Choosing self-tapping screws for a hexagon

What are they?

There are several types of possible self-tapping screws that are widely used in the market.

1. Wood.
2. On concrete.
3. For special steel sheets where drill work is to be done.
4. For speakers.
5. For fastening windows and doors.
6. Galvanized self-tapping screw for logs and rails.
7. Self-tapping screws for plumbing (most often, in narrow circles they are called so - plumbing).
8. Self-tapping screws with a cylindrical head.
9. For roof fastening.
10. For working with drywall, taking into account coarse threads.

Fasteners for wood are mainly used in the production of cabinet furniture and any other wooden structure. This self-tapping screw has a double-shaped hex head. The thread in this case is very wide, so that it can be screwed in rather securely. Fittings, loot, wooden profiles on windows and much more are installed with such fasteners, their scope of application is quite wide. The end result will often depend directly on the task at hand.

Self-tapping screws for working with metal profiles, pipes or sheets are distinguished primarily by their unique design features. The head of such self-tapping screws can be in the form of a hemisphere, hexagon or pressed washer. The material for the manufacture of such self-tapping screws is carbon steel, specially treated for a longer service life. Such self-tapping screws are usually galvanized, they are marked with markings by which the user can easily recognize the diameter and length of the bolt.

Hexagon self-tapping screws, in principle, are often used for fastening wooden products. Its twisting is possible with a wrench with the required diameter. If the kit includes a dowel, it is twice the diameter of the self-tapping screw itself. In concrete walls, a hole for such fasteners is drilled exactly according to the diameter of the dowel. With their help, steel corners and steel profile guides are fixed. The self-tapping screw is screwed into the dowel itself after a hole of the required diameter has been drilled. Self-tapping screws, unlike screws, have a wider scope and are considered a more reliable option for fasteners, with which you can work with stone, concrete or brick.

If you need to fix something really heavy, then an anchor bolt is used. They also have dowels, but they are most often made of metal. Due to the tighter connection, the product will firmly and reliably adhere to the wall, even if it is made of natural stone.

Selection Tips

Six-sided hardware is used in many areas, and the right choice depends on many different nuances. The correct choice is also important because if you tighten the wrong bolt, the thread can break off at the most inopportune moment, and the entire repair will be completely down the drain.

The first thing you need to pay attention to is the material of manufacture and construction.

It is preferable to choose steel of a sufficiently high standard, which will have high characteristics. In addition, an external and internal hex screw will last much longer and more reliable than any other option.

When buying, pay attention that the head fits exactly the turnkey. The tightening should not go tight or, conversely, hang freely, in any of these options the fasteners will no longer be sufficiently reliable for work

The next criterion that cannot be ignored is strength. According to government standards, there are certain indicators that the screws must ideally match for the stated conditions of use.

But a lot will also depend on manufacturing technologies, which is why correctly selected raw materials are so important.

It is worth saying that this is far from wire steel. Screws, unlike nails, must be stronger and more reliable, and this material will not work for this in any way. As for the indicators, here the figure varies from a minimum of 3.8-4.0 to 13 in terms of strength. The most suitable option is considered when alloy steel of a combined nature serves as the material of manufacture. Such elements are often used as additives in such a material to enhance physical and technical properties.

1. Titanium.
2. Vanadium.
3. Chromium.
4. Nickel.
5. Nitrogen.
6. Copper alloys.

All these metals make up a share in the total weight of the product and provide high technical characteristics. For road repairs and any similar areas where a fairly high level of stress is required, the correct choice of material is very important. Another important nuance is design features.

For example, specifically for road repair or bridge fastening, large, reverse-threaded hexagons are commonly used. In such screws, the protrusions are almost invisible so as not to break the thread during work. A similar design is also used in the automotive industry and sometimes in plumbing repairs.

The following video talks about hex screws.

Types of anchors

The word "anchor" has a Germanic origin, its main meaning is "anchor". Anchoring is used when mounting a variety of products on a base made of wood or concrete.

There are several types of "anchors":

• spacer;
• persistent;
• glue;
• Molly's bolt.

The expansion anchor is held in the workpiece by frictional force. To maximize it, the rod installed in the hole is burst with a plastic dowel or wedge stop with a thread inside.

The fixation of the stop bolt is provided by the ribbed or expanding part that has fallen into the base. This is how the fasteners are used when installing heavy production plants on a concrete foundation.

Adhesive "anchors", as the name implies, adhere to the surface due to the sticky composition that flows into the void between the walls of the hole and the ribbed rod. Most often, the role of the adhesive mixture is played by a polymer resin with a hardener.

Molly bolt is used when hanging products on low-strength partitions made of gypsum fiber board, chipboard, gypsum board and hollow bricks. In the process of tightening, Molly expands the outer shell to the sides. As a result of this, a stop appears, which is in extensive contact with the base.

