Fasteners

Anchors provide a secure hold when inserted into materials. Threaded anchors include anchor screws, which have sharp threads and strong material construction for boring into concrete or drywall and providing a secure hold. Expanding anchors include drive-pin anchors, which expand in predrilled holes when set with a hammer, and drop-in anchors, which are internally threaded and designed to expand when accommodating corresponding bolts. Anchor accessories include drill bits for predrilling anchor holes, and adhesives for securing bolts, rods, and rebar in concrete and masonry.

Fastener hardware includes specialized clamps and clips for mounting items in jobsite applications. Cable, wire, and hose clamps join and run electrical cable and piping. Low-profile fixture clamp sets include male hex head screws and fixture clamps. Grating clips fasten grating materials to structural surfaces. Steel lanyards attach pins and fasteners to mounting surfaces to help prevent loss. Spring-loaded snap buttons help users assemble and adjust multiple sections of tubing without using bolts. Yoke ends attach to threaded rods for lifting and rigging applications.

Key stock is a small metal block or wedge inserted between a shaft and the hub of a pulley, gear, sprocket, or other rotating power device. It provides driving torque and prevents movement. One part of the key fits into a precut slot in the shaft known as a key seat. The remainder slides into a groove in the hub called a keyway. Woodruff keys are flat, semicircular keys that rock into place and adjust to an angular spine without coming unseated. Machine keys are elongated, with either rounded ends, square ends, or tapered gib heads. Step keys, also known as offset keys, are precision-milled with steps notched at regular intervals for repairing sprockets, gears, and pulleys.

Tech sheets and engineers manuals provide critical information on fasteners, including torque values, fastener dimensions, and tapping drill sizes.

Nails are common fasteners driven into wood and other building materials by the force of hammers or nail guns. Common nails are suitable for heavy-duty projects such as building a structural panel shear wall from wood insulated panels. Roofing nails are available for roofing and sheathing. Brad nails can be used to hang paneling, or install baseboards and door or window trim.

Fastening pins fit through drilled holes to align machine components, allow free movement along an axis, or provide a permanent or temporary connection. A metal cotter pin can be bent during installation to act like a staple or spring pin. A hitch pin assembly can secure a trailer by dropping in place and locking. A steel-grade, industrial safety pin locates, aligns, and secures components.

Rivets create a permanent assembly to fasten hard and soft materials. Blind rivets are installed in a joint from only one side of a part or structure. Push-in rivets feature ribbed or expanding shanks that lock in place without additional tools. Solid rivets set in place with a hammer or rivet press. They expand to securely lock parts together. Rivet tools set compatible rivets in place.

Screws are threaded fasteners that create permanent or temporary assemblies. They are inserted and removed by turning in one direction or another. Wood screws, floor screws, and sheet metal screws have flat heads that sit flush when holding material together. Machine screws fasten metal to metal and are inserted into a prethreaded hole or mated with a nut. Thread-cutting screws are self-tapping screws that cut away and remove the surrounding material to create a tapped hole. Deck screws resist rust and corrosion to hold outdoor decking materials together. Drywall screws have fine tips, coarse threads, and tapered bugle heads to penetrate drywall and grip wood without damaging material. Hex-head bolts, cap screws, and lag screws are driven with wrenches rather than screwdrivers or drill bits. Captive panel screws and thumb screws can be tightened and loosened without tools on parts that are frequently removed such as access panels. Screw caps can help to cover screw heads for both safety and aesthetic purp

Spacers and standoffs are hollow tubes that connect two components while creating a specific distance between them. These fasteners are commonly used to position parts within an assembly, isolate electrical components, and give room for heat to dissipate. Spacers are unthreaded for applications when a screw or bolt must pass completely through the spacer. Standoffs are threaded so components can be screwed into both sides to combine materials.

Threaded inserts are used to repair stripped threads in plugs and other parts or to create a new thread in a hole for fastening applications. They can also be used to convert a standard threaded hole to accept metric fasteners and vice versa. Thread repair inserts are installed into an existing hole with an installation tool to repair stripped threads. Press inserts can be pressed into soft materials such as plastic to create a threaded hole in the material. Nut inserts can create permanent threads in thin materials and provide a finished look that’s nearly flush.

Washers distribute the pressure of a fastener head evenly over a surface without damage. They also help ensure that the fastener is pressed against a smooth surface to reduce the chances of loosening over time. Lock washers bite into fastener heads and materials to prevent loosening. Wave washers have an irregular shape that resists loosening and distributes pressure in low-strength fastening.