To loosen or tighten a bolt with a traditional wrench, you’ll need to grip it on two sides of the head. Hexagonal heads have more sides than square heads, so they offer more surfaces to grip with a traditional wrench. This makes hex bolts easier to use in small spaces. Hex bolts allow for greater torque as well. Torque is turning force.
Should you tighten the head of a bolt or the nut?
In this scenario, it is better to apply tightening force to the nut. In this situation, apply tightening force to the smaller bearing face. For instance, if the bolt head is smaller than the nut, you should tighten the bolt head and not the nut.
Are Hex Bolts easier to tighten or loosen?
All bolts require turning to tighten or loosen. With hex bolts, you’ll create greater torque because of their six-sided, hexagonal head. And with greater torque, you can remove hex bolts more easily than other types of bolts, including square-headed bolts.
How to use a hexagonal head wrench?
To loosen or tighten a bolt with a traditional wrench, you’ll need to grip it on two sides of the head. Hexagonal heads have more sides than square heads, so they offer more surfaces to grip with a traditional wrench.
What happens if you over tighten a bolt?
Overtightening will cause its strings to be bent out of shape and the bolt will never tighten. If your bolt is spinning, you will need to check if your bolt is stripped or your nut.
How do you tighten a hex head bolt?
0:000:20How Are Hex Cap Screws Tightened - YouTubeYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipDirection determines which way these screws need to be turned. For example a counterclockwise. TurnMoreDirection determines which way these screws need to be turned. For example a counterclockwise. Turn will tighten a left-handed hex cap screw.
Why is it necessary not to over tighten the hexagonal headed bolts?
One of the most damaging ways to do that is by over-tightening, or over torquing the fastener. This can result in stripping screws, snapping screw heads and damaging pre-tapped threading.
Why hexagonal bolts are used?
Bolts and nuts are designed with a hexagonal shape because it makes them easy to turn. With six sides, you can turn a fastener just one-sixth of the way to reach the next flat parallel. There are six flat parallels on hexagonal bolts and nuts.
How do you know which way a bolt is loosen?
0:211:26How To Easily Remember Which Way To Tighten Or Loosen Nuts Or ScrewsYouTubeStart of suggested clipEnd of suggested clipTo remember which way you need to turn your hand all I want you to do is remember this simpleMoreTo remember which way you need to turn your hand all I want you to do is remember this simple mnemonic lefty-loosey righty-tighty it may sound a little bit silly.
Why is hexagonal head preferred for cap screw instead of square head?
The reason they're so popular is because the hexagon shape of the head is very versatile, it can be grabbed by tools from all angles and even by hand if need be. Hexagon nuts use their shape to their advantage.
Should you tighten the nut or the bolt?
There is no simple answer to this as in some instances, it is perfectly acceptable to tighten the bolt head while holding the nut in place. In other situations, it's acceptable to tighten the nut. It all depends on the application and the condition of the product or material being worked with.
What bolts have hexagonal heads?
Hex bolts have hexagonal heads and machine threads for use with a nut or in a tapped hole. Also known as hex cap screws or machine bolts.
Where can you use hex bolts?
Hex bolts can be used in tight spaces to secure wood, metal, plastic and other materials. Hex bolts are commonly used in buildings, bridges, docks and highway structures, but you can find hex bolts in all industries and all homes. In most cases, you'll use a wrench or a spanner to tighten or loosen hex bolts.
Which screws are better allen screw or hexagon head?
Cylindrical “Allen bolts”, also known as socket cap screws are made of alloy steel and are generally higher strength than hex cap screws and have tighter thread fit. This increases the load a bolted joint using them can hold.
Which way is tighten and loosen?
The easiest way to remember which direction tightens and which one loosens is the old axiom, Righty-Tighty and Lefty-Loosey. This means that turning most threaded things right, or clockwise, tightens them (Righty-Tighty), and turning them to the left, or counterclockwise, loosens them (Lefty-Loosey).
Which way do you turn to tighten?
Typical nuts, screws, bolts, bottle caps, and jar lids are tightened (moved away from the observer) clockwise and loosened (moved towards the observer) counterclockwise in accordance with the right-hand rule.
In what direction do you turn a nut onto a bolt to tighten it?
Then I learned the right-hand rule. It works for standard threads, where you turn clockwise to tighten and counterclockwise to loosen. First, point your right thumb in the direction you want the nut or bolt to travel.
When was Marsh Fasteners last updated?
Last Updated on July 1, 2020 by Marsh Fasteners. It is safe to say that working with bolts, nuts, and other fasteners require care and know-how, especially if you want to avoid loosening, thread stripping, and breakage.
Can you tighten a bolt head while holding the nut in place?
There is no simple answer to this as in some instances, it is perfectly acceptable to tighten the bolt head while holding the nut in place. In other situations, it’s acceptable to tighten the nut. It all depends on the application and the condition of the product or material being worked with.
Should you tighten a bolt head or nut?
