Know Your Nuts: Common Hex Nuts

In the first installment of our Everything but the Bolt educational series, we’re taking a look at all different types of nuts. While many applications only need a very basic nut, we’ll review the different types of nuts (both standard and specialty), and give you the information you need to make a decision about which nut is best for your application.

We’ll start with the most quintessential version of a nut on the market - common hex nuts. Below is a description of the different types of common hex nuts available.

Finished Hex Nuts

A finished hex nut is the most basic of nuts - the six-sided nut that almost everyone first pictures in their mind when they hear the word “nut” in an industrial context.  Hex is short for hexagon, referencing the six sides of the nut. These nuts feature internal threading and are commonly used with machine thread bolts and screws, in applications where no “locking” mechanism is required.

Hex Jam Nuts

Hex jam nuts are low profile - usually only about half as thick as a standard hex nut. Commonly used as a type of lock nut, the jam nut is "jammed" against a standard nut to lock the two in place. Jam nuts are also sometimes used in applications where a traditional, larger profile hex nut would not fit.

Machine Screw Nuts

Designed specifically to be used with machine screws, these hex nuts are much smaller sizes than full-size hex nuts and feature flat tops and chamfered corners. Threads can be coarse (UNC) or fine (UNF), and zinc plating is the most common type of finish applied to machine screw nuts.

Nylon Insert Lock Nuts

Nylon insert lock nuts are very similar to basic finished hex nuts, but feature a nylon insert lock to help secure the nut into place. When a nylon insert lock nut is installed onto a bolt or screw, the nylon insert wraps around the threads, protecting the connection from loosening due to vibration.

If you have further questions about common hex nuts, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information.