 Fasteners

 Described by several factors:

 Material
 Head style
 Type
 Diameter
 Length
 Thread count
 Material
 Describes what the fastener is made from
 Some common examples:
 Stainless steel
 Steel
 Brass
 Special coatings may also be added, such as zinc, in
order to prevent corrosion or enhance appearance
 Head style
 Describes the type of head on the fastener
 Selected depending upon the purpose of the
fastener
 Common head styles:
• Flat
• Oval
• Pan
• Truss
• Round
• Hex
 Type
 Designates the purpose of the fastener
 Some common types:
• Wood screw
• Machine screw
• Sheet metal screw
• Self drilling or self tapping
• Hex bolt
• Carriage bolt
• Lag bolt
• Set screw
 Diameter is expressed in inches with the exception
of small screws
 Expressed as a size number preceded by the # sign
(i.e. #12)
 Differing size numbers correspond with fractional
measurements
 A complete chart can be found in most handy
reference guides
 Sample chart:

Size Number Decimal Nearest

Fractional
Measurement
#0 .060 1/16
#5 .125 1/8
#10 .190 3/16
#12 .216 7/32
 Diameter is normally measured as shank diameter
except in the case of tapered screws, such as wood
screws, where the root is measured instead
 Length is normally expressed in inches and is
measured from where the material surface is
assumed to be (the end of the fastener)
 If the fastener head sits above the surface, the
measurement is measured directly under the head
of the fastener
 If the fastener is designed to be countersunk, the
measurement is made from the point on the head
where the surface of the material is
 Thread count
• Expressed as Threads Per Inch (TPI)
• Simply means the number of threads per inch
measured along the length of the fastener
• Used only with American fasteners
• Only applies to machine threads
• In general, smaller fasteners have finer threads,
therefore the thread count will be higher
 The relationship between a fastener size (diameter)
and the number of threads per inch is standardized
in a series
 Two most common United States thread series:
 UNC (or NC) – Unified Course Thread (commonly called
course)
 UNF (or NF)– Unified Fine Thread (commonly called
fine)
 A complete table for these series can be found in
most handy reference guides
 Sample table:

Fastener Size UNC (tpi) UNF (tpi)

#1 64 72
#10 24 32
¼” 20 28
3/8” 14 20
½” 12 20
¾” 10 16
1” 8 14
 Bolt grade
 One final factor that should be considered when
dealing with bolts is grade
 Bolt grade is designated by numbers on the bolt
head
 The following are common grades of bolts:
• Grade 2
Steel
Most common
Least expensive
» Have no head markings
 Grade 5
Case hardened steel (outside only is hardened)
Not as strong as a fully hardened bolt
Designated by three evenly spaced radial lines on the head
 Grade 8
Fully hardened steel
Very hard but somewhat brittle
More likely to snap off rather than bend under extreme
load
Designated by 6 evenly spaced radial lines
  Alloy steel
High strength steel alloy
Heat treated
Typically not plated resulting in a dull black finish
Extremely strong, but very brittle
 It is important to have all physical factors
(especially thread count) or the fastener will not fit
properly
 This also applies to any corresponding nut
  Metric fasteners
Described similarly to American fasteners (material, head
style, type)
Use thread pitch rather than thread count
 Thread pitch
 Distance between threads
 Expressed in millimeters (measured along the length
of the fastener)
 Example: a thread pitch of 1.5 means that the distance
between one thread and the next is 1.5mm
  Different thread pitch designations similar to
American fasteners:
 Standard
 Fine
 Extra or super fine
 Nuts and washers
 Fasteners have numerous accessories to accompany
them and it is just as important to replace these
items at the same time
 The following are common nuts and their uses:
• Hex nut
• Nylon insert lock nut
Has a nylon insert to prevent backing off
Also referred to as a Nylock
• Jam nut
Hex nut with reduced height
• Wing nut
Has wings for hand tightening
• Cap or Acorn nut
Has a domed top over the end of the fastener
 Flange nut
A nut with a built in washer
 Kep nut
A nut with a built in external tooth lock washer
Used to speed up assembly
 Square nut
Prevailing torque lock nut
 Non-reversable
Used for high-temperature applications
 The following are common washer types and their
uses:
• Flat
Used to distribute load
• Fender
Oversized flat washer
Better distributes load especially on soft materials
• Finishing
Used for a finished appearance
Used with oval head screws
• Split lock
Most common style
Used to prevent nuts and bolts from backing out
 External tooth lock
Used to prevent nuts and bolts from backing out
 Internal tooth washer
Identical to above except teeth are inside