US Screws and Bolts

Screws are a fast and efficient way to hold materials together. They can be used for a wide range of projects, from woodworking to electronics assembly. They can also provide a cost advantage by replacing more expensive welds and glues. The right screw can also reduce project time by allowing for faster assembly and making it easier to make repairs. Screws are available in a variety of sizes, thread patterns and head styles to fit the needs of different applications.

Screws can be made from a wide variety of materials, including carbon steel, stainless steel, bronze, brass and titanium. Stainless steel screws are generally stronger than carbon steel versions and are designed to resist corrosion. They are also able to be used in most environments where harsh chemicals are present.

There are many different screw drive types, requiring different tools to install or remove them. The most common are slotted, Phillips and hex, although Robertson, Torx and Pozidriv are also widely used in some markets. Screws can also be tamper-proof, with a break-away head that snaps off when adequate torque is applied to prevent the unscrupulous tampering of electrical appliances and automobiles.

Screw sizes are usually based on their gauge, which is the diameter of the outside threads (also known as the major diameter). This number increases by one each inch (or fraction of an inch) from #0 to #14. In addition, metric sizes are often used in certain areas and are defined by a multiplication factor rather than a single numeric value.

The first successful screw-cutting lathe was patented by brothers Job and William Wyatt of Staffordshire, England in 1760.[56] Their machine allowed them to produce 16,000 screws a day,[57] which is the sort of production volume that would seem familiar to modern machinists and auto mechanics.

However, the distinction between bolts and screws that was so prevalent in Machinery’s handbook is now only defined by controlled vocabulary of standards organizations,[58] and the natural usage of the terms by machinists and others. Bolts are now defined as headed fasteners with external threads that meet an exacting bolt thread specification such as ISO metric screw thread M or Unified Thread Standard UN, UNR or UNJ and can accept a non-tapered nut. Screws are now considered to be heads of internally-threaded, unheaded fasteners that do not take a nut.

For many projects, there is an advantage to using screws instead of nails, especially for those who are not skilled at hammering. Screws give the user a mechanical advantage by providing a deeper bite into the material than can be achieved with a nail. They also require less force, reducing the risk of injury and placing fewer strains on a tool’s motor. Moreover, screws are much easier to remove and replace than nails. They are also a great option for securing items to surfaces that would otherwise be difficult or impossible to reach with hand tools. In addition, they offer a degree of flexibility in designing that is not possible with welds or adhesives.  US screws