Worth-It Tips and Ideas for Designing Granny Flats

Socket fasteners with threaded rods are used in several different industries—construction, electrical, machinery and medical. They're incredibly versatile fasteners—they can be made from a wide variety of materials, come in plenty of different types and feature a few different threading styles.

While picking out the kind of threaded rod you need, ask yourself these questions:

What kind of threading placement will you need?

The most common answer here is a right-hand threaded rod—one that tightens with a clockwise rotation. For some applications, however (such as where vibrations may disrupt the fastener), a left-hand thread may be preferable. Other ways to keep your fastener more secure may include looking into more specialised threading types, such as a rod with threading only at one end. An ACME-style thread can be a good choice for fasteners that require loadbearing capacity.

Are there any special considerations for your fastener's material?

Most threaded bars are made from steel, and they come in a wide range of grades. If you require resistance to chemicals or corrosion, look into an A2 or A4 stainless steel fastener. Other popular options include aluminium, titanium and brass, or nylon plastic, which is increasingly popular as a lightweight, durable and affordable choice.

How long will your bar need to be?

Threaded bar is generally supplied in 1m lengths. 2m and 3m options are available from some suppliers, but if you need something longer than this, you'll probably need to have it made to order—contact your local supplier to find out how to get this done.

When cutting your bar down to shorter lengths for attaching to the fasteners, you'll want to use either a cold cutting blade or an abrasive saw. Saws can be a good option when you don't need a clean edge on the finished product and are also easily available; for most commercial purposes, however, a cold cutting blade is a worthwhile investment and ultimately a better choice, as it'll save you time and money on deburring the rod's edge with a grinding wheel.

Will you need to angle or chamfer the end of your rods?

For some applications, a flat end is enough—but depending on your project, you may need to use a chamfering tool to add an angle. This can help with the fastening of bolts, or mean that you can screw the rod into place more firmly. This is an especially important question, as it has a major impact on what kinds of material you'll want to use and how your rods will need to be finished.

The principles suggested by these questions are all you'll need to figure out what kind of threaded rod to buy, so once you've got your answers, take them along to your local supplier and let them help you find what you need.

For more information, reach out to a local company, like Illawarra Fasteners Pty Ltd.