Now let's figure out which type of anchor bolts are suitable for different methods of fastening to wooden structures:

• Molly's bolt can only be used on a surface that has large voids inside. That is, this method is only suitable for hanging relatively light objects on partitions made of boards, chipboard and lining;
• stop anchors are used only in the process of creating a solid base. In the case of wood, this is the growth stage of the tree trunk, so such fasteners will not work for us;
• adhesive "anchors" can be used when working with wood, but this is not always advisable due to the high price of this product.

Based on the above facts, it can be concluded that the anchor fastener for the tree should be spacer

However, another important factor should be taken into account here: depending on where the effort is directed, the strength of the wood can be different:

1. If the force vector runs parallel to the fibers, the material is more tensile strength;
2. If the force vector is perpendicular to the fibers, the destructive force will be several times smaller.

In simple terms, a tree is more likely to split if wedged between the fibers. At the same time, typical spacer fasteners provide a radial bursting force that can pose a hazard to the wood base.

To reduce the bursting effort, the masters resort to a simple maneuver:

• The wood itself is used as a dowel (riving element);
• The hole for the rod is made only slightly smaller than the diameter of the ridges of its thread.

The construction that matches this description is probably familiar to you - it's ... an ordinary screw!

Installation technology

Fastening hexagons consists of several basic steps:

• first of all, prepare a hole suitable for the screw diameter;
• carefully remove the debris formed after drilling;
• insert a dowel into the resulting hole (they are often sold with screws);
• fix the screw with a special wrench (since the wood grouse has a hex head, a simple screwdriver will not work for work);
• after installation, the product begins to twist in the clockwise direction. To protect the base from damage and increase the strength of the structure, it is recommended to place enlarged washers under the screw head. Also, hardware can be closed with decorative caps.

When installing a wood grouse screw into soft woods, you can do without drilling, the pointed end will easily enter the base

However, it is very important to evenly insert the head nut and screw it in carefully, otherwise the bolt can go crookedly and damage fragile wood.

Dimensions (edit)

As for the dimensions, according to the requirements of GOST, the diameter of the hexagon cannot be less than 8 mm. If this indicator does not match, then we are definitely talking about some other type of fastener. The size chart also mentions the following basic parameters for a hexagon:

1. 6x50;
2. 6x60;
3. 6x100;
4. 8x80;
5. 8x100;
6. 10x60;
7. 10x100;
8. 12x70.

For each type of hex, a specific type of key is used, and each of them has its own field of application, where they will work most effectively. Choosing a hexagon in terms of size and performance, as well as design features, the risk of making a mistake becomes much less.

Using dowels

When using a self-tapping screw "plumbing wood grouse", it is necessary to fasten it through a dowel. They are inserted into a drilled hole in concrete or brick walls, and screws are already screwed into them. This is necessary to increase the strength of fastening parts to surfaces. Dowels are nylon, nylon and polyamide.

For this kind of fastening, you need to take not an ordinary wood grouse with a pointed end on the thread, but a special one in which the thread is blunt and closer to the base there is a decrease in the diameter of the rod. When screwing the wood grouse into the dowel, no cutting occurs due to the blunt end. The dowel under the pressure of the wrench moves apart in the hole. Further progress occurs without much effort.

There are such special products on sale that already come complete with dowels of the required size. There are frame and front products. A big advantage is the formation of a plastic gasket due to the presence of a dowel skirt located between the capercaillie head and the part. It compensates for temperature differences that cause different expansion of materials.

Supermets: more reliable and more durable

Everything is relative. Another feature of the difference between metal products (hardware). Nails were made from the simplest, low-carbon steel, and not covered with anything on top, which received the name - nail wire.

The current fasteners are an order of magnitude better and even more aesthetically pleasing than nails. Self-tapping screws are available in a large assortment and many subgroups - for any type of material for its connection. For metal and for roofing, self-tapping screws for wood and drywall for gypsum fiber sheets and plastic sheeting, and so on.

Varieties of self-tapping screws for their coating:

• black wood screws, so named because of their phosphating or oxidation.
• yellow and white, in addition to this protective coating, differ from black ones also by frequent carvings and its steep corners.Suitable for joining hardwood and chipboard.
• "Wood grouses" - large sizes with a hexagon head for wrenches. Basic for assembling furniture.

Oxidized hardware, in comparison with other coatings, is somewhat limited in application - only in dry places.

Yellows and whites, which are more attractive due to their color, and zinc-coated have better protection against corrosion. They are also suitable for roofing work. But builders prefer black screws. The reason lies in their budgetary cost.

Hardware from the second named subgroup is twenty percent more expensive. And it is not always better than black ones, and not only because of the coating, but in coarse carvings. They are used in prominent places for aesthetics.

The price of wood screws depends on the color and size. For black countersunk heads with a length of 70 to 102 mm, prices range from 230 to 250 rubles per kilogram. Yellow and white are both more expensive and cheaper - competition forces you to vary the price.

