Can't get it right

opiesbro

opiesbro

Big Al Customs
Silver Member
I have tried a couple times now to use these dies with no luck. Can someone please shed some light on what I am doing wrong? The die is a 3/4X16 and the but is .737 as you can see from the pic of the calipers. I put a generous lead in on the wood and waxed it all up good. The threads keep tearing off instead of forming nice points. Thanks everyone!
 

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That is not one of my dies. But I am guessing your .737" is too big. Try about .715" to .720" tenon and see what happens.
 
cueman said:
That is not one of my dies. But I am guessing your .737" is too big. Try about .715" to .720" tenon and see what happens.
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Funny, I don't make cues...and I was thinking the same thing.

Looking at how the threads tore off, it looks too big for the die.

I have threaded steel and aluminum but never wood. The more I watch you guys the more it seems that working with hard wood seems like working with soft metal.


.
 
Looks you have to turn it down some more but keep the un-threaded portion above at .748" or so to fit fiber/metal rings with .750" ID.
 
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Once you find the correct diameter, write it down, or you will be back where you started next time.
 
Minor diameter on that thread pattern is around .6733. Mearsure the interior size of the die and add .02 or .3. Try it on a test piece.
That is if .01 or .015 thread height is worth the effort. I'd look into
buying the threading attachment.
 
The die you are using is called a compression die. They are designed to actually "compress" the wood to form threads and not to cut threads like a die that is used to "cut" threads in metal. You should have satisfactory results if you turn the dowel down to .720 or so. and continue to wax it up good too. The final threads may not look real pretty but they will be functional.
 
I've also seen compression dies that do not have enough chamfer to start the threads smoothly.
 
Please escuse my lack of knowledge or ignorance (whichever you wanna call it) but is that being threaded for a stainless steel collar ???
 
opiesbro said:
I have tried a couple times now to use these dies with no luck. Can someone please shed some light on what I am doing wrong? The die is a 3/4X16 and the but is .737 as you can see from the pic of the calipers. I put a generous lead in on the wood and waxed it all up good. The threads keep tearing off instead of forming nice points. Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...
It says "Big Al Custom Cues" in you post so you are not just asking for something to do. To get really good threads in wood using dies you really have to use more then one die. I don't know if anyone sells them in a set, they are actually easy to make yourself. It is better to use the right tool then under size the tenon to accommodate the tool in my opinion. If you make up a set of say three dies that progressively remove more with each die, you can get threads that are almost, if not, as nice as ground threads and you hardly tear up the wood.
 
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i worked it out trial and error

when i started i also had this problem. i worked it out for myself using this method. i measuerd the diameter inside my cutting die. i then grabbed a hand full of scrap wood and started turning and sanding different pieces of wood each just a bit larger than the last. i cut about a dozen pieces of wood. the first i could just slide the smallest piece of wood into the die, cutting nothing. the next 2 would just barley leave a slight impressing. i continued using larger and larger pieces until i found what i think is the perfect thread depth.
 
I like this idea

macguy said:
It says "Big Al Custom Cues" in you post so you are not just asking for something to do. To get really good threads in wood using dies you really have to use more then one die. I don't know if anyone sells them in a set, they are actually easy to make yourself. It is better to use the right tool then under size the tenon to accommodate the tool in my opinion. If you make up a set of say three dies that progressively remove more with each die, you can get threads that are almost, if not, as nice as ground threads and you hardly tear up the wood.
Click to expand...

I like this idea very much. If i can step the threads to make them deeper then i will have more engagement and hopefully better quality. I will get some aluminum stock and use the tap i have to cut the different levels. Thanks guys.
 
Butt cap

Dirtbmw20 said:
Please escuse my lack of knowledge or ignorance (whichever you wanna call it) but is that being threaded for a stainless steel collar ???
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What is shown is for the butt cap. Joint collars i use are usually 5/8. There are some that are 3/⁴ though.
 
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opiesbro said:
What is shown is for the butt cap. Joint collars i use are usually 5/8. There are some that are 3/⁴ though.
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Thanks for the shared knowledge/explanation. I've only done one butt cap and it was on an older McDermott that my wife had and it was slipped over a tenon and not threaded on.
 
tearing threads

opiesbro said:
I have tried a couple times now to use these dies with no luck. Can someone please shed some light on what I am doing wrong? The die is a 3/4X16 and the but is .737 as you can see from the pic of the calipers. I put a generous lead in on the wood and waxed it all up good. The threads keep tearing off instead of forming nice points. Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

Untill I started power threading with a lathe I had that problem also..What the guys said works, but I found that most of the threading tools have a flat faced cutting ridge..If you look closely at your tool you will see what I mean by that..I started releaving some of the flat face by grinding the points giving the the ability to start the cut more like a knife..Just think of what wood looks like when you cut with a chisel as opposed to a flat blade screw driver...:thumbup:
 
opiesbro said:
I have tried a couple times now to use these dies with no luck. Can someone please shed some light on what I am doing wrong? The die is a 3/4X16 and the but is .737 as you can see from the pic of the calipers. I put a generous lead in on the wood and waxed it all up good. The threads keep tearing off instead of forming nice points. Thanks everyone!
Click to expand...

I use a regular split die and this holder. http://www1.mscdirect.com/eCommerce...lpartial&Nty=1&rawInput=die+holder¢die+holder
By adjusting the screw to open the die, my tenons for 5/8X18 and 3/4X16 are .625 and .750. I use T-9 as a lube and it threads with ease. Thread by hand, not power. Hope this helps. Before I switched to this, I used Chris Hightowers tenon threader out of brass, It still works great but I wanted a larger tenon.
 
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