What did I buy?


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Old 09-19-03, 04:33 PM
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What did I buy?

I got a good price on some unusual screws at a garage sale BUT I don't know what they are but I got 'em! At first glance I thought they were 2 1/2" dowel screws. However, one end is entirely flat with a 3/16" hole in it. They appear to be fairly new as there is no evidence of rust. Any ideas?
 
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Old 09-20-03, 09:38 AM
NutAndBoltKing
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Without seeing one I'll venture a guess that you have bought yourself some "acoustical lag screws" but they could might maybe possibly also be stage screws, eye lags, lashing screws, tie screws, guy screws, or even cleat screws. I think I'll go with acoustical lag screws.
 
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Old 09-20-03, 09:38 AM
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Lightbulb My Two Cents Worth

Hello: sandy2000

Happened across your question as a result of just one of my job tasks on the web site. I am known to rarely pass up an opportunity to post a "My Two Cents Worth" reply into almost any question asked in any forum....

With that thought in mind, what you may have are or could be Allen Head screws. These type of screws have octagon recesses in the heads. They are made to acept the end of Allen head wrenches.

If this is the case, purchasing the set of Allen wrenches that fit those screws and any of those types of screws like those you already have, would allow you to use them for many types of projects and tasks the screws where intended to be used for.
 
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Old 09-20-03, 12:10 PM
NutAndBoltKing
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Couple of questions: 1) Do the screws you bought have a clear 3/16" hole through them, or do they have a hex or torx shaped driving receptacle? 2) Is the screw end a wood screw thread - or a machine screw thread? 3) Do you know what diameter they are, and the TPI - thread per inch? 4) Do the screws have any markings, letters, numbers or symbols? 5) Do you know what material the screws are made of, or the type of coating?

If the screws you've purchased have wood screw threads and a flattened end with a clear hole I'll vote for ALSs "acoustical lag screws." Common item. They're usualy used to hang ceiling grid. The screw is driven into the ceiling or ceiling joists and then a wire is passed through the hole and tied, the other end of the wire is then tied to and supports the hanging grid. A web search for acoustical lag screws should produce several suppliers with photos to compare with.

Often times screws are misnomered by buyers and sellers and there can be a lot of confusion. There are many similar types with different names; true industry names, slang names, local terms and trade names. For example: The screw that the industry officially calls an "acoustical lag screw" is in slang also called a "hanger screw," but officially a "hanger screw" is actually a "combination dowel screw" - one end having wood threads and the other end having machine threads - but a whole lot of people call them "bed bolts."

Often times the industry - over time - will change the name of a fastener. Usually to address marketing concerns or to give new life to an old product. "Acoustical lag screws" at one time were called "eye lags" and had little demand, but the interest in suspended ceilings gave them new demand, a new life and a new name.

With these changes, misnomers and vernaculars in mind, your screws - IF they have a flat end and a clear hole - could be any of the types I listed, but they sound like "acoustical lag screws" (aka "eye lags") to me and are more commonly found than the others. They're much more commonly found than other kinds of odd screws. Lots of basements have coffee cans with ALSs and you'll see them at garage sales because lots of DIYers have tackled suspended ceilings and had some ALSs left over from the task.

It's unusual to find "stage screws" which resemble the type you're describing, at garage sales unless the homeowner did theatrical scenery, and the same holds true for the other types I listed.

I only sell fasteners for a living and am still learning, but I vote acoustical lags.
 
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Old 09-21-03, 03:37 AM
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Acoustical lags screws!

Thanks! Once again this site comes through. I used acoustical lag in a search engine and there they were...my screws. Thanks for the help.
 
 

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