MOST COMMON BOLTS TO KEEP IN YOUR TOOLBOX
Keep your toolbox portable by filling its drawers with commonly used bolts. You get the idea, right? Just like the screwdrivers and wrenches you use throughout the day, there are essential fastener types that you can’t be without. Know indispensable bolt types and sizes so that you can stock them in your toolbox and not be running to the hardware store every time a certain fastener is required but not found.
The Nuts and Bolts of the Job
First of all, the popular fixings are going to vary according to your work. If you’re an electrician, there’s a requirement for certain bolt types when electrical equipment needs fastening. For example, a control panel installed in a damp room is relying on its rubber gasket, but if a single Philips head screw is missing, moisture will penetrate that electrical box, so keep a selection of screw among your tools. Likewise, HVAC engineers need sheet metal fasteners, especially when vibrating ducts cast off their anchoring bolts.
Essential Bolts for Every Work Discipline
Stock your toolbox with commonly sized hex bolts, then reinforce this core group with fasteners that vary length and thread pitch. An organised batch of M4 through M12 metric fasteners gets the job done in most cases. Make sure you have plenty of 25-mm long bolts among the fastener pile and add longer alternatives for jobs that require stronger anchors. If outdoor projects enter the mix, galvanised and stainless steel finishes are an essential part of your growing toolbox armoury, so consider reorganising your bolts into their different finish types. As for load bearing work, the hex head on your fastener collection is likely up to the task, but you can further fortify your anchor heads by selecting hex heads that have an integrated flange.
Bolt Diversity is The Key
Use your field, your craft and work area to refine your toolbox fastener stockpile. Most likely, you’ll be using lots of metric fasteners, but the imperial fastener system is alive and well, so reserve a level in your toolbox for these fractionally gauged bolts if your work involves imported gear. Otherwise, work smartly by adding work-specific items to the hex groups. For example, anchoring bolts are a common part of the construction industry, whereas a socket or Allan keyed bolt fits in happily with the equipment fastening industry.
On top of these carefully selected bolt drawers, pick out the nuts and washers that accompany these long rods. Then, above these stacked toolbox levels, make sure your screwdrivers and sockets, spanners and Allan keys, are well-suited for the job at hand and the bolts that are being employed for that job.
Get in touch
Address:
TCI Fasteners – Topcope
13 Slater Parade, Keilor East VIC 3033 Australia
Telephone: (03) 9336 0155