Bryan wrote:

Whilst thinking about another problem, I find myself wondering, "why is
it that bolts have hex heads rather than octagonal or some other
number?"

Here is my answer:
Hex once were square (and not called hex :-). They used to much space
(distance bolt hole - housing). The next step would have been a
pentagon. One one huge pentagon was built (some in there are nuts), but
a pentagon is not something you could grap with a wrench. So a hex, the
next step, is the closest to a circle (least assembling space) and the
nearest to a square (best contact surface for a wrench).

HTH,
Nick
--
Motor Modelle // Engine Models
http://www.motor-manufaktur.de