making copper bolts

I decided to make some copper bolts to connect the new badges to the gas tank. I wanted something that looked like it matched the aesthetic of the badges, so I dug through my parts hardware and found these copper rivets - perfect! I thought I would show you how to make some bolts.

All you need is a die that matches the diameter shaft that you have. This can be cross referenced using a threading chart.

You'll notice the die is tapered. You start the die with this side touching the top of the shaft of the piece you are threading. This will allow the thread to be cut progressively rather than cutting the full depth of the thread at one time.

You'll be amazed how cutting fluid makes the process easier. You absolutely have to use some sort of lubricant as you are cutting the threads. I've used regular oil which is too heavy and wd-40 which is just to thin; cutting fluid will give you best results.

Secure the piece of material in a vise. I'm using a little table vice with brass jaws from Harbor Freight (I replaced the steel textured jaws long ago with some homemade smooth face brass jaws). This will keep you from marring the head of the bolt. It's easier if you can grip the shaft rather than the head, but I needed full threads all the way to the head of the bolt.

Get the die started squarely and perpendicular to the top of the shaft.

The die will start to dig in and you can adjust the squareness a bit at the beginning. As it starts to progress, start spinning the die holder clock wise and counter clockwise in small increments. Almost a rocking back and forth motion. As you rotate counter clockwise you will start to feel the chips break off. Then you can progress clockwise a bit further and then rotate counter clockwise again. You continue this until you make your way all the way down the shaft.

You will notice that my die bottomed out against the head, but the threads did not cut all the way down the shaft. This due to the taper of the die. Flip the die around in the die holder and cut back down to the base of the shaft.

This will allow you to have complete threads all the way down the shaft.

No to shabby. I'm thinking I may hammer the heads of the bolts so they are faceted and appear to be riveted to the tank. Then they'll get a little patina to match.