Six different bolts from left to right: machine (3 chevrons), carriage (no chevron), concrete anchor, lag (octagon head), lag (square head), AN (army/navy (cadmium coated)
As I go about maintenance on the farm, more often than not the old bolt I am working with breaks. Bolts are available in an assortment of sizes, thread type, materials and specifications so before tossing it into the scrap bin I check the head for its “designation,” or what its strength is.
Stamped on the head of each bolt are hash marks that indicate the bolts strength and the common ones go as follows for SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) steel bolts:
Grade 1 no hash marks lowest grade, low carbon steel, includes bolts, screws and studs
Grade 2 no hash marks lowest grade, low carbon steel
Grade 5 3 hash marks medium carbon steel
Grade 8 6 hash marks medium carbon alloy
Grade “L” 9 hash marks Lamalloy, medium carbon alloy tempered
AN (Army/Navy) bolts are another grade altogether; they are used for aviation purposes and are usually coated with Cadmium to prevent digression of the aluminum between dissimilar metals. These have matching nuts and washers. For this purpose — bolting to aluminum — stainless steel (SS) bolts can be used, but they must be coated in zinc oxide paint first.
For common tasks ensuring the use of similar grade bolts is not important, however for parts that have severe load strengths it is imperative that the bolts be replaced with an equal or heavier rating to prevent failures and potential injuries.
If AN bolts are encountered on a job, take heed that the use of cutting torches or welding will produce a deadly gas and proper procedures should be followed.
I have found the best supplier of bulk bolts is the Tractor Supply Company (TSC). This company sells in bulk containers, by the pound, and they have a twice-yearly sale. A little due diligence here as all shoppers are not alike, and I have found that you may want to look at the product before you place it into the bag. Some folks do not return items to their proper bin. That said, TSC has fasteners in plated, bare, stainless and galvanized finishes.
Rivets are another common fastener that come in a variety of sizes, materials and specifications, some of which are very task specific such as ‘Avex’ or ‘Cherry’ rivets, again for the aviation world.
The box store break stem rivets or “pop rivets” are what most of us are used to and I have found that they operate in accordance to their price. For small projects or light work these seem to do the job.
If you are repairing something that requires a more reliable tight fit you may want to consider the ‘Avex’ or ‘Cherry’ type pop rivets. These are designed to compress compactly, filling to an extent the hole they are in and sever the stem inside of the body allowing for a clean finish. They are more expensive than the pop rivet but the end product is superior. The best source of the ‘Avex’ rivets I found to be a Canadian company named Mattic Industries Ltd. in Surrey, British Columbia that will fill your order over the phone.
Another source for the Cherry brand is the Aircraft Spruce and Specialty Company (specializing in aircraft components). They have a store at the Brantford Airport and sell a number of items that I use around my farm. Just because it’s meant for an airplane doesn’t mean you can’t use it for something else. As a perfect example, I recently ordered thimbles for attaching fencing. These are sold by your choice of quantity at a fraction of the cost of the box store version and are available in stainless steel.
Another fastener that is required around the farm is the common wood screw. I have replaced all of my plated wood screws with a complete selection of Robertson flat head deck screws that are available in a wide range of lengths and resist the elements with their powder coating.
Lag bolts fall into the Grade 1 class of fasteners that I now only purchase with a machine head for easier use and in the galvanized finish as the uncoated version seem to degrade very quickly due to their exposure to the elements. They too can be matched with galvanized flat washers and nuts.
Nails go without saying; however, roofing nails are not on the radar anymore. I would not recommend the use of these archaic fasteners for any roofing job or any other job except possibly making a boot scraper. Purchase the roofing screws with rubber gasket in a matching roof colour. You’ll never go wrong and you won’t have to go back on the roof in a couple of years and hammer them all back down, or wind up replacing them with roofing screws which I am working on this year on a 40 x 60 barn.
This summer a friend of mine fell off a ladder landing on a wood pile. The fall broke his back and put him in a wheel chair.
I personally hate working on a roof and hate the means to get there even more, which supports going onto a roof only once!
Unlike my good friend Mike who says “I know I have it, somewhere” I prefer saying “Yep, it’s right here,” as personally, I find it a waste of time when I can’t find things.
Organizing your shop so you can find it when it does go snap is another quirky thing about me.
A fine selection of reused clear, labeled, peanut butter containers
When I want it I don’t want to search for it.
This may be a bit remedial but as a result, I have arranged two drawers of reused coffee containers; one for carriage bolts and the other for machine bolts, the nuts. Flat washers and lock washers are stored in another cabinet in their own reused containers. This allows for easy stock control and organizing. On the shelf, I resort to those clear mayonnaise, peanut butter and salad dressing containers. I write on a card and then use wide clear tape to fasten it onto the bottle. That way they stay clean, dry, readable and removable.
There are two excuses for the air to be blue in my shop — a tool has failed or I can’t find something.
— Dan Kerr