v8]

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Originally Posted by outlaw

Thank you for the video. It is very informative. I had always thought that the hardware was mass produced by machines, not finished by hand one at a time.

Small quantities can't pay for expensive machinery.

[Mart]

Thanks for taking us behind the scenes, Michael. I'm a nut and bolt geek and like to have everything right so I can appreciate the effort it takes. Have sent a pm re the videos. Mart.

[corvette8n]

I have a new appreciation for your hard work and commitment. As consumers we take for granted what some of the people in our hobby do for us. Thank you.

[Model51]

Nice video and thanks for making the effort to help us restorers that few others would attempt on a commercial basis.

[rockfla]

Just to "clarify" on Michael's fine video and more on the "technicalities" of bolt manufacturing that Michael spoke about. As an aside, "Industrial" bolts/fasteners is my business...My company has been in business since 1952 and we cater to the the Mechanical Contracting, Ship Fitting, Machine & Fabrication, Pulp Mill, Electric Plants, Underground Utilites etc etc as well as highly corrosive chemical plants as well as three major Military bases and subsequent contractors there of. I have been doing this industry for 41 years.


Michael spoke about cut threads Vs roll threads....Cut threads being done with a "die" and "roll threads" effective are "mashed" into shape under tremendous pressure. Cut threading in commercial manufacturing of BULK bolt manufacturing was fazed out in the early 60's in favor for the much faster roll threading technique. see attached video:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/WdhPbK3k7NI


For a "brief" period of time in the early 60's, the industry tried doing bolts with pitch diameter shanks and rolling the thread to diameter spec. This process only lasted a very short time period as the industry found on "longer" bolts this process provided too much play for longer bolts with un-threaded shanks.
The "general rule of thumb" for both ASTM & SAE specifications are that bolts are "generally" threaded twice the bolt diameter plus 1/2 of an inch.....For example....the maximum amount of threads for a 1/2" bolt will be....1/2" X 2 = 1" (+) plus 1/2" = 1-1/2" of threads SO any 1/2 bolt OVER 1-1/2 in length will start building a shoulder or the rest of a bolt will be un-threaded.
Since the early 60's, the industry has switched to swagged body bolts meaning that only the portion of the bolt to be threaded (determined by the diameter) is swagged down to "pitch diameter" and only that portion is roll threaded back up to body diameter of the bolt to be threaded attached are pictures of how they are done since the early 60's and so now NO commercial manufacture/seller of any bolt in the USA sells any full pitch diameter bolts. They are ALL swagged end, roll thread bolts!!! Obviously there are "some" exception to this statement as some manufacturets USE body bound/pitch diameter bolts for a specific application AS well as you see a lot of pitch diameter anchor bolts in foundation work (which doesn't apply to this discussion). AS a result of the "swagged" bolt/rolled thread process, this makes it very difficult to extend threads on an existing bolt, you can see the angle chamfer left when the end to be threaded is swagged down to diameter and this makes the transition from the factory threaded portion of the bolt to the shank of the un-threaded portion very very difficult for the average threading die to make. Most of the time, the only way to accomplish this task is by turning extra threads on a lathe from my experience.


Thank you for sharing the video Micheal, I see I need to make me one of those bolt drill jigs!!! Great work!!!

[rockfla]

Here is a much better video on how quickly roll threading is done Vs Cut threading and why its a "preferred" method in bulk manufacturing of bolts


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARQ3...bmcgYm9sdHM%3D

[Don W/Norfolk]

Keep up the great work! Your dedication to the hobby is evident in the product. Thank you for picking up Roy's work and continuing to serve us tinkerers. dw

[19Fordy]

rockfla: Thanks for sharing your expertise re: bolt manufacturing plus the video. It's amazing to see that something so easily taken for granted (bolts) are manufactured.

I wonder if the quality of foreign made bolts is really up to USA Standards?

