Square Threaded Rod

I tried Googling "square threaded shaft" and got a suggestion menu that included "square threaded rod"; Bingo--lots of hits and suppliers.

I tried that too but if you said you got results I'll try again. I'm in the Dominican Republic. When I travel to Miami I've noticed that the web seems better. I wonder if it discriminates by country?

I went back and tried again and yes you do get lots of hits but then if you try delving into each hit the picture changes. Before I asked you guys I tried doing my best and after hours of getting red eyes, gave up. It appears that the words "square threaded shaft" can get you hundreds of things except a square shaft with threads on each corner. I think "square thread" gets into play as there are threads which are square instead of pyramid shaped. I'm so exhausted I was even considering contacting a drill press mfgr and ask them where they get the shaft from. I'm surprised somebody didn't suggest grinding down a round threaded rod even though that would be very hard indeed. For now my project is looking for another way to do it.

Thanks for trying.

You could shave down a round threaded rod in a milling machine.

or, conversely, with some difficulty, use a die on a square rod...

(The reason I say "with some difficulty", is that I looked at die images, and they don't look like they remained engaged to a square rod throughout a 360 degree cut)

ah well, I'm a software guy, anyhow....

The thing on a drill or mill is called a depth stop. I don't recall seeing one made of square bar. Here is a link to a few approaches.

I do however recall, seeing such a bar as part of a door handle assembly - but given this, I don't like your chances. (And I wouldn't call it a precision thread)

Funny you should mention the door handle shaft. Yesterday I was searching hardware stores to replace an old style shaft that had threaded holes through it and could only find the square threaded shafts. They are readily available but only in one size.

Contacting the manufacturer, or even any drill manufacturer (that manufactures similar sized and types of drilling machines) may be the way to go............if you cannot manufacture one because you do not have the machinery to do so, you may find an engineering "jobbing" shop that could manufacture you one.

The Thread is called a 'Square Buttress' and is used on lathes, milling machines, crane band brakes, even adjusters in your car drum brakes, and many other machines to hold a full or half nuts that finite control lineal movement of carriageways or mounting saddles in the machinery in both directions. I have used this type in sizes from 1/8" to >12" diameter in the 'Mounting stands' for safety under aircraft during undercarriage or wing replacement maintenance.

Another version for single directional adjustment is a standard 'Buttress Thread' and is a square on one direction of the thread and a 45 degree on the back of the thread.

If you only need one then I would just file my threaded rod square. There will be enough thread left for the knurled thumb wheel. Try it, nohing to lose except a cheap piece of ready-rod.

Are you trying to repair a drill press that you need the exact shaft? That part will have other machining for clip ring on the end and perhaps bearing or bushings. All the extra dimensions and requirements will make it almost impossible to find from general suppliers.

If you are in a design /jury rig process, try to tell us what this piece will be used for.

Are you familiar with "Acme threads" ? Acme threads are used on adjusting shafts, and many other places. If that drill press has a vice with X and Y slide adjustments, they probably are driven with shafts that have Acme threads. Google Acme thread to see all the collars, shuttles, etc, with specific solutions to movement problems.

I found myself in need of a "threaded square bar" or rod some time ago. My solution was to obtain a square bar of the needed size and have a machinist turn down the bar to remove the square corners to a diameter to match the nuts to be used and then thread the now square bar with rounded corners so I could use standard nuts on the threaded square bar.

Why not just thread your own?

I did a door knob a year or two ago that way.

Try googling "drill press stop parts"

http://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&channel=s&hl=en&q=drill+press+stop+parts&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&biw=1920&bih=1062

I had all kinds of hits on Google with " Stop Rod" and "Depth Stop". Perhaps you don't even need it threaded, there are arrangements you can make with plain rod and sliding collars that adjust to set the depth.

If you have access to a mill you can simply mill off two edges of a round threaded rod and you have your square threaded rod.