The ordinary person may just require a few different types of screws. However, there are hundreds of different types of screws, each with its unique purpose.
And, as professionals know, having the ideal screw for the job is important if you want to accomplish things correctly.
Screws can be created from a variety of materials, in a variety of forms, with a variety of heads, thread types, and a variety of other features, depending on your unique requirements.
Here’s a rundown of some of the different types of screws, along with a brief discussion of how they are used.
1. Wood screws
Wood screws are a type of screws that have a smooth shank and a tapered tip and are suitable for wood or other soft materials. Hard and softwoods, as well as chipboard and MDF, are all appropriate for use with woodscrews.
Typically, they are made of steel or brass. Woodscrews are a form of self-tapping screw, which means they make their thread with their tapered body and pointed tip.
On the other hand, Woodscrews almost always necessitate the drilling of a pilot hole to prevent the wood from splitting.
Phillips flat head screw, Frears on flat head screw, slotted flat head screw, slotted oval head screw, Phillips round-head screw, and slotted round head screw are all examples of wood screws with a distinct screw head.
The flat head wood screws are good for securing hinges, while the round head wood screws are great for attacking thin materials to wood.
Stainless steel or brass are commonly used for wood screws.
2. Thread rolling screws
Rather than cutting threads into the material, thread-rolling screws form threads by applying pressure to the walls of the material.
These screws are most commonly used with softer materials like wood, plastic, and nylon. The thread’s double-lead design decreases torque while increasing pullout strength.
This reduces the likelihood of the material breaking or being damaged. Threads on some thread-rolling screws are widely spaced, making it easier to slip them into pre-drilled holes.
3. Self-tapping screw
Self-tapping screws offer a wide range of functions and applications since they generate their hole as they are inserted into a material.
Thread-forming screws (which do not remove material from a hole) and thread-cutting screws (which do remove material from a hole) are two types of screws. A pilot hole is usually required for self-tapping screws.
4. Security screws
Security screws are a type of screws that are created for use where there is a high risk of vandalism or theft. They cannot be unscrewed with a normal screwdriver and require unique tools to remove them.
5. Machine screws
Machine screws resemble bolts but feature a socket in the head that allows them to be driven with a screwdriver.
They have uniform threads, which implies that the diameter of the thread remains constant throughout their length. The tapered threads found on woodscrews, on the other hand, cut their thread.
Machine screws are used in a wide range of industries, including manufacturing, engineering, machine tooling, and so on. They work with nearly any material, including brass, steel, and nylon.
Machine screws come with a range of head types, such as Phillips, slotted, star drive, combo, flat, pan, oval, and truss, which can be combined in a variety of ways.
6. Socket screws
Socket screws, also known as socket cap screws or Allen bolts, are designed to be used in situations when access to a screwdriver is limited.
A hexagonal wrench is used to fasten them. Socket screws are distinguished from other varieties by this property.
Apart from that, socket screws are frequently squared off at the tip, resulting in flat point socket screws, which are commonly used in everyday applications.
Socket screws provide many of the benefits and features of conventional hex fasteners, and they are practical and simple to use.
Because socket screws have a higher torque and clamping force than ordinary screws, they can accomplish the needed clamping force and complete the fastening with fewer holes, lower overall weight, and less hardware in a given application.
Socket screws are a better choice for situations that require a lot of lightness. Aluminum, steel, brass, and other materials can be used to make socket screws.
7. Self-drilling screws
Self-drilling screw resembles self-tapping screws, but they have a drill-like tip. The drill-like tip means that self-drilling screws often do not need a pilot hole. Tek is a common brand of a self-drilling screw, so much so that the name ‘Tek screw’ has become synonymous with self-drilling screws.
8. Drywall screws
Drywall screws are a type of screws that are made especially for fastening drywall or plasterboard to a building’s wood or metal frame. Unlike woodscrews, drywall screws are threaded all the way through.
I drilled into hardwoods, drywall screws made of brittle, hardened steel, and can snap. There are two different types of drywall screws. These are the following:
For wood studs, coarse drywall screws are commonly utilized. The threads are spaced widely and effectively hold the wood. The drywall screw has a phosphoric finish and a razor-sharp tip, among other advantages.
Fine: Since this drywall screw is self-threading, it’s ideal for metal studs.
9. Sheet metal screws
A sheet metal screw is made up of a head and a completely threaded shank with sharp threads and a tip.
Full threads can improve material retention, and their sharpness allows them to cut into the material and produce their internal thread quickly.
Sheet metal screws are frequently used to join metal parts together or to join metal pieces to plastic, wood, rubber, and other materials.
Self-tapping screws and self-drilling screws are two types of sheet metal screws.
Self-tapping sheet metal screws have a sharp tip that can fasten metals with pre-drilled holes, whereas self-drilling screws have a drill point tip that can cut through metals that haven’t been drilled.
10. Set screws
Set screws, also known as blind screws or grub screws, are types of screws used to secure an object within or against another object without using a nut.