[35fordtn]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

rockfla: Thanks for sharing your expertise re: bolt manufacturing plus the video. It's amazing to see that something so easily taken for granted (bolts) are manufactured.

I wonder if the quality of foreign made bolts is really up to USA Standards?

Robert May disagree, but US made hardware has really slacked in recent years and the cost is through the roof!

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by 19Fordy

rockfla: Thanks for sharing your expertise re: bolt manufacturing plus the video. It's amazing to see that something so easily taken for granted (bolts) are manufactured.

I wonder if the quality of foreign made bolts is really up to USA Standards?

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Robert May disagree, but US made hardware has really slacked in recent years and the cost is through the roof!

Your question, 19Forty, seems to be a very very "common thought" about "USA Quality".....My $.02 worth....FIRST, close to 90% of all the fasteners sold here in the USA are of foreign manufacture (China, Taiwan, India etc etc) so there is merit in "those foreign made bolts" statement. With that said.... IF they are a "graded head ie Grd5/Grd8 or an ASTM marked ie A307 A449 A325 etc etc)" bolt or SS bolt 304SS (18-8 same thing) or 316SS which accounts for about 1/2 of my business, all bolt importers/suppliers MUST have each lot of imported bolts tested and certified by an accredited ASTM/SAE testing lab and certified to the ASTM/SAE specifications and must keep ALL documented paperwork for such lot of bolt on file for traceability purposes in case of any potential failures or "other" specified needs. IF you think about it......IF the quality of "SO MANY" fasteners was an issue OR did not perform as required think about ALL the failures of bridges, buildings, power supply, manufacturing, transportation, heating and A/C, marine construction etc etc etc and ALL the subsequent law suits that would be happening on a daily bases because of it....it would boggle the mind as well as be a "financial" disaster. SO the quality of the "general" fastener I would say is quite good.
NOW, with that said, by most "fastener" publications estimations, approximately 85% of a fastener failure is "mis-application" ie too small of a fastener for the application OR improper installation from under or over torque, or compromised threads from either part of the material being threaded into ie damaged threads, over tapped, heat applications etc etc. SO there is that!!! ALSO, even with ASTM/SAE standards, there is a +/- factor in manufacturing with thread tolerances, lengths, diameters, head sizes SO there could be very slight micrometer measured differences from bolt to bolt, lot to lot BUT that has NO baring on fastener performance. I see this a lot with bolt lengths where say a 4" bolt actually will measure 3-7/8" by a micrometer. SO I am not sure I agree or disagree with Michael's statement???? Its all in the application and environmental factors of the particular instants of failure.


As for actual USA made fasteners, NUCOR is the only "commercial" manufacturer of "domestic" produced fasteners. I am not sure at this time what the corporate structure is BUT as one time they were partnered with and sourcing some of their product from Canada....BUT they are currently the only "true" domestic supplier that I can source product from. There are several "boutique" domestic manufacturers BUT the question of raw material supply is one that needs to be asked IF the "true domestic" application applies.


I do however 100% agree on "Cost".

[Seth Swoboda]

Folks, Michael's bolt kits are THE BEST. The attention to detail is worth the cost. Plus you have clean hardware in a package that you can go right to your car and use.


It is getting harder and harder for him to provide all of the correct type of fasteners we use on our cars. There are endless hours of machining, sorting, plating and packaging that goes into this endeavor. Thank you Michael for your dedication and attention to detail. You have taught me so much over the years. Your knowledge amazes me.

[rockfla]

Seth


You are correct and even in my "Industry"......standardization seems to be ever increasing.....much of my inventory of more "obscure" type fasteners is shrinking quickly and in most cases disappearing. MY advice to guys with projects on the horizon, get your bolts NOW from Michael while the getting is good. That my plan as of this post!!! For what I can't supply from my own stock.

