Marks Bolts

Lifetime Warranties

Wow … what would a lifetime warranty be like on our bodies ???   How would you interpret that ??  Does that mean your body will last forever ….

Or does it make more sense that there is an implied warranty that is in effect as long as you’re alive …. As in an expected time frame that you will be above ground.

Perhaps this is a weird analogy, but in this day and age some things need to be spelled out. A lifetime warranty on a tool doesn’t mean it’s warrantied forever. A tool is expected to eventually wear out. This is the position that, to my knowledge, all current domestic and import tool manufacturers have taken.

Tool abuse is at an all time high and I see a lot of it. Most of the large tool makers will no longer warranty a tool if there is any sign of abuse.  Simply put, tool abuse voids any warranty. The line of sockets we carry that have a life time warranty have to be sent back to manufacturer for inspection prior to any warranty.

So PLEASE  use the right tool for the right job and give that tool the respect it deserves, and a chance to do the job!

 

 

FRI AUG 30- CLOSED   MON SEP 2-CLOSED   RE-OPEN TUES SEP 3 REGULAR HOURS 7AM-4PM

Our new hours: Mon-Thurs 7am-4pm Fridays 7am-2pm  CLOSED WEEKENDS

We now carry Grade 8 lock nuts in many sizes.

EFFECTIVE JUNE 1, 2019 10% TARIFF FEE ON ALL SALES

On Sept 24, 2018 the US Govt imposed a 10% tariff on certain products from China. Other countries followed suit and raised their prices as well. We did not raise our prices at that time. On May 10, 2019 the US Govt increased that tariff to 25%. This additional price increase has hit us hard. We will be adding only a 10% fee on all sales for such time as the tariffs remain high.  We hope to be able to stop the tariff fee once the trade war abates. We appreciate your business and hope this is short-lived.

 

 

Blind Rivets … (most commonly called pop rivets) are measured by their diameter and then by the specific “grip range”.

The diameter is based on the diameter of the rivet body.

The “grip” is based on the thickness of the material being riveted. The “Grip Range” is the minimum and the maximum grip that the rivet is intended to be used with.

NOTE ……..It is very important to understand that the maximum grip range is NOT the overall length of the rivet body.

We carry the following sizes in our store.

1/8 rivets …. Which are identified with a starting number 4

3/16 rivets … Which are identified with a starting number 6

1/4 rivets …. Which are identified with a starting number 8

The second number is the key to the grip range.
Here is the grip range that corresponds to the second number:

2      grips from 1/32 to 1/8

4      grips from 1/8 to ¼

6      grips from ¼ to 3/8

8      grips from   3/8 to ½

10    grips from ½ to 5/8

12    grips from 5/8 to ¾

16    grips from ¾ to 1”

So….. a rivet that is labeled 6-10 would be a 3/16” rivet that would grip material ranging from a minimum of ½ thick, up to a maximum thickness of 5/8

A 44 rivet would be 1/8 diameter and can grip from 1/8 to 1/4.

So there it is!….. Now you can choose the right rivet for the job!

 

 

 

So, you twist the head off of a bolt, and the shank is imbedded in whatever you were working on…now what?

There are tons of articles and ideas floating around on the web on how to deal with this miserable problem and I would suggest spending some time surfing the web to educate yourself on some trick ideas on broken bolt removal. However, I’m going to give you some “Old School” fundamentals to think about!

• Prepare the face of the bolt to be extracted. First, grind a smooth flat surface and then use a punch to make a mark dead center.
• Using a small pilot bit, drill a hole dead center in the bolt. Once you have a hole started dead center, you can now switch to a LEFT HAND drill bit (a drill bit that drills in reverse). Choose as large a bit as possible without damaging the threaded wall of the hole. Many times a bolt will break loose and come out while you are drilling into it in a reverse direction.
• If the bolt has not broken free, then insert the screw extractor that corresponds with the size hole you drilled. Use a pair of vise grips to grab the extractor and apply moderate pressure while turning the extractor counter-clockwise. The extractor should not bind into the broken bolt and begin backing it out. Be careful not to apply too much torque to the extractor. You DO NOT want to snap the extractor off in the hole.
• If the bolt still will not break free, the only other option is to drill a new hole and either tap it to the next size up or consider going the helicoil route. Either way, it would be best to get help before drilling larger holes. It is possible to reach the point of no return!

 

 

Many times we are asked “What grade of bolt should I use ?” Unfortunately, that is a hard question to answer from our side of the counter. We are not architects nor engineers.

However, we can shed light on the basic classifications ….

In the American world (a.k.a. SAE) the main classifications are Grades 2, 5, 8, Allen heads, and Stainless.

Grade 2 bolts ( A307) are a standard hardware grade steel. This is the least expensive and most common. They have a tensile strength of 60,000 PSI.

Grade 5 bolts are a heat treated carbon bolt. Hardened to increase its strength, it’s most commonly found in automotive applications. Grade 5 bolts have 3 evenly spaced radial lines … resembling an airplane propeller. They have a tensile strength of 120,000 PSI

Grade 8 bolts are a heat treated alloy steel that are hardened more than the Grade 5. Thus, they are stronger and can be used in more demanding situations. Grade 8 bolts have 6 evenly spaced radial lines. Grade 8 bolts have a tensile strength of 150,000 PSI

Allen head bolts can easily be identified as they require the use of an allen wrench. Industry standard allen heads have a tensile strength of 160,000 PSI

Stainless Hex Bolts ….. there are different grades of stainless but the most common are bolts made in the 303 and 304 series of stainless. Many people think stainless bolts are very hard. This is not true. 300 series stainless is just a tad under a Grade 5 in strength. Usually a tensile strength in the range of 112,000 to 116,000 PSI.

In the metric world (a.k.a. ISO) the most common bolts are marked with an 8.8, 10.9, or 12.9.

If there are no head markings at all, they are most likely comparable to the SAE grade 2.

The 8.8 is comparable to the SAE Grade 5.

The 10.9 is comparable to the SAE Grade 8.

The 12.9 is comparable to the SAE allen head.

CLASS OVER…..MARK OUT!