Threading 1/2 inch rod - how to hold?

[Evan Frucht]

I actually just happened to stumble upon this while doing other shopping.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Bench-Vise-Soft-Aluminum-Fitting-Jaws,8256.html

 

[YY1]

ooooh, they have V grooves...

...and they're cheap!

 

[retractable]

Cut the axle on the cart and weld in a couple of inches to extend it. The welded in extension will be hidden under the cart.

 

[Cranky]

I actually just happened to stumble upon this while doing other shopping.
https://www.speedwaymotors.com/Speedway-Bench-Vise-Soft-Aluminum-Fitting-Jaws,8256.html

I have a set of soft jaws that are similar but they have hard rubber faces for holding delicate parts. You can also use aluminum pieces and bend them at a 90* angle and use clay to stick them to the vice jaws. Seems like there's always some scrap aluminum round here for me to use....

 

[kiwigtx]

I think jam-nutting would likely, A- not line up the flats, and B- likely get turned from the die force.

That method has never failed for me....have you even tried that?

 

[Evan Frucht]

Idk if welding is an option but why not just weld on a 8 inch section of angle iron centered on rod and then stick that in the vice

 

[YY1]

Thanks for everyone's suggestions.

I found my X block and it has a clamp attachment I had forgotten about.
Kind of a smallish set screw with a jam nut.
I put that in my vice then locked in a rod with the set screw.
I had to tighten it quite a bit but it finally stopped the turning and allowed me to continue threading a 1/2 inch J bolt I had laying around.

Since the axle doesn't spin but may support weight, something else I am considering is simply sawing the axle in two, spreading it out to where I need it to be, then installing an outer sleeve of 1/2" ID tube.

That might be the cheapest, and least labor intensive solution.

 

[Evan Frucht]

Just cut some all-thread to length and then put some 1/2 ID tubing around that in the center, done.

 

[YY1]

I thought about using all-thread, but these carts get rolled around a lot.

I think that the bearings would flatten the threads causing wobble, and possibly the threads might wear the bearings.

Not to mention the strength of all thread is not the same as solid rod.

Hard to see in the pics but both wheels have had the metal wear through and stress crack in a complete circle. One has been welded back once, the other twice.

 

[Evan Frucht]

Ya, that's a valid point about the threads being a week point, better not to test that one out. Since you are going this far to make a custom cart axle, and these get rolled around a lot as you say... It might be a good idea to just get new wheels and bearings and then go from there. Maybe even beef it up a little.

If the old design didn't last before, it's not gonna last the next time around. The cart was probabaly meant for less usage/weight originally, or just poorly designed from the start

 

[YY1]

That method has never failed for me....have you even tried that?

Took me a while....

If I could get nuts on it I wouldn't need to thread it

 

[MCODECUDA]

Why not just drill the new axel for a cotter pin?

 

[YY1]

I thought of that, and I might try it.

Thanks