Causes of breakdowns

If too much pressure is exerted on the self-tapping screw with a hex head, then the head of the wood grouse can be broken. This happens for several reasons. First, the poor quality of the bolt itself. Process disruption can occur during head upsetting. In this case, the shake experiences a strong stress, being on the border between the heating and deformation lines. If in the process there was no equalization of the structure of quenching and tempering, then when performing fastening work, the head has the ability to break off.

Secondly, a hole was made incorrectly in the material for the wood grouse. If the hole is shallow and the chips are not cleaned properly, it will be difficult to prevent the bolt from breaking. When tightening with a wrench, there may be a high torsion speed or strong pressure. Capercaillie from acceleration rests against a wooden beam and breaks.

Thirdly, the reason may be an incorrectly selected drill for creating a preliminary hole. When performing twisting movements, the temperature of the metal rises from strong friction, and the bolt becomes jammed. To save the situation, you can add a little grease to the bolt.

Fourthly, an unsuitable dowel was taken.

There is another reason for the head to fold, but it is extremely rare. This is a high speed, namely the abrupt start of twisting the self-tapping screw on wood.

Peculiarities

If we consider a self-tapping screw for a hexagon, then outwardly it looks more like a bolt with several external signs.

1. Screw threads are infrequent.
2. The sharp end is not sharpened too much and hardly stands out.

Its scope of application is quite wide due to how original its design is. If a hex head screw is used simultaneously with a dowel, then, for fastening large parts to a tree, you can use this self-tapping screw to fasten the necessary parts even to concrete. The only caveat is that the dowel in diameter should be exactly twice as large as the head for reliable fastening.

For work, you will need keys of 10, 13 or 17 mm, depending on the type of bolt that the master plans to use. Also, such fasteners are sometimes called "wood grouse", because it tightly secures almost any object to the surface with the right approach. When the socket head bolt is used to organize the roof, its design also has a number of features.

1. A hard and sharp tip, similar in shape to a drill.
2. Hex head bolt.
3. Rubber washer.

The latter serves as a kind of insulator that reliably protects the bolt from moisture ingress. Accordingly, in this case, there is less risk of rust and moisture. In addition, the washer makes the connection to the screw much tighter than under normal conditions. In terms of their diameter, such fasteners can be from 8 to 10 mm inclusive.And the length can be up to 100 mm, so you can pick up a screw for literally any roofing material, with any level of load, depending on the need and need.

Anti-vandal self-tapping screws, which cannot be unscrewed without the use of special tools, are also popular among hexagonal or multi-sided screws.

Their very design outwardly already attracts a lot of attention, and the rigid fastening eliminates the risk of any kind of structural damage, which is very useful in public facilities, especially if you pay attention to the name of the screws

Self-tapping screws with a press washer in the design can also have six faces, but in this case there is one important nuance. The area of ​​their cap is much larger, which is suitable for attaching metal sheets. Most often they do not have any characteristic color; outwardly, they resemble ordinary silver bolts.

Another option, when it comes to the design features of specialized screws, is self-tapping screws for the production of furniture. They are distinguished by a blunt tip and are tightened with a special hex wrench. Their diameter is generally the same for the entire length, but towards the head the bolt itself becomes a little thicker.

What is a self-tapping bug

There are two main types of fasteners used in drywall structures:

• The first type is intended for the assembly of frames (metal and wood) of plasterboard structures;
• The second type is designed for attaching drywall sheets to the frame.

For more details about fasteners for drywall structures, read the article Fasteners for drywall structures. Here I will remind, according to Knauf's designations, it is technically correct to call self-tapping screws of the first type LN, LB. Self-tapping screws of the second type - TN, TB. The letter N means that the self-tapping screw is piercing, and the letter B means that the self-tapping screw is drilling.

Self-tapping screw bug is a self-tapping screw type LB, designed for assembling metal frames of gypsum plasterboard structures, namely for connecting profiles. Bug diameter 3.5 / 3.9 mm, length 9.5 / 11 mm. Bedbugs differ in a wide base under the head of the self-tapping screw. The base is similar to a washer, and the purpose of the "washer" is to increase the pressure on the surface of the item being fastened. Do not confuse bug self-tapping screws with self-tapping screws with RMZ TU 7811-7355 press washer. They are also used in drywall structures, but are used to attach profiles to hangers and brackets.

• At the end of the self-tapping screws, the bug is designed to connect metal profiles with perforations, a sharp point is made that "sticks" into the metal and makes it easy for the self-tapping screw to cut through the metal.
• At the end of the self-tapping screws, a bug designed for attaching profiles to a tree or fastening profiles without perforation, an original drill is made, which allows the self-tapping screw to "drill" wood (metal), without using preliminary drilling.

It is worth noting that bug screws are used not only in gypsum crate structures, they are quite versatile for any installation work.