Carriage Bolt Specs
Carriage bolts are a kind of bolt with a dome-shaped head and a square shank under the head. Carriage bolts are used in applications that require a smooth surface, such as on a bench or in a pickup truck bed. The smooth bolt head allows material to slide over it or sit on it without damage. The threaded end of the bolt is designed to hold a nut that, when tightened, makes the carriage bolt a strong fastening device. Does this Spark an idea?
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Materials and Usage
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Carriage bolts commonly incorporate steel, bronze or chrome. Zinc-plated steel protects against rust, medium carbon steel is designed for automotive or high-strength applications, and stainless-steel resists corrosion. Commonly used in wooden boat restoration, silicon bronze bolts are corrosion resistant and have excellent strength. Hot-dipped galvanized bolts, more corrosion resistant than zinc-plated bolts, work well for coastal use. Chrome bolts, commonly used with decorative projects, have a mirror-like finish.
Wooden Applications
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Carriage bolts have a natural design for wooden applications. Once you drill the hole for the bolt, use a block of wood and a hammer to pound the shank of the carriage bolt into the wood. The square shank holds the bolt in place when you tighten the nut onto the end, which eliminates the need for a second tool to hold the head of the bolt. Drill the hole just large enough to let the threaded end of bolt pass through.
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Metal Applications
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When you use carriage bolts with metal, drill the same size hole as you would for wood. The square shank of the bolt will not fit into the hole. Use a metal file to make the opening square and the same size as the square shank of the bolt. Test the bolt frequently until it fits perfectly into the hole. Install washer(s) and a nut onto the threaded end, and tighten them. Carriage bolts used in metal are often called plow bolts.
Dimensions
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Carriage bolts are coarse-threaded bolts. Bolt size is measured by the shank diameter and by the number of threads per inch. A 1/2 X 20 bolt has a shank diameter of 1/2 inch and 20 threads per inch. Carriage bolts come in diameters ranging from 3/16 to 3/4 inch and lengths ranging from 1/2 to10 inches. Metric bolts have a diameter expressed in millimeters, and the thread pitch is listed instead of threads per inch. An M10 X 1.5 bolt has a shank diameter of 10 mm and thread pitch of 1.5 mm.
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