Questions tagged [bolts]
242 questions
96
votes
8 answers
Should a washer go on nut side, or the bolt side?
Often I take something apart and when I go to reassemble it, I don't remember which side the washer was on. When there's only one washer, does it generally go on the nut side (pressed up against the nut) or the bolt side (pressed up against the…
wim
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68
votes
11 answers
If metal expands when heated, how does heating a bolt loosen it?
If you're having trouble removing a stuck bolt, common advice is to heat the bolt up. But if metal expands when heated, wouldn't heating up the bolt just make it harder to remove? How does heating the bolt get it unstuck?
Tester101
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26
votes
1 answer
What is this bolt in my basement floor?
In my concrete basement floor, there is a rather large bolt and washer. The washer is about 4 inches in diameter, and the bolt has a 1 inch head. What is it?
All I can think of is that it's some device to keep this from happening:
Chris Cudmore
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24
votes
6 answers
What is the right tool for old, rusty, flat cross head bolts?
I'm trying to restore an old park bench, and I am struggling to unscrew the bolts. The heads have this wide (~12-14 mm) "flat cross" pattern that I have never seen before (see photo), and I don't have any screwdriver that nearly wide enough to get…
Nicolas Payette
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22
votes
10 answers
Turning a hard to access nut?
Working on the propane conversion of my gas stove. One of the orifices to be changed is in a very hard to access location - shown in the photo. The orifice is the "nut" I'm referring to, which you can fit a wrench onto.
Although it is possible to…
StayOnTarget
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20
votes
15 answers
How can I stop bolts from loosening over time?
Here is a picture of what I intend to use:
I believe (and could be wrong about this) that over time as the structure is moved, the nut that was fastened to hold the structure together will gradually loosen. Is there way to make the nut so tight and…
quantum231
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20
votes
5 answers
How do I optimally cut a bolt to length?
Once in a while I need a bolt of exactly the right length and it is not one of the lengths available in stores. So I get a longer bolt and cut it to length. Here's the procedure I follow.
I screw one or several nuts onto the bolt so that they are…
sharptooth
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19
votes
8 answers
When bolting down a porcelain toilet, how tight is "too tight"?
Tightening bolts on the base of a toilet is the one thing about toilet installation that has me the most nervous. They say not to over-tighten, but how tight is too tight before the porcelain is subject to cracking? Do I tighten until I can't…
oscilatingcretin
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18
votes
13 answers
How can I get a bolt with no head out of my wall?
I tried to screw this bolt into a stud to secure a 2x4. The hex head snapped off, and now the bolt is stuck. I managed to slide off the 2x4, but I have no idea how to extract the bolt. IIRC it's a 6" long, 1/4" wide bolt with about 5 inches in the…
Elliot G
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17
votes
6 answers
What is this kind of security bolt head called, and how can I remove it?
A previous owner fitted the light fitting pictured above, and has not left me a tool to remove the bolt. The bulb has blown so I need to get in to the unit. The head diameter is about 12mm and the gap between the two notches is about 6mm. I would…
Dickon Reed
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16
votes
4 answers
What is this attaching my toilet seat and how can I unscrew it?
I’m trying to unscrew my toilet seat but it seems to have been fitted with this plastic mechanism, which doesn't seem to want to be unscrewed.
Do I need a special tool to remove it?
Urbycoz
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15
votes
2 answers
How do I prevent the bolts in my snow blower rotor from breaking?
We got about 12" of snow today and my snow blower lasted only 30 minutes before shearing off one of the 1/4" bolts that holds the rotary blade in place. This is the second time this has happened in as many snow blowing adventures.
What is the right…
forrest
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12
votes
1 answer
Why is this bolt's thread the way it is?
I scavenged an old bolt from an interior office remodel, and it is odd.
The thread appears to be triple-start BUT two of the three are milled off.
Shaft is 11.8mm and appears to be galvanised but the missing threads are shiny so appear to be trimmed…
Criggie
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11
votes
4 answers
What's this bolt head type and how can I open it?
There is a bolt screwed inside a long hole:
I don't know the bolt head type. Is there a trick to open it?
Megidd
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10
votes
2 answers
How do I remove this bolt from my bedframe?
This is my first time posting in this forum but I wanted to get some help from y'all regarding removing a bolt from my bed frame. I bought a used bed frame and I need to dismantle it to shift it into my room. Here is an image of the bolt.
Could you…
Mantej Singh
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