Nuts And Bolts: Finding The Exact Same Replacement

While it can be a pretty easy task for you to take yourself to the hardware store to buy parts that you need for your home, you do have to know a bit about what's what with nuts and bolts. For the most part, you'll have a while aisle of items to look at and it can easily go wrong for you when you buy pieces that are of the wrong size. Aside from reading on different hardware, you can also ask the employees at the hardware store to help you.

There are things that you can do however, to make things easier on yourself when you're shopping for items such as nuts and bolts. You have to be more specific when you're in a hardware store and if you go in and say that you're looking for an inch long bolt, there's going to be a long span of time before even the most skilled employee can find you exactly what you're looking for. Most of the time, they'll be asking you about follow-up questions like what else you can tell them about the bolt. Here are some tips for you to follow when shopping for hardware on your upcoming project.

If you have the old part, you can shop for exactly the right size when you bring the old part with you. Even with the different types of nuts and bolts, you'll get the exact size, the exact pitch for threads and so on when you bring the old part. It's not only the size that matters with buying things from a hardware store. There are distinct features that different implements have and you can be sure that you have the right one with the old part as a sample.

As was mentioned, there is such a thing as pitch in line with bolts and nuts. This refers to the size of the threads that run along the shaft of the bolt. If you don't have the old part, you can measure the length and the width of the bolt to try to estimate the thread pitch you need. Essentially, you'll be choosing from three thread types like course, medium or fine. With 1/4 -24 nuts and bolts, you'll be getting something with a diameter of 1/4 and the thread pitch for that will be 24. This is basically a medium pitch.

If you're still not sure of the pitch, you can always purchase one of each kind for nuts and bolts so just in case you need to return to the hardware store, you'll have an inkling of what the correct size is. You also have to know what your nuts and bolts are made out of. There are four kinds where you have grade 5, grade 8, stainless steel or galvanized steel. If you get the right size nut and bolt but you don't use the right material, you might be purchasing something that isn't corrosion resistant and you'll have a failed project nonetheless.