Hardware - maybe trivia here, but something I ponder occasionally

C

civdiv99

Registered
Registered
Hoping I'm not too far off base on the forum i selected for this post -

Never having worked in the field professionally, my knowledge base was formed by my grandfather, who was a career machinist. Virtually all hardware in his garage (and now mine) consisted of socket head screws. To this day, if i have a project, i will source such hardware with no hesitation. (re my first post in "other projects"). Since I now have a herd of youngsters calling me "granddad," you maybe can see this has been going on for awhile. In reading and checking out other forum posts and projects over the years, it's clear I am not alone here.

So how about it - what's with the proclivity toward socket head hardware that seems so endemic to this field?

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
 
Well, socket head cap screws don't strip out as easily as a Phillips does. They were around before Torx, so they were the better choice for something that had to be tightened and stay tight. They are of a high grade, so they take more stress with less stretch. To put it plainly, they are just a better fastener.
 
Not only do they simply look cool (LOL), they require less clearance when counter sunk. -And for the most part, people over-tighten the daylights out of normal hex bolts. Every standard bolt size has a recommended tightening torque (which is surprisingly little) beyond which, additional tightening only serves to stress the bolt and possibly damage the threads. An allen wrench is well suited to give the kinds of torque needed to meet the general guidelines.

I also think that most machine tools are not the kinds of items you take apart every day and thus, the ease and commonality of wrenches and sockets for hex bolts isn't required.
 
I second the motion on the "look cool" part. I once rebuilt a 2HP B&S and just to be "different" I changed out all of the external fasteners with socket heads. It looked every bit as good as it ran.
 
I like anything with a forged head, but I am partial to SHCS. My personal favorite are button head sockets; lower profile, with a forged head, and hex socket drive.

Anything (I say ANYTHING) but a slot head screw!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top