Could some of you tell me what you use to cut yout hex rod with to make bolt heads?

I either end up with it crooked, and always haft to sand it, to make it straight, time comsuming, product waste, and I was looking at that chopper 2 in the far future, but I need something in my price range now.

If somebody could direct me in the right direction, on what to get, that doesn't cost an arm and a leg, I would greatly appreciate it.

Anybody know if that miter master will do the job, and not smash the ends? I tried my clippers, thinking they would work, well they cut straight, but the smashed the ends.
Thank You in advance.
Kerry

Kerry,
Try taping the hex rod length wise to a self healing cutting mat or wooden cutting board with clear cellophane tape. Cut through the tape and the rod with a new xacto knife blade. The tape will hold the rod down and keep your bolt heads from flying across the room. With the rod taped down you should be able to get fairly uniform and square bolt heads.

HTH,
Shaun

I do have that, and I'll give it a try, thank you very much I don't know why I never thought of that.
Many thanks Shaun
Well Shaun it does stop them from flying all over the room, but on the real small pieces, no matter how careful I try to be on trying to cut it straight, I end up with a bolt head at an angle, the bottom will set where it is supposed to and the top will be over a little bit, which doesn't look very good. Trying to keep eveything at a perfect 90% so it is straight is the problem.
Kerry

Hi Kerry ..I know what you mean about getting them straight ..What I do is use a flat blade (i don't know the number but the one that looks like a chiesel) and cut a whole bunch at one time and just choose the straightest ones of the bunch . I usually go over them with a file after the glue is dried to even everything out anyways.

Rick
thinking about getting a chopper too !

Try this, use a new blade. Now put the blade on the hex rod and with a little pressure roll the hex rod on the table, w/ the blade following through. This will form a groove so as you to follow. Keep rolling until you cut through.

I use old fashion single edge razor blades. The tape idea is good, will have ti try it. Thanks

heat the blade.........

I've tryed that once, but no luck. Then i tryed again today, a few times more...nothing. The blade cools to fast and the part you need gets rounded & rolled on edges.

Nobody has ever tried that Miter Master from Micro-Mark for $19.95 they claim it makes clean sharp miters in plastic and wood.

I might be able to find 20 bucks a little easier then the 50 bucks for the chopper 2 right now.

I've tried all the different ways, and to cut a straight bolt head, it is going to take something to where the knife is held by something else besides me, like this the knife part is always at a 90 from the cutting platform, just if I knew if it wouldn't smash the ends.

I know the chopper 2 would work, but that is out of my budget for a while, with so many other things to get.

Kerry

Try this:

Find some block, etc. that forms a straight 90° with your cutting surface, but is lower than your razor. Tape your hex stock to your cutting surface, butt up your block to the stock, and use your 90° block to keep the razor perpendicular to the stock. You should not have further problems with beveled ends.

Good Luck,
Mika

I was never able to get good perpendicularity with my "Chopper" no matter how hard I tried to line everything up.

Save up for a hex punch set. Ya can't beat that.

Thank you very much Kevin, about the news on the chopper, I had done made my mind up, I wasn't going to spend 50 dollars for a razorblade cutter, cause that is what it cost to get delivered, so I started to make my own homemade one out of an old pop rivet gun, and a piece of wood.

Now it doesn't slide side to side like the chopper 2, but it didn't cost me 50 bucks either. I just got to get 2 U bolts to keep the wood on the lower arm for the table.
I had 2 -1/2" U bolts, but I needed 2-3/4" U bolts to hold it, so the project is on hold until I get to town again.

I put the razor blade in the upper arm as it come down on the wood, it can make a straight cut.

Kerry

Has anyone attempted rolling the hex rod as i stated above? Just wondering if it worked for anyone. Takes time at first to get used to it. I find it to work out pretty good myself.

The rolling would work pretty good if it didn't slide, it is going to take a whole lot more pratice. It took a while but after I found one of the pieces, it was straight.
Then I got a sheet of black wet and dry sand paper to roll it on, and now it does great.
Before it was white on white, now I can see what I'm doing. Thanks for the tip.

Kerry