[34fordy]

This was an interesting video for so many folks, and me too. I am sure. Regarding the bolt in the video that Michael shortened, drilled and put a chamfered edge on the hole. There is absolutely no profit in this for him. It is a service to his customers. I do this for myself and a few friends and it takes more time than you see in the video. Scouring the internet at night looking for good products to keep in inventory to modify consumes much of his time. When we receive a package of fasteners we rarely think of the extra time that went into making, stocking, packaging and shipping. Sometimes the product is returned because the buyer was mistaken when he ordered. I know that Michael has some help in his endeavor but those are basically 8 hour workers. When the "boss" starts his usual work day I am sure that extends for at least 16 hours and probably falls asleep thinking what he wished he could have done more that day. Please KNOW that your commitment to this hobby is greatly APPRECIATED Michael.

[35fordtn]

Originally Posted by rockfla

Your question, 19Forty, seems to be a very very "common thought" about "USA Quality".....My $.02 worth....FIRST, close to 90% of all the fasteners sold here in the USA are of foreign manufacture (China, Taiwan, India etc etc) so there is merit in "those foreign made bolts" statement. With that said.... IF they are a "graded head ie Grd5/Grd8 or an ASTM marked ie A307 A449 A325 etc etc)" bolt or SS bolt 304SS (18-8 same thing) or 316SS which accounts for about 1/2 of my business, all bolt importers/suppliers MUST have each lot of imported bolts tested and certified by an accredited ASTM/SAE testing lab and certified to the ASTM/SAE specifications and must keep ALL documented paperwork for such lot of bolt on file for traceability purposes in case of any potential failures or "other" specified needs. IF you think about it......IF the quality of "SO MANY" fasteners was an issue OR did not perform as required think about ALL the failures of bridges, buildings, power supply, manufacturing, transportation, heating and A/C, marine construction etc etc etc and ALL the subsequent law suits that would be happening on a daily bases because of it....it would boggle the mind as well as be a "financial" disaster. SO the quality of the "general" fastener I would say is quite good.
NOW, with that said, by most "fastener" publications estimations, approximately 85% of a fastener failure is "mis-application" ie too small of a fastener for the application OR improper installation from under or over torque, or compromised threads from either part of the material being threaded into ie damaged threads, over tapped, heat applications etc etc. SO there is that!!! ALSO, even with ASTM/SAE standards, there is a +/- factor in manufacturing with thread tolerances, lengths, diameters, head sizes SO there could be very slight micrometer measured differences from bolt to bolt, lot to lot BUT that has NO baring on fastener performance. I see this a lot with bolt lengths where say a 4" bolt actually will measure 3-7/8" by a micrometer. SO I am not sure I agree or disagree with Michael's statement???? Its all in the application and environmental factors of the particular instants of failure.


As for actual USA made fasteners, NUCOR is the only "commercial" manufacturer of "domestic" produced fasteners. I am not sure at this time what the corporate structure is BUT as one time they were partnered with and sourcing some of their product from Canada....BUT they are currently the only "true" domestic supplier that I can source product from. There are several "boutique" domestic manufacturers BUT the question of raw material supply is one that needs to be asked IF the "true domestic" application applies.


I do however 100% agree on "Cost".

Robert just for the hell of it I quoted having the flathead intake bolts made overseas. I stayed local, but the quote from overseas was cheaper than my local CNC Screw Machine guy can even buy the raw hex stock for.


Marsden nuts are the real pain to produce I'll make a video on them sometime, and maybe how I make wiring clips as well.

[rockfla]

Originally Posted by 35fordtn

Robert just for the hell of it I quoted having the flathead intake bolts made overseas. I stayed local, but the quote from overseas was cheaper than my local CNC Screw Machine guy can even buy the raw hex stock for.

Yep, same thing for me..........I quoted a large job of some "LARGE" 316SS bolts for the Submarine Base job just north of here....Job required them in a short amount of time....and a quantity way more than any stainless supplier would stock "nationally" in their whole supply system.....4X's the "cost" of "import" 316SS bolt pricing!!!