Wood screws have a variety of uses and are usually bought in bulk for cheap. The problem is, with the cheaper wood screws, there’s a greater chance for the screw to pull out, back out, or pull through.**
This week in First Year In Fasteners is all about Plow Bolts! I know some readers might think, it’s almost spring…shouldn’t we have covered this back in the fall? Well, we in the fastener industry know there’s more to plow bolts than just snow (or at least now I do).
Today we’re talking about everything that goes into building buildings and bridges: Structural Fasteners!
Why use Structural Fasteners? Are they stronger than others? Well, not necessarily stronger. If your goal is to be as efficient as possible when building a building or bridge, then Structural Fasteners are what you want.
The fasteners we're focusing on this week are Tap Bolts, which may or may not be a term that’s only used at Earnest Machine. Going over Tap Bolts with Kevin, he said he’d actually never heard the term before he came here! To him, a Tap is something that forms or cuts a thread, not the fully-threaded bolt we know and love.
No matter what you call it, this specific bolt has its own pros can cons:
PROS:
Last week we discussed left-handed thread and its staying power on rotating machinery. This week we’ll continue on the topic of tightness as we discuss slotted hex nuts.
Lefty-Loosey, Righty-Tighty? That’s the rule, right? Well, yes and no. Like every rule, there’s an exception. If you’ve got a rotating part, then a left-handed thread is what you want.
One of the first questions I’ve been asking when learning about a product is “in what application is this part used?” If you’re also new to the industry, you’re probably in the same boat. If you’re already versed in all things fasteners, you can bypass this post and proceed to the spec sheet.
