Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

trvlnmny wrote:

Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

Square heads tend to be a lot harder to round off.
--
Froz...

2 feet longer than a d00tchie.

On Nov 26, 4:48*pm, trvlnmny wrote:
Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

Are we talking screws or bolts?

trvlnmny wrote:
Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

Square has slightly larger head surface area and may be more difficult
to find in anything above Grade 2 (not impossible, just not common).

Question would be, why the question? More specific answers may be
(probably are) dependent on what raised the question, anyway.

--

"trvlnmny" wrote:

Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

Question is too broad as asked.

What are you trying to learn?

Lew

On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:48:07 -0800 (PST), trvlnmny
wrote:

Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?
Square bolts require you to be able to turn 1/4 turn with a straight
wrench before you can get another hold on it to turn it farther. A hex
only needs 1/6 turn, and with an offset wrench closer to 1/12 turn.
Makes it a lot easier to use a hex in close quarters.
A square head of the same across slats measurement (wrench size) also
needs more space to turn because it is larger across the points.

"trvlnmny" wrote

Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

Square heads are much more common on old machinery. They generally are more
difficult to remove. They are not that common any more.

The one aplication where square head bolts are still used, at least by me,
is to hold down jigs on a drill press. The square heads fit into the slots
in the drill press table.

"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...
Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

2 sides.


That said, 6 point sockets will not work on them. You will have to use an
open end wrench or a 12 point socket

Leon wrote:
"trvlnmny" wrote in message
...
Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

2 sides.


That said, 6 point sockets will not work on them. You will have to use an
open end wrench or a 12 point socket

4- or 8-pt work much better...altho they're becoming at least moderately
hard to find. I bought a bunch of the last Craftsman stock a few years
ago as spares in the most common sizes (1/2 to 3/4)...

--

In article , dpb wrote:

4- or 8-pt work much better...altho they're becoming at least moderately
hard to find. I bought a bunch of the last Craftsman stock a few years
ago as spares in the most common sizes (1/2 to 3/4)...

What do you mean, "the last Craftsman stock"?

They're still available. Sears.com lists nearly two dozen different 8-point
sockets, in both 1/2 and 3/8 drive, in sizes from 1/4" to 3/4".

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , dpb wrote:
4- or 8-pt work much better...altho they're becoming at least moderately
hard to find. I bought a bunch of the last Craftsman stock a few years
ago as spares in the most common sizes (1/2 to 3/4)...

What do you mean, "the last Craftsman stock"?

They're still available. Sears.com lists nearly two dozen different 8-point
sockets, in both 1/2 and 3/8 drive, in sizes from 1/4" to 3/4".

Must have restocked then--at the time (about 4-5 years ago iirc) they
were discontinued and listed as closeout items. Surprised me, but
that's what it was then. Hadn't looked since, just figured it had
dropped them then, they still were.

--

On Sat, 29 Nov 2008 08:48:26 -0600, dpb wrote:

Doug Miller wrote:
In article , dpb wrote:
4- or 8-pt work much better...altho they're becoming at least moderately
hard to find. I bought a bunch of the last Craftsman stock a few years
ago as spares in the most common sizes (1/2 to 3/4)...

What do you mean, "the last Craftsman stock"?

They're still available. Sears.com lists nearly two dozen different 8-point
sockets, in both 1/2 and 3/8 drive, in sizes from 1/4" to 3/4".

Must have restocked then--at the time (about 4-5 years ago iirc) they
were discontinued and listed as closeout items. Surprised me, but
that's what it was then. Hadn't looked since, just figured it had
dropped them then, they still were.

About that time Sears re-designed all of their sockets. What you
probably got was the closeout stock of the old design. I can't speak
to any quality factors since my newest sockets are at least 30 years
old.

Tim Douglass

http://www.DouglassClan.com

"I'm not exactly burned out, but I'm a little bit scorched and there's some smoke damage."

Tim Douglass wrote:
....
About that time Sears re-designed all of their sockets. What you
probably got was the closeout stock of the old design. ...

Perhaps, but seems a little strange if so as there were no "new design"
available, either. Specifically there was one size that was not
available at all--of course, that was the one I hired hand had dropped
from the top of the lift in heavy grass/etc, and even the magnetic sweep
couldn't find it... (or at the time, of course).

--

On Nov 26, 6:39*pm, wrote:
On Wed, 26 Nov 2008 13:48:07 -0800 (PST), trvlnmny

wrote:
Besides the obvious shape what is the difference between the 2 types
of bolts?

* Square bolts require you to be able to turn 1/4 turn with a straight
wrench before you can get another hold on it to turn it farther. A hex
only needs 1/6 turn, and with an offset wrench closer to 1/12 turn.
Makes it a lot easier to use a hex in close quarters.
A square head of the same across slats measurement (wrench size) also
needs more space to turn because it is larger across the points.

I didn't even think about that. I'm guessing he was asking the
question out of
curiosity. Not that i get it a lot, but when it happens its such a
pain, rounding
off bolts heads sucks almost as bad as stripping threads or breaking a
bolt.