Give us a guess???

Recently we sold a bunch of these beauties.

What size do you think it is?

Nuts & Bolts from 1919

I just love seeing old photos and now I've found one with my beloved nuts & bolts.

Found this one at Shorpy.com

I can see they're using SQUARE nuts & bolts which made me ask myself,

"What are the differences between Square Nuts & Hex Nuts?"

 Wikipedia actually states it the best.

"Compared to standard hex nuts, square nuts have a greater surface in contact with the part being fastened, and therefore provide greater resistance to loosening (though also greater resistance to tightening)."

I love info like this!!!!

2 More Points

1) A square bolt requires at least 90° of free space, as that's the least amount you can turn it before moving the wrench. A hex bolt only needs you to have 60° of free space, so it's better in a more enclosed environment.

2) Since a normal wrench only puts force on the edges of the bolt head's sides, increasing the number of sides means increasing the area over which the force is spread, thereby reducing wear. This and the issue about elbow-room that was already addressed are probably the main reasons why six or twelve sided bolt heads are the most common.

Click HERE and you can zoom in and see a close up of the fasteners in the photo from Shorpy.com.

Ultimate Tool Box

Have you see Adam Savage's ultimate toolbox?

Impressive, to say the least.

We found this over at Curbly.com. We were googling the perfect toolbox and this site has an article that lists all the things a tool box (or tool bag these days) should have. Definitely go take a look and see if you've got all of them. Or make sure your Dad does. For Father's Day you can get him whatever he doesn't have on the list. 

Stocking the ultimate toolbox: every tool a homeowner will ever need

Also make sure he's got a good bunch of fasteners to work with at home.

This kit looks great!

I'm going to try and break it down.

Mostly it is a combination of Wood Screws, Sheet Metal Screws and Nails.

Then they threw in some grommets, plastic anchors, lag shields, wedge anchors & even some corrugated washers.

What is the difference between SHEET METAL SCREWS and WOOD SCREWS, you ask?

I'm so glad you did! It's simple.

If they are not fully threaded then they are Wood Screws. And if they are fully threaded then guess what - they're Sheet Metal Screws. 

This kit pretty much uses the phillips drive exclusively - do you know why?

Because it is just way more efficient than slotted.

But you knew that - everyone knows that!

Click here to read about PHILLIPS VS SLOTTED

Lastly it looks like a whole bunch of sizes and materials so you have some different options. 

After you get this, no matter what Dad's going to need to fix, he'll have the supplies.

Make Dad a Little Something

Here are some little ideas for Father's Day.

The Smallest Toolbox

Found this over at Alphamom.com. Turn an old Altoids box into a teeny toolbox - you need some nuts and bolts for that handle. Maybe that's where dad can store his left over fasteners.

The Smallest BBQ

Our favorite website Instructables.com shows you how to make this bite-size bbq (also using an Altoid tin but not the mints, th Altoid Sours.) The perfect bbq for one marshmellow whenever it is time for S'mores. Those legs are sheet metal screws!