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Carriage Bolts: Everything you need to know

What are Carriage Bolts?

Bolts are one of the three main designs of threaded fasteners, and are used to connect unthreaded objects when combined with a nut. Designed in the early 's, carriage bolts were used for carriages and carriage wheels. You don't see many carriages on the roads these days, but these fasteners are still a popular choice for wood and metal projects.

Carriage bolts are recognizable by their round, wide, domed heads and square neck. This design allows carriage bolts to be self-locking when inserted into a pre-drilled hole. Carriage bolts may be fully threaded, or partially threaded to suit your project needs.

Why pick a Carriage Bolt?

Many people choose to use carriage bolts in their projects due to security, ease of use, and the bolt's ability to support a large amount of weight.

The smooth domed head of carriage bolts is designed to be flush with the surface it is installed in. This lowers the possibility of snagging or catching other materials on the bolt. The carriage bolt also offers security due to the fact that it can only be removed from the nut side of the bolt. There are no grooves or indentations in the head of the bolt to allow a tool to gain purchase from the non nut secured side.

Though carriage bolts can only be utilized with pre-drilled holes, they are easy to install and usually only need the use of a single tool. The square neck of the bolt prevents it from rotating while the nut is being tightened. Many choose the carriage bolt due to its ability to support a large amount of weight when installed correctly. A  grade 5 carriage bolt made from medium carbon steel and heat-treated, with a diameter of ¼&#; to 1&#;, has a tensile strength of 120,000 psi and a proof load of 85,000 psi.

What are the Different Grades and Materials for Carriage Bolts?

Choosing the right carriage bolt is essential to ensure the durability and longevity of your project. Carriage bolts are produced in a multitude of materials, finishes, and grades that need to be considered to meet your specific needs.

Grades of bolts are based on common measurements such as proof load (an axial tensile load which the product must stand without evidence of any permanent set), tensile strength (the resistance of a material to breaking under tension), yield strength (the stress at which a specific amount of deformation is produced), and Rockwell hardness (how resistant a metal object is to penetration and permanent deformation from another material). These categories can also help you determine what your bolt is made of. Bolt grades can be categorized as inch or metric and are usually marked on the head of the bolt for quick identification.

The main concern with choosing the correct material for your carriage bolt is preventing corrosion. Making sure you prevent corrosion on your project can help mitigate safety risks and repair costs. Stainless steel, galvanized, and zinc plated materials are among the most popular options for carriage bolts due to their beneficial qualities.

Stainless steel fasteners are a popular choice because they offer resistance to corrosion and do not rust or tarnish. Stainless steel is also resistant to internal and external hydrogen embrittlement, and are self repairing due to a natural layer of oxidation that forms on the material when exposed to oxygen. This material also endures very high and low temperatures giving it lasting value in many environments including underwater. Stainless steel is low maintenance, resistant to scratching, and easy to clean. 

Contact us to discuss your requirements of thimble nut supplier. Our experienced sales team can help you identify the options that best suit your needs.

Steel is the most common base for mechanical fasteners, but steel is susceptible to corrosion from oxidation so steel fasteners often have a  zinc coating applied to prevent corrosion. This coating is primarily applied through electroplating or through hot dip galvanization. Zinc electroplated fasteners are popular due to their cost effectiveness, and ability to ward off the oxidation that leads to rust and corrosion. Zinc coatings are also flexible, have a high temperature tolerance, and are environmentally friendly. Adding a layer of zinc also helps add lubricity to the threads of the fastener, and surface hardness to the base metal.

Hot dipped galvanized zinc coating is another popular option. This process applies a zinc coating to the fasteners to provide durability, complete coverage, and a longer service life. The hot dip galvanizing process is denser than other zinc coatings and produces a strong bond between the zinc and base steel. Due to the process of hot dipping using molten zinc, a more complete and consistent coverage of the fastener is achieved. The lifetime of galvanized coatings depends on how thick the coating is; the thicker the coating the longer it will take corrosion to penetrate to the steel. Hot dipped coatings will typically last around 65 years in mild rural atmospheres, and over 35 years in industrial atmospheres.

Why AFT Fasteners

AFT Fasteners has a proven history of helping our customers choose the right fasteners for their projects. Our knowledgeable staff can help make sure that you get the grades, materials, and options that will save you time and money.  Contact us to learn more, or order carriage bolts easily online.

Us

Carriage Bolts

What exactly IS a carriage bolt?

Carriage bolts are an application specific fastener designed for use in carpentry, wood base materials and the construction of wood products. They get their name from their original purpose, which was in the construction of carriages and carriage wheels back in the early s. They are easily identified by a dome shaped head and typically a square shaped neck although through the years several varieties now exist with other head and neck styles available.

Who would typically use a carriage bolt?

Carriage bolts are extremely common and their uses are so varied that most people have probably seen or used one at some point. Anyone involved in carpentry or wood construction will rely on carriage bolts frequently. Homeowners and DIYers will also frequently use carriage bolts in your typical home maintenance or repair project because they are so handy for use in wood. Because of their domed shaped head, carriage bolts offer a smooth, aesthetic appeal and provide some level of safety in backyard play equipment, wood decking, ornamental fencing as well as most styles of wood furniture.

At FMW Fasteners, how are carriage bolts sold?

At FMW we offer several different styles of carriage bolts and we sell them in any quantity you like. You can purchase sizes individually or in bulk. Currently we offer 4 different discount levels so that customers can take advantage of purchasing in bulk and even varying degrees of bulk. We don&#;t require someone to purchase 100 pieces or any type of minimum when they may only need 3 or 4 pieces for their specific application.

What different types of carriage bolts are there?

Over the years manufacturers have produced many different styles based on customer demand and specific applications. Dome or round head are the most common but flat head exist as well as with no neck, ribbed neck fins and short square neck versions. We currently offer carriage bolts in A307 Grade A (low carbon steel), Grade 5 (medium carbon steel) and 304 (18-8) stainless steel. All of our carriage bolt patterns are the standard dome or round head with a square neck above the shank. We offer A307 Grade A carriage bolts in both zinc and hot dipped galvanized platings.

How long has FMW Fasteners been selling carriage bolts?

Because carriage bolts are such a common product with such a wide range of uses, FMW Fasteners has been selling carriage bolts since the company was started in . So the current inventory we offer as well as the styles we carry are based on 29 years of history with these products.

Are there any particular things to consider when using carriage bolts?

Two major things to always consider with carriage bolts are the environment in which they will be in service and the thread length requirements considering that the square neck takes up a certain portion of the shank. We always recommend hot dip galvanized or stainless steel carriage bolts for exterior applications, particularly here on the Texas Gulf Coast. When calculating the amount of shank needed to achieve a certain amount of thread pattern it&#;s also handy to note that our carriage bolts are fully threaded up to 6 inches. Any bolts with a shank longer than 6 inches will have 6 inches of thread. This makes calculating thread requirements on the fly easy as you can assume you will always have 6 inches of thread on the bolt. Wood species for pilot hole requirements is another one where you should always consider soft wood vs hard wood before pre-drilling for your carriage bolts.

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