Thread repair file

davidpbo

davidpbo

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Boatless in Cheshire. Formerly 23ft Jeanneau Tonic
myweb.tiscali.co.uk
I have never come across one of these before and I'll bet a good few people here haven't either.

You use the teeth along the file to clean the thread of the bolt and the transverse thread at the end to clean the nut thread.

Start on good section of the thread and work back to the damaged. This one had 8 different pitches of thread.

Sorry about the messy bench and that it is tad blurred, I was trying to take the photo and hold the file simultaneously.

I think have cross threaded some 12mm X 1.25 bolts and/or captive nuts on the chassis of my car although they micht just have old thread lock on them.

A useful looking supplier (Don't know whether they carry these though. Tracy Tools, Torquay.

The file looks like it was made by Filon
and had a sticker saying
PJS Industrial Supplies


IMG_20210628_181309.jpg
 
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RichardS said:
I have heard of thread files but wonder why one just wouldn't use a tap and die set as I do?

Richard
Click to expand...

I thought about getting a couple years ago, but they aren't cheap. For odd bits of damaged thread I use a small triangular/three-square file.
 
RichardS said:
I have heard of thread files but wonder why one just wouldn't use a tap and die set as I do?

Richard
Click to expand...

Because just maybe one might not have a full tap and die set available, or it maybe does not contain the desired pitch/diameter combination. If you are working on site (Or boat) particularly if flying or by public transport there is a limit to what you can carry J.I.C, I think one of these is maybe going on my shopping list.

The friend I borrowed this off trained as an engineer and has a very well equipped workshop that he is building a 1/4 (I think) size traction engine in from castings. He is not lacking in appropriate tools and seemed to feel the file was a useful addition.
 
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davidpbo said:
Because just maybe one might not have a full tap and die set available, or it may does not contain the desired pitch for the diameter. If you are working on site (Or boat) particularly if flying or by public transport there is a limit to what you can carry J.I.C, I think one of these is maybe going on my shopping list.
Click to expand...

As I said above, a small triangular file if you don't want to carry a lot of kit. And you only need one for Metric, WW, UNC/F, BSP.
 
penberth3 said:
As I said above, a small triangular file if you don't want to carry a lot of kit. And you only need one for Metric, WW, UNC/F, BSP.
Click to expand...

Yes, I have done that many times but not a lot of use on the captive nut.

All I was doing was making people aware of the tool. If I have not come across them before many others won't have done.
 
penberth3 said:
As I said above, a small triangular file if you don't want to carry a lot of kit. And you only need one for Metric, WW, UNC/F, BSP.
Click to expand...
Being the included angle of a triangular file is 60 degrees, maybe you would be better with a knife edge file of 10 degrees as we were taught during our apprenticeship.
 
I have a set of fine diamond coated needle files.. there is always one that will fit nicely between damaged threads..
 
I have a thread file with finer TPI sizes than the one the OP has. A die doesn't always do the trick and anyway ,as had been pointed out, you need a shed-load (literally) of dies to suit all puposes.

I find it useful if the end of a thread is damaged as you can work up from the sound thread to create a well spaced set of threads. If you start a die on a damaged thread it can cut a new thread which won't join up with the sound thread further along.
 
William_H said:
I am fascinated by the junk on your bench. Love it!! Is that a "claim to fame" or some kind of badge of office as DIYer? ol'will
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yeah me too, an impact driver, what may be the remains of a broken hammer shaft and an off cut of copper pipe........I'm intrigued by the items on the floor though!
 
We used to keep one in the wheel change set when I was in the RAF. The fast jets I worked on had a single aliminium nut that screwed onto the steel axle. Sometimes people would damage the threads on the axle, especially if fitting a wheel without using a 'bullet' protective cap/lead on the axle. You'd then need the file to clean the threads up. Axle was probably 60mm or so across, so would have needed a huge tap
 
William_H said:
I am fascinated by the junk on your bench. Love it!! Is that a "claim to fame" or some kind of badge of office as DIYer? ol'will
Click to expand...
Note the tobacco tin marked "Bits & pieces". I have loads of old tobacco tins with odds and ends in but now hardly anyone smokes the supply has dried up.

Now I have to make do with Marks & Spencers peppermint tins but they are not as durable:

1624956383344.png
 
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