In this scenario, it is better to apply tightening force to the nut. In this situation, apply tightening force to the smaller bearing face. For instance, if the bolt head is smaller than the nut, you should tighten the bolt head and not the nut.
What to do if a bolt and nut are spinning together?
If the bolt and nut are spinning together, it’s time to crack the bad nut. Get a nut splitter from your local hardware store, or you can easily buy one online, and break the nut. Be careful not to apply so much pressure that you damage your work surface.
Why isn't my bolt spinning?
However, your bolt isn’t spinning because you have managed to over tighten it. This too can be harmful to whatever project you are doing. When you over tighten or over-torque a bolt you could strip the bolt or even snap the screw heads.
How to avoid spinning bolts?
Before drilling, blow, or use a tiny piece of cloth to clean the hole out completely. Make sure you use the right drill bit and drill straight. Holding the drill at an angle will secure the bolt in place.
Why does a bolt spin in place?
The bolt may spin in place due to a few different reasons: A hole with specks of dust can prevent the bolt from staying in place. It acts as a lubricant. Another reason may be that you have the wrong-sized bolt. Both over and under-sized bolts are going to keep spinning.
Can you overtighten a bolt?
Are Your Bolts Stripped? Let us just start off by pointing out that it is possible to overtighten your bolt. Overtightening will cause its strings to be bent out of shape and the bolt will never tighten. If your bolt is spinning, you will need to check if your bolt is stripped or your nut.
Do you need to sharpen a drill bit before drilling?
Holding the drill at an angle will secure the bolt in place. Your drill bit should be sharpened before you begin. A blunt drill bit will bore a hole that is too small for the bolt you have. In fact, even brand new drill bits may sometimes need to be sharpened if there are any manufacturing defects.
Can you tighten a spinning bolt?
Although it might seem like the spinning bolt won’t tighten, it’s not impossible. Sometimes, the problem is quite simple and just tightening the bolt further or drilling a bit deeper will get the job done. Other times, you’ll have to remove/ break the bolt (and maybe even the nut) and start from scratch.
How to tighten a bolt?
Use your right hand. Your thumb points in the direction to tighten the screw. Understand that this did not happen arbitrarily. Most people have a stronger right hand then left hand, and so you can more easily tighten a nut or bolt with your right hand, screwing it clockwise. Likewise, that’s probably why a clock’s hands move in a clockwise ...
How to make a bolt not spin when trying to loosen it?
If the bolt is in a pre-tapped hole, simply find the appropriate drive style tool and remove it by turning it to the left (again assuming its not a left hand threaded bolt).
What is the right hand thread on a screw?
While the vast majority of screw systems are ‘right-hand threads’ (i.e., tight when turned clockwise), there are left-hand threads. Look at any turnbuckle. It has a left-hand and right-hand thread in a single housing.
Which way do clock hands move?
Likewise, that’s probably why a clock’s hands move in a clockwise direction. That’s the “natural” direction for a right handed person. Likewise, the same direction applies to writing with your right hand, without smearing the ink. Your right hand wants to turn to the right. 53K views.
Which way do you turn a threaded fastener?
Usually clockwise. If reaching around behind, I use the right hand rule. You turn the fastener in the direction your curled fingers point and it will move in the direction indicated by your thumb. Of course you must use your right hand! Unless you are dealing with rare left hand threaded fasteners.
Can you rotate a spacecraft by turning the bolt?
However, turning the bolt wouldn’t cause the spacecraft to rotate.
Is a screw right handed or left handed?
Most screws are “right handed” , at least in the US. Many mechanics use the phrase “Righty Tighty, Lefty Loosey” to help remember which way to turn them Left handed screws often hve a double line near the head to identify them. A left handed screw would be just the opposite.
By Rain Noe - May 27, 2015
This video is entirely in Spanish, but it doesn't matter what language you speak—you'll grasp it. It's a clever workaround for when you're trying to remove a hex-head bolt and don't have the correct socket or wrench size handy, but do have some other materials:
Rain Noe
I’m a lapsed industrial designer. I was born in NYC and figured I’d die there, but a few years ago I abandoned New York to live on a farm in the countryside with my wife. We have six dogs.
Step 1
Clean around the bolt with a wire brush, removing as much external buildup as possible.
Step 2
Try loosening the bolt with a wrench. If the bolt won't turn, try tightening it and then loosening it. The back-and-forth action might jar it loose.
Step 3
Gently tap the wrench with a tool such as a a small hammer or chisel, and try loosening it with a wrench again.
Step 4
Use a propane torch to heat the bolt. Heat an average-size bolt for approximately a minute--longer for larger bolts.
Step 5
Allow the bolt to cool to the point where it can be touched with a finger.
Step 6
Squirt (or spray) penetrating oil around the bolt. Let the oil soak in for at least an hour. The longer it soaks in, the better.
Step 7
Tap the bolt again with a hammer or chisel to help loosen it, and further allow the oil to seep in. Loosen the bolt with a wrench.