Carriage bolt grade materials
Carriage bolts are available in many grade materials. Some of them include:
• Grade A307 carriage bolts with zinc, plain and black oxide finishes
• Grade 5 carriage bolts with zinc finish
• Grade 8 carriage bolts with yellow zinc finish (also known as ‘shaker screen bolts’)
The different carriage bolt grade materials are available in lengths up to 6-1/2†and diameters from #8-32 to 3/4″. Furthermore, some carriage bolts are available in stainless steel 18-8.
Apart from having different grade materials, carriage bolts are available in different shapes as well including:
• Flat head, square neck
• Round head, ribbed neck
• Round head, short square neck
• Round head, square neck
• Track bolt
Now that we’ve discussed the different grade materials and shapes of carriage bolts, let’s get to the uses of these bolts.
Uses of carriage bolts
To better understand what carriage bolts are used for, knowing how they’re constructed is important. By keeping their construction in mind, you’ll make it easier for yourself to understand the purpose (s) carriage bolts serve. A straight cylinder with a flat edge, the carriage bolt has a top with small square neck which resists turning when it’s fastened into place. This means that a carriage bolt won’t perform as it’s supposed to until you countersink it. In order to complete the fastening, you’ll need to use a washer and a nut because the carriage bolt has a flat end. Following are the various uses of carriage bolts:
Arbor Construction
If you drill completely through both of them, you can use a carriage bolt when adjoining two pieces of wood. The carriage bolt is secured with a nut and a washer after it’s inserted into the hole.
Docks
Carriage bolts are an important part of dock construction. The use of carriage bolt is required on many areas on a dock. Examples of this are the frame and rails.
Building projects
An important part of many construction projects, carriage bolts are manufactured in many different sizes including small bolts for DIY home construction and big-size carriage bolts for large building projects. This is the reason carriage bolts are demanded by both big construction companies and homeowners. In order to joint segments together, carriage bolts are often used within a structure. Far superior to nails and other bolt types, carriage bolts are extremely sturdy.
Swingsets
The construction of a children’s swingset or play area is where carriage bolts are regularly employed. In fact, carriage bolts are an integral part of swingset or play area construction.
Constituting of a square or hexagonal head, carriage bolts are extremely heavy duty and require a spanner, wrench, or pliers to turn. Furthermore, when placed through a round hole in most wood or square hole in a metal strap, carriage bolt becomes self-locking thanks to the part right beneath its head forming into a squared section.
Often used in joints designed to withstand significant wear and tear, carriage bolts can take care of themselves. However, to avoid damage during installation, using the right size spanner or wrench to install or tighten the bolt is important. By doing this, you’ll save yourself from a lot of hassle later on. Now that we’ve discussed carriage bolts in detail, let’s take a look at some other groups of bolts that are in the same family as carriage bolts.
To find a listing of our most popular Carriage Bolts click here