Archives: Pro-tips

  I am often asked to make a recommendation regarding which style of lock nut to use. I will start by saying that the answer to that question is not easy! The two most common lock nut groups are the Prevailing Torque Group and the Surface-bearing Group. In the Prevailing Torque Group, we carry the…

NOT ALL TEK SCREWS ARE CREATED EQUAL  #2 point #3 point TEK 5 Stitching TEKS Reamer TEKS TEKS with wings Each of these TEK screws has characteristics that need to be aligned to the task at hand. For example, if you’re lapping corrugated sheeting together and you’re screwing down the seams, use a stitching TEK.…

  Not all chain hardware is equal !!!! One of the biggest mistakes I see is people using “Spring Links” for safety chain on trailers. They are so handy, easy to use, and pretty much WORTHLESS! For example … many people use 5/16 proof coil chain for safety chain. This size chain has a working…

Ball Bungies and the Arizona Sun. If I haven't told you before, I'll tell you now...Ball Bungies are the next best thing to peanut butter!! Not only do we see them used for the tarp and canopy set-ups, but also in quite a variety of different uses such as: *Lashing down gear on your ATV/Razor/Dirt Bike…

BROKEN BOLT REMOVAL  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…

STAINLESS SELF-DRILLING SCREWS MAGNETIC? We’ve had more than a few calls with questions why the stainless self-drilling screws are magnetic.  The customers reaction is that we sold them something that wasn’t stainless. That is a reasonable misconception. So, let’s clarify!  The self-drilling screws and even some sheet metal screws are made out of 410 stainless.…

Using zipties is like drinking too many beers......you need to know the limits! Way too often I see a big guy wrap a 4" ziptie around some wires and then YANK--- putting 250 lbs of bench pressing muscle  into this teeny weeny 18 lb tensile strength ziptie......Guess who wins???  Our zipties provide up to 50% more tensile strength and…

 TIE IT DOWN! TIE IT DOWN! TIE IT DOWN!  I say this over and over again all summer long..... Too often I hear about people who put up their canopy, go out to dinner and it's gone when they get home. Guess what? It wasn't the neighbor who stole it. Keep in mind that the monsoon…

A few times each year we receive calls from fastener suppliers who are in conflict with their customer over the quality of stainless steel bolts and nuts. The customer's complaint is that during installation the bolts are twisting off and/or the bolt's threads are seizing to the nut's thread. The frustration of the supplier is…

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…