The first nuts and pegs were square, made of wood instead of metal. They were easy to tighten, as workers only needed to fashion a tool to grasp the nut's opposing sides. Their steel counterparts became commonplace around the turn of the 20th century; while hex nuts have replaced most of them, the square nut is still used. This guide offers tips on selecting square nuts for a project.
Keeping things together
Square nuts are used in all kinds of applications. Stainless steel 304 stands up to most stresses reasonably well, corrosion, fire, and heat-resistant. Nuts also come in zinc-plated carbon steel, which provides only moderate corrosion resistance, but is much sturdier and more durable. It comes down to what the worker's requirements are between versatility and strength.
Tailored to the project
Nuts compatible with manual installation are different from square nuts installed by machine. The former typically have beveled edges and corners on top, with a flat bottom. Machine screw square nuts, in contrast, tend to be smaller and thinner, with entirely flat tops and bottoms. The worker also has to select nuts of an appropriate thread, whether coarse or fine, as it has to be compatible with the bolts to be used with them.
Customized orders
Square nuts come in a range of sizes commensurate with the corresponding bolts. Their large surface area tends to make them difficult to tighten, and standard hex machine drivers and hex wrenches won't work with them here, so it's prudent to ensure one has a compatible wrench or a pair of fine-nosed pliers. Luckily, wrench slippage is less likely with square nuts, and their nature means workers can adjust them without a clear line of sight, which makes them the perfect choice for tight spots.
Categories Simillar to Square Nuts includes Coupling Nuts, Eye Nuts and Flange Nuts