10-32 UNF Threaded Rod

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10-32 UNF Threaded Rod

This topic has 30 replies, 12 voices, and was last updated 9 July 2015 at 20:14 by Mike Poole.

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5 July 2015 at 16:36 #32520
LADmachining
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@ladmachining
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5 July 2015 at 16:36 #195838
LADmachining
Participant
@ladmachining
Afternoon all.

I am looking to obtain some 10-32 UNF threaded rod, to chop into 1-4" lengths and make more hold-down studs for my Sherline mill.

It can be ordered from the USA where it is more commonplace, but the carriage works out more than the material.

Does anyone know of a UK based supplier? I only found some at Cromwell's who have a 'special offer' of £14 for a metre.

It only needs to be self-coloured steel, not diamond-coated unobtainium!

Thanks,

Anthony
5 July 2015 at 17:52 #195847
paul 1950
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@paul1950
eBay
5 July 2015 at 19:48 #195859
LADmachining
Participant
@ladmachining
Posted by paul 1950 on 05/07/2015 17:52:10:

eBay

Any links or auction numbers? I looked on there and couldn't find any.
5 July 2015 at 20:00 #195861
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
Do you really need to use 10-32 UNF?

M5 is so very close in diameter and you can buy S/S studding at £1.53 per metre!!
5 July 2015 at 20:07 #195862
LADmachining
Participant
@ladmachining
Posted by KWIL on 05/07/2015 20:00:49:

Do you really need to use 10-32 UNF?

M5 is so very close in diameter and you can buy S/S studding at £1.53 per metre!!

The clamping plate on the mill table and all of the accessories are tapped for 10-32, so I think it would cost more to buy a new piece of ali plate and re-tap it and all the other parts than get hold of some more threaded rod.

A valid point though, and one to keep in mind if the UNF studding isn't easily available.
5 July 2015 at 20:13 #195864
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
http://www.spaldingfasteners.co.uk/unf-a2-stainless-steel-allthread-studding-threaded-bar-1-yard-10-32-5-16/

£18.00
5 July 2015 at 20:31 #195867
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by KWIL on 05/07/2015 20:00:49:

M5 is so very close in diameter and you can buy S/S studding at £1.53 per metre!!

.

At that price I would be very tempted to buy a decent 10-32 die, and try running that down the M5 thread.

MichaelG.

.

Edit: Useful list of pitch conversions, here.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 05/07/2015 20:42:05
5 July 2015 at 23:31 #195887
Nicholas Farr
Participant
@nicholasfarr14254
Hi, in Kwil's link the price is for 5/16" the 10-32 is £7.38 cheaper **LINK** but you can buy 5 lengths for a little over £31.00.

Regards Nick.

No connection with the above mentioned company other than an occasional customer.
6 July 2015 at 07:04 #195901
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
I'd buy a die and some 3/16" rod and make my own. As its quite a common thread on teh Sherlines ir will come in handy for other things in te future
6 July 2015 at 08:58 #195907
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Anthony,

Having re-visited this problem; I think I may have the most expedient solution:

Sherline Tee Nuts appear to be readily available at modest price.

So … Buy a spare set and run an M5 tap through them; then use the ubiquitous M5 studding, etc.

Note: It would be wise to clearly mark the modified nuts, to avoid confusion.

MichaelG.

.

P.S. Sherline seems to be a very responsive company … it may even be worth suggesting that they could offer Tee Nuts with a pilot-drilling only.
6 July 2015 at 11:27 #195925
John Stevenson 1
Participant
@johnstevenson1
No.

He needs the studs to fit in the clamping sub table fitted to the bed.

So he either needs the correct studs or a new sub table with M5 tapped holes in it.

Personally I'd go for Jasons option as having the die opens up access to a whole load of further accessories plus you don't need to make studding threaded all the way. A short thread one end to fit the sub plate or tee nuts and a part thread at the other end. Made in matched sets, one takes over when the other one has run out of thread.
6 July 2015 at 12:48 #195938
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by John Stevenson on 06/07/2015 11:27:27:

No.

He needs the studs to fit in the clamping sub table fitted to the bed.

So he either needs the correct studs or a new sub table with M5 tapped holes in it.

.

Sorry, John

I must have misunderstood the arrangement.

… I thought it was something like this

MichaelG.

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 06/07/2015 12:56:56
6 July 2015 at 13:03 #195940
JasonB
Moderator
@jasonb
Something like this Michael

All those small holes are 10-32
6 July 2015 at 13:04 #195941
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Thanks, Jason

That makes sense

MichaelG.
6 July 2015 at 13:25 #195943
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by John Stevenson on 06/07/2015 11:27:27:

… he either needs the correct studs or a new sub table with M5 tapped holes in it.

.

Or, perhaps, the existing sub table with an M5 tap run through the existing 10-32 holes.

… I'm not 100% confident on the tolerancing, but I think it may be worth a look.

MichaelG.
6 July 2015 at 15:43 #195949
LADmachining
Participant
@ladmachining
Thanks everyone for their inputs so far.

I have located a more reasonably priced source for UNF studding – £2.88 per ft. A reasonable price but still a lot more than the metric equivalent.

As there is 3/16" MS bar in the materials bin, and a suitable die is on its way, I think I will give making up some studs a try. Will also make a few 10-32 test holes and see what happens when an M5 tap is run through. Come to think of it, I am sure I have an M5 helicoil kit, so maybe I will go for broke and just re-make the holes in the sub-plate with that (if I have enough of them!)

