Thread/bolt size checker (homemade)

[ToddGrossman]

Anyone ever make a bolt thread/pitch checker like the type you'll find zip-tied to the shelf in the hardware aisle at Home Depot? I found some slick anodized ones for $80 bucks including metric and SAE, but I'd rather make something.
My instint tells me to take a piece of 1" x 12" x 1/8" steel, drill appropriate size holes, insert bolts of varying sizes and tack weld the head on the back side...then just affix a size label on the "front" side. I could do the same with the nuts for that matter.
Curious to see your handy work and great ideas. Thanks!

 

[srmofo]

Ive got these. They go sale for about $10 each. For $20, its hardly worth my time to scrounge up a bunch of misc bolts, drill 30 holes, label em, etc. By the time its said and done you have more in parts/labor then these cost
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21999

They can be taken to the work if need be (albeit they can be difficult to spin around because they are cabled together), and also can be used for nuts or bolts.

Ive contemplated cutting the cable and devising another way to keep them together, but I havent really had the need yet.

 

[itsvegas]

^ seriously i don't think you could beat that. i keep meaning to grab a set myself.

 

[sselander]

Ive got these. They go sale for about $10 each. For $20, its hardly worth my time to scrounge up a bunch of misc bolts, drill 30 holes, label em, etc. By the time its said and done you have more in parts/labor then these cost
http://www.rockler.com/product.cfm?page=21999

They can be taken to the work if need be (albeit they can be difficult to spin around because they are cabled together), and also can be used for nuts or bolts.

Ive contemplated cutting the cable and devising another way to keep them together, but I havent really had the need yet.

These are much nicer, (can't take a pic , my dad has borrowed mine)
they also have the wall mount one.

http://www.swmanufacturing.com/parts_list.asp?CAT_ID=5

 

[2oolhound]

Here is the wall mount type but not cheap:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003FPG7F4/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[ToddGrossman]

Thanks, guys. Hard to be 15 bucks. The hanging one is really nice. It would be perfect on the inside of a tall cabinet door, but 50 bucks is 50 bucks.

Thanks again!

 

[srmofo]

These are much nicer, (can't take a pic , my dad has borrowed mine)
they also have the wall mount one.

http://www.swmanufacturing.com/parts_list.asp?CAT_ID=5

They look like it, but then again I dont see a price anywhere either

 

[HAP]

They look like it, but then again I dont see a price anywhere either

These are really nice! I have the Combo and the Metric sets. Had to use them to determine the threads on some aircraft fittings.

R,
HAP

 

[heavydutyOEX]

I have one that was a display on a shelf from a Home Depot that closed. Very well made.

 

[woody 73]

My Number #1 tool in my box is a store bought tool called a Gorilla Thread pitch gage & Bolt Sizer tool; The only drawback is it does not work on small sizes of bolts.

Sure guys have their mega toolboxes, their chrome tools and their colored screwdrivers ie. Show me your... I say ok sounds good but I got a fantastic tool in my small arsenal that I use all the time...

 

[fourjeepin]

I have one that was a display on a shelf from a Home Depot that closed. Very well made.

Someone bought the one off of my bins. Was it you? I was not happy that it wasn't included, but got each of the hardware bins for $50 per vertical stack. I thought this was a smokin deal, so I bought them all. Then the guy tells me I get all the hardware in them for that price. I wanted to hug him. There was so much hardware, it took a few months for me to sort it all. Nice problem to have!

 

[mbatarga]

Thread I.D. (Nut & Bolt Identifier) plate similar to the HD store plaque - on sale right now for $19.50 two sided - one for nuts, other for bolts. Seems to cover only smaller sizes though.

http://www.threadtoolsupply.com/thread-id-tool-nut-bolt-identifier.html

 

[franksgiants]

These are awsome i need one.Im just not sure wich one yet??LOL

 

[HAP]

The ones on the cable allows enough slack so it can be used to screw into something just like a nut or bolt. Not always possible with the mounted or display type... this was me deciding point.

R,
HAP

 

[Ben Buck]

Here' the ones I use:

 

[ford guy]

If you have more time than money, like I did on a 6+ Navy deployment, I made this one out of 1/4" aluminum.

Since I ran the machine shop, I also ran the engraver!

Bob

 

[torqueman2002]

This site will sell fasteners in small quantities, too.

http://www.boltdepot.com/Thread_gauges.aspx

 

[Ben Buck]

If you have more time than money, like I did on a 6+ Navy deployment, I made this one out of 1/4" aluminum.

That is a great piece!!

 

[Ben Buck]

This site will sell fasteners in small quantities, too.

http://www.boltdepot.com/Thread_gauges.aspx

Torqueman, thanks for this link to Bolt Depot.

 

[malibu101]

I have a collection of SAE and metric nuts and bolts that I stamped/engraved the sizes on. They are my measuring samples.
Not easy to carry a small box of loose bolts around, but always handy and ready in the shop.

 

[Rewind97]

I like these.......if only they had as many sizes as the SW manufacturing ones do.

 

[plcguru]

Thanks to this thread I found another tool I didn't know I needed...

Anyway, I bought the Dorman version of the inch/metric combo threaded type from Amazon for $28 shipped(w/prime).
Looks exactly like the SW ones except the engravings on each that say the sizes are almost unreadable. I colored them to try and make the markings standout more but the engravings are not deep at all.

Bottom line... Amazon has the SW ones for $36 shipped. I saved $8 by getting what I thought was the same thing just re-branded. The quality of the threads on the Dorman ones are fine but they are barely readable. Pay the extra $8 for the SW ones

Maybe the Dorman ones are SW factory seconds...

 

[Goobzilla]

Those plastic Bolt Depot ones looked pretty good BUT $3.98 for the 2 gages and $14.39 shipping. Ridiculous!

 

[fordzilla90]

I use the dorman version everyday at work at a certain parts store. It works great. The only problem is if your bolt has a tapered portion on the end like many OEM fasteners do, they sometimes bottom out before you get a good check. Since this thread started I've been trying to find the part number for ours. The only way I could get it was through a store supplies order which is a no-no. Now that i know the part number i can order one. We want $40 but summit racing offers it for $27. Price match here we come.

 

[Rewind97]

Those plastic Bolt Depot ones looked pretty good BUT $3.98 for the 2 gages and $14.39 shipping. Ridiculous!

I have these, but I was lucky enough to have a buddy that lived close to them and got them for me and mailed them to me for just a couple of bucks.

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