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Questions tagged [fastener]

Questions about using, selecting or identifying fasteners including nails, screws, and staples.

209 questions
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6 answers

What do you call the fastener that's like a metal zip tie with a screw?

I assure you that this is not the beginning of a fastener-related standup routine. While working out at the gym, I saw a fastener that looks like a metal zip tie, with a screw to tighten it. Two pictures below. This can be useful for me in some of…
Ram Rachum
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What is this sharpened steel rod with rubber coating?

Got this at a yard sale in a bin with mostly random fasteners. Its about 3" long. It is very similar to a standard framing nail in diameter, if not slightly less. It has a tip like a nail but a dipped-looking rubberized coating. Any ideas what this…
StayOnTarget
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Should I use nails or screws to refasten my subfloor to the joists?

My subfloor is squeaky, and there's a small window of opportunity I'll have to fasten it down before/during my carpet being replaced. I have available to me a nice corded drill, and an air-powered framing nailer. My chief concern is longevity of…
Bryan B
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How to remove a shelf fastener with a round head and no slot

I have some shelving in my closet and it's screwed into the wall with fasteners that look like this (see image). It's a smooth circle and doesn't have any type of hole of slot on top. Is this a screw? If so, what kind of screw is this and how do i…
Kizzie
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What's the term for a hole with a screw thread?

I'm replicating a drawer handle that fits on an M4 screw. If you'd look inside the plastic hole, you can see a gold-colored metal tube that has screw threads. That's what the screw screws into. My question is: What is the technical term for this…
Ram Rachum
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14
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3 answers

Why did they hammer nails in half way and bent them over to secure supports?

In my 1950s house they hammered nails in half way and bent them over to secure the supports to the beam. Why was this technique used?
Jay Prall
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What type of screws/anchors to fasten a closer to a steel door

What are some proper screws or anchors to use for affixing something to a steel walk-in door? The example for this question will be attaching an automatic closer to an exterior steel door. The door is a typical residential steel walk-in door, which…
Bort
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Is it ok to screw into a steel door?

I am looking to hang some blinds over the window on my front door. Is ok to screw the mounting hardware directly into the door?
Adam B
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How can I choose the best lag screw / lag bolt?

I will be fastening Unistrut vertically along studs to facilitate garage storage, and want some guidance on choosing the "best" lag bolts to use. I want them large enough to handle hundreds of pounds of shear and tensile load, but small enough that…
Billy left SE for Codidact
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Concrete base for parcel box

I need to build a concrete base for a mail parcel box on the ground. The parcel box is 36.6cm deep, 49.6cm wide and 112.3 cm high. It weighs about 15kg. What size should the concrete base be? How is it best to fasten the parcel box the the concrete…
Mikki
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10
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Finding the right size of nut for a bolt

I have a bolt with a thread pitch of .8mm and a diameter of 3.3mm. I am trying to find the correct size of nut for it, however the ISO thread chart says that a .8mm thread is M5, but should have a diameter of 4.2mm leaving me confused.
Frayt
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Invisible fasteners for wooden stair railing

I'm wondering how I would go about attaching a railing to the wall like this for my stairwell. I thought maybe a French cleat or mounting a support block(s) to the wall first, then attaching the visible portion using dowels or something, but then…
Lowlander
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What are these fasteners on this hinge?

Just moved into a new apartment and one of the doors is mounted with these fasteners I’ve never seen. I’d like to take this door out, but I’m struggling to figure out how to remove these without breaking them. Any help would be much appreciated.
Rob de Jonge
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What is this zip tie-like nail?

My aunt found a bucket of these things while cleaning out the house. Neither she, my father nor I have any idea what they would be used for. The best way I can describe them is that they look like a cross between a zip tie and a nail. They are…
kicken
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How do *real electricians* fill in unused bolt holes on metal box covers?

I'm new to using metal box covers on 4" and 4-11/16" square boxes. All the boxes I've got only have two bolts/threads to secure a cover, while the covers have four holes. For aesthetics, how do real electricians fill the holes to make the cover…
Armand
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