Cheers,

Anthony
6 July 2015 at 17:11 #195958
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by LADmachining on 06/07/2015 15:43:21:

Will also make a few 10-32 test holes and see what happens when an M5 tap is run through.

.

Anthony,

It sounds like you're onto a winner anyway, but this short video should give some encouragement regarding the re-tapping. … He is only doing inserts, so it's not strictly comparable, but the last few seconds are quite telling.

I think my confidence level is now very near 100%

Please let us know how it goes.

MichaelG.
6 July 2015 at 18:20 #195964
KWIL
Participant
@kwil
You could also buy a 10-32 tap to make you own T nuts etc
6 July 2015 at 19:06 #195967
Enough!
Participant
@enough
Can I suggest that before re-tapping the holes, you simply try a piece of M5 threaded rod in the existing holes as-is.

The M5-0.8 / #10-32 thing has pretty much always worked for me, either way round, without modification. And if it works for you, it would seem to be the simplest solution (while still allowing use of the existing hardware).
6 July 2015 at 20:18 #195982
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Bandersnatch on 06/07/2015 19:06:48:

Can I suggest that before re-tapping the holes, you simply try a piece of M5 threaded rod in the existing holes as-is.

.

No harm trying [very gently] but, as I mentioned … the last few seconds of that video are quite telling.

It will depend upon the tolerances.

MichaelG.
6 July 2015 at 20:59 #195987
LADmachining
Participant
@ladmachining
I think the holes in the plate are towards the tighter end of the thread specifications, as an M5 screw only goes in about a turn and a bit before binding up.

Given the price of the Sherline accessories, I would expect this, though!
7 July 2015 at 01:15 #196013
Jeff Dayman
Participant
@jeffdayman43397
Have you asked Sherline by phone or email if they would have mercy and drop 50 cents worth of these assorted #10-32 studs in an envelope and mail it to you? Might be worth a try.

If you're still stuck, I'd be glad to give you a few assorted bits of studding if you would pay the postage. I can check what that would cost next time I'm at the post office here in Waterloo Ontario Canada.

Another thought- you might be able to find some fully threaded #10-32 screws locally (or at least in the UK) which you could cut the heads off to make studs. Probably won't find fully threaded 4" ones but you can probably find some shorter ones. These could be brazed to unthreaded 5 mm shanks for longer ones if you don't want to invest in a #10-32 die.

By the way, a #10-32 die will thread onto 5mm rod perfectly. If it were me, I'd get a die and make all the studs I need, cheaply and probably in an evening.

A die on ebay or in used tool/machine stores would probably not set you back much.

Just my $0.02 worth. JD
8 July 2015 at 22:01 #196197
Enough!
Participant
@enough
This is a 10-32 thread? I ask, because within the small UN series, #10 is somewhat oddball.

The common (everyday use) of small UN sizes (at least here in North America) are even numbers and coarse (UNC) thread.

Thus

#2-56 (rather than #2-64)
#4-40 (rather than #4-48)
#6-32 (rather than #6-40)
#8-32 (rather than #8-36)

This also follows for #10 …. #10-24 UNC being the more commonly found but in this case, the UNF thread is, while probably not equally common, reasonably common nonetheless. It's just not usually selected at the design stage unless there are good reasons which dictate the use of the fine thread.

Moreover all the #10-32 and M5-0.8 hardware that I have on hand (quite a bit actually) goes together easily either way round (by finger pressure, Michael – I'd assumed anyone here wouldn't get heavy with it)…. not that any of them are UNC Class-3 threads but then, I don't see why Sherline would have used Class-3 threads for something like this either.
8 July 2015 at 22:21 #196200
Michael Gilligan
Participant
@michaelgilligan61133
Posted by Bandersnatch on 08/07/2015 22:01:38:

This is a 10-32 thread? I ask, because within the small UN series, #10 is somewhat oddball.

…

Moreover all the #10-32 and M5-0.8 hardware that I have on hand (quite a bit actually) goes together easily either way round (by finger pressure, Michael – I'd assumed anyone here wouldn't get heavy with it)…. not that any of them are UNC Class-3 threads but then, I don't see why Sherline would have used Class-3 threads for something like this either.

.

I can't speak for Sherline, but I have certainly used quite a lot of 10-32 fixings … typically on Defence equipment, and on the standard mounting threads for [vibration test] accelerometers.

As previously mentioned, the last few seconds of the video that I linked clearly show one insert that was pulled out by attempting to use a tight-fitting M5 screw in a [presumably good] 10-32 thread … yet the early part of the video demonstrates how easily another insert in the same item was re-tapped to M5.

With due respect to your suppliers … May I suggest that you check the actual dimensions of your M5 threads?

Returning to Sherline: Given that these are small fixings on a milling table, I would hope and expect them to be a good class of fit; exactly as our OP has found.

MichaelG. . [UK]

.

P.S. — Although the choice of 10-32 into Aluminiun Alloy may raise the odd eyebrow; bear in mind that the root diameter of a 10-32 male thread is usefully greater than a 10-24 [and is quite 'safe' in a decent grade of alloy]

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 08/07/2015 22:28:56

Edited By Michael Gilligan on 08/07/2015 22:48:19
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