How do you identify a screw?

Most commonly, screws and bolts are identified by diameter (of the threaded portion), thread pitch, and length. Length is measured from the point at which the head sits flat with the surface, to the tip of the threads.

How do you read a standard screw?





In the Unified Thread Standard (UTS) system, manufacturers list the diameter size as a number between 0 and 10, with 0 being the smallest and 10 being the largest. Screws larger than a #10 have a diameter listed directly in inches. For example, on a #4-40 UNC-3A x . 5 screw, #4 represents the diameter.

What are screw standards?

General Fastener Standards

DIN Standard ISO Standard Product
DIN 6922 ISO 1665 Hexagon flange bolts with reduced shank
DIN 6923 ISO 1661 Hexagon nuts with flange
DIN 6924 ISO 7040 Prevailing torque type hexagon nuts with nonmetallic insert
DIN 6924 ISO 10512 Prevailing torque type hexagon nuts with nonmetallic insert

How do you identify a standard bolt?

Bolt Diameter

Standard is pretty simple too, inches are “usually” broken down into quarters, and smaller fractions. Once a standard bolt has a diameter of less than a 1/4, they go to whole numbers counting down from 12 to 0 (you can see this here Standard USA Bolt Dimensions).

What are standard bolt sizes?





US Standard Thread Length for Bolts

Bolt Diameter Standard Thread Length (in.) *
Bolts 6 inches and shorter Bolts longer than 6 inches
1/4″ 3/4″ 1″
5/16″ 7/8″ 1-1/8″
3/8″ 1″ 1-1/4″

How do I know what size screw I need?

The most important factor in screw selection is length. The general rule of thumb is that the screw should enter at least half the thickness of the bottom material, e.g. 3/4″ into a 2 x 4. The other factor is the screw’s diameter, or gauge. Screws come in gauges 2 through 16.

How are screws labeled?

A screw for wood is sized by two distinct numbers, first is the gauge of the screw which is the diameter. This means, the larger the number the larger the diameter. Therefore, a number 12 screw is larger than a number 4 screw.

How do I know if my bolts are metric or standard?

For both metric and standard bolts, the head size is the distance across the flats. For standard bolts, the head size is measured in inches or fractions of an inch. For metric bolts, head size is measured in millimeters. However, metric bolt head size is measured in millimeters.

What do the numbers mean on screws?



The higher the number, the finer the threads, which are best used in metal applications. The fewer the threads per inch, the coarser the threads, the faster the screw will drive and are the preferred threading for wood applications or wood studs.

What size is a standard M6 screw?

6 mm

M6 refers to a metric 6 mm screw. The outside diameter of the threads is 6 mm. The standard metric rack screw is actually an M6 x 0.1 mm. The number 0.1 mm refers to 0.1 threads per millimeter.

What does screw size 8 mean?



In all cases, the larger the number, the larger the size. Consequently a #8 screw is larger than a #4 screw, just as a 3 inch bolt is larger than a 2 inch bolt.

What are #7 screws?

Wood Screw Diameters

Size Major Thread Diameter*
Decimal Nearest Fractional Measurement
#7 .151″ 5/32″
#8 .164″ 5/32″
#9 .177″ 11/64″

What size is number 6 screw?

American Screw Sizes

THREAD DIAMETER
Size Nearest Fraction Inch
#6 9/64 0.13
#8 5/32 0.16
#10 3/16 0.19

What is a #10 screw?

1. The number “10” is used as a size designator and has no numerical meaning. “32” refers to the 32-thread pitch in threads per inch. You can identify a 10-32 screw by measuring the diameter with a ruler at exactly 3/16 inches ().

What size is #12 screw?



The diameters listed in the chart below are in fractions of an inch, so the #12 is just shy of 1/4 inch. A more detailed table with thread count can be found below, along with tap drill sizes. Detailed screw sizes charts.

What size is #8 screw in mm?

Metric Imperial Screw Conversion Chart

Diameter (mm) Length (mm) Closest Imperial Size Gauge x Length
3.5mm 30 6 x 1 1/4
40 6 x 1 1/2
4mm 12 8 x 1/2
16 8 x 5/8