The Common Type of Fastening Tools You Should Know About
Fasteners are crucial when it comes to the construction of all kinds. If you are searching for industrial bolting project solutions, you would likely have heard of fasteners being tightened or assembled with the use of a torque wrench and even used them to complete the job at hand. But before we jump into the most common types of fastening tools that you should know about, let us check out what fasteners actually are.
What Are Fasteners?
Fasteners encompass a broad category of tools such as nuts and bolts, screws, washers, hydraulic nuts etc. that are used in different industries for a purpose i.e. to hold objects together mechanically. Although super strong glue, welding and similar things can fulfill the same purpose, glue is not one of those types of fasteners. Hence, to add to the earlier definition, fasteners consist of hardware that holds objects together mechanically.
It is noteworthy that fasteners typically form a non-permanent joint. To put it simply, fasteners connect two components and can be removed to separate the pieces without them going through any kind of damage. For instance, the same would not happen with welded joints. The only exception to this rule is a rivet which is a fastener, but it creates permanent joints.
Although fasteners form non-permanent joints, they are not used only when you would like to take things apart. In the same vein, this does not mean that the joint in question is by any means weak. Fasteners can hold objects together in a reliable manner without putting them under a lot of stress. This makes them a great alternative for permanent as well as non-permanent joints, offering versatility for all kinds of projects.
Most Common Types of Fasteners
Screws
Screws are essentially the first type of tool that comes to mind when one thinks of fastening tools. Screw fasteners are super versatile as their threaded shafts allow them to have durable holding power. Moreover, unlike a bolt, screws do not demand anything to stay in place. A drill is typically used to create a pilot hole in a specific material, and then a screwdriver is used to put the screw in its place. It is noteworthy that screws come in several sizes and types. Some of the common types of screws are as follows:
Wood screws have a tapered head and coarse threads.
MDF screws do not split the material because they can self-tap.
Deck screws are quite similar to wood screws. However, they are corrosion resistant and include self-tapping designs for outdoor applications.
Masonry screws come with a flat tip. Moreover, they usually have a hex-head design.
Drywall screws have a self-tapping head. Hence, they can easily countersink, avoiding any damage to drywall.
Machine screws do not taper off and feature a uniform thickness.
Sheet metal screws come in sharper threads so that they can connect metal to different materials.
Nails
One tool that has stood the test of time and has been used for centuries is nails. Nails are an everyday household item and can easily be identified because they do not have any threading. Although a nail does not really provide the strong holding power of a screw, it definitely has higher shear strength. This makes it a better alternative for some projects. Several types of nails derive their names from the specific applications they are used for. This makes it easy to choose the right nail for a particular job.
Washers, Bolts & Nuts
Washer, bolts, and nuts are other types of common fasteners. Nuts and bolts work with each other in order to hold the components of an object together by using a torque wrench. The bolts are inserted through the parts that you wish to combine. They are then fastened at the end using a nut. Bolts and nuts can function by themselves, but they are sometimes combined with a washer in between them. Washers are flat discs that have an opening in the center. A washer can contribute towards distributing a load of a fastener more evenly across a material’s surface.
Anchors
Anchors are called by this name because their purpose is similar to that of an anchor of a boat that embeds itself into the bed of the sea in order to hold a ship in place. People generally use anchors to connect an item to another material like concrete or drywall. They hold the object by embedding themselves in a specific material, thus affixing the object in place.
Rivets
Rivets create permanent joints between two different objects. They include a cylindrical shaft and a tail on both ends. The tail can be expanded using a unique tool to ensure that the rivet stays in place. Moreover, rivets are extremely durable as far as fastening tools go.
Wrapping Up
These are some of the most common types of fastening tools you should know about for your projects. So, the next time you work on a maintenance or assembly project, you will know which fastener to use for which application.
Comments
Post a Comment