They don’t have an obvious head with a diameter larger than the shaft. Set screws, which do not require a nut, can provide compression forces that hold two loose items firmly together.
Set screws work by passing through a threaded hole in one part and butting up against the surface of the second part on the backside.
As a result, the set screw is designed to fix a component that moves or slides around to another. Set screws have a cone point, flat point, full dog point, half dog point, oval point, and cup point.
11. Mating screws
Mating screws are used with sex bolts and have a shoulder that matches the diameter of the sex bolts.
Mating screws are sex screws’ companions, with a smooth shaft section and an outwardly threaded component that is received by the internally threaded component of the sex bolts.
When used together, mating screws and sex screws are made of the same material.
Fitness equipment, playground equipment, railing systems, furniture, helmets, knives, fixtures, signage, and a variety of other products all employ this type of fastener.
12. Lag screws
Lag screws, also known as lag bolts or coach bolts, are one of the most durable fasteners for connecting heavy materials that must withstand a high load.
Lag screws are often larger than most conventional screws. The name lag screw comes from the fact that they were originally used to secure barrel stages.
Lag screws are distinguished by the fact that they are only available with hex heads. Hex-headed fasteners are made to last in applications that need a lot of torque.
To install a lag screw, you’ll need a pre-drilled hole that’s the same diameter as the screw’s shaft. To tighten the screw, you’ll need a proper driver bit and a power drill.
13. Cap screws
Cap screws have a big head and a cylindrical shaft with male threads, with the head’s diameter being bigger than the threaded shaft, providing a positive mechanical stop when tightening the screw.
Cap screws are typically used without a nut, and they are tightened directly into a threaded or tapped hole.
Cap screws come with a variety of head styles, including hex, socket, button, and more. Stainless steel, carbon steel, and other alloys can be used to make them.
Cap screws, like machine screws, are widely used in machines, household appliances, and electronic equipment.
14. Decking screws
Decking screws are made of stainless steel or carbon steel and specially made to attach wooden or composite boards to metal or wood.
These screws come in different widths and lengths and are the perfect solution for fastening decking boards to frames
15. Carriage screws
Carriage screws are precisely used in woodworking projects to fasten metal to wood. The domed head of these bolts prevents them from loosening.
Carriage screws have a big head that prevents them from being pulled into a wooden construction.
Carriage bolts are equally helpful for metal applications as they are for woodworking activities, thanks to their machine screw thread.
Carriage screws, on the other hand, are incompatible with drill adaptors, making installation in metal problematic, which will be impossible.
16. Hammer drive screws
Self-tapping screws and hammer drive screws are the same things. They are made of unslotted circular heads that are used to attach nameplates and signs as well as close drain holes.
Hammer drive screws are also highly important for rust-proofing tabular structures.
These types of screws work similarly to nails in that they are hammered, or mallet pushed into holes for rapid assembly. It’s crucial to keep in mind that the screw must be constructed of a stronger material than the mating piece.
You’ll also need a small pre-drilled hole to complete the work properly.
17. Squarehead screws
Squarehead screws are very much alike to hexagonal-shaped cap screws, but instead of a 6-sided hex head, they have a 4-sided square head.
This square head requires a better wrench grip for fastening.
Squareheadscrews are also known as screws and are created to be driven using a grip wrench. These screws are mostly used for aesthetic purposes, such as adding character to a new structure or matching the existing screw-in older buildings.
18. Weld screws
Weld screws are types of screws that are used to form a shaft for components that need to be fitted or secured to an aluminum or metal surface.
This can be done with a washer or nut. Tabs extend from the head of weld screws, allowing welding without a hole. The welding stud is then joined to a metal object. This stud is located at the metal’s bottom.
The automobile, industrial, marine, construction, cookware, and aerospace industries are the most common users of these screws.
19. J screws
J-screws are J-shaped screws that are weaved on their flat side. These screws are mostly used in construction applications like connecting walls to stone or concrete foundations.
J-screws curved end is for extra support and can be placed in concrete for use as anchor fasteners.
The long end of these screws come in various lengths, and they can be weaved using a hook; hence the result will look like a J.
20. U Screws
U-screws are U-shaped industrial fasteners with two threaded legs or arms that create a bending base.
These threaded legs or arms are intended for use with screws and washers, but they can also be used with a crosspiece for a more secure result.
A U- screw is most typically used in plumbing, industrial, and construction projects and can be put into pre-drilled or punched holes.
21. Shoulder screws
Shoulder screws and machine screws are the same things.
The head, shoulder, and threading are the three parts, with the head having the biggest diameter. These types of screws are particularly well-known for their unique characteristics and versatility.
They work in a variety of industries, from autos to wood furniture. Pulleys and linkages can also benefit from them.
Shoulder screws are commonly found in wooden structures on the outside.
22. Elevator screws
Elevator screws are used in a wide range of applications.
These types of screws can, for example, secure any sort of flooring, level wooden furniture legs, and even be found on skateboards and snowmobiles.
The threads are traditional right-hand threads that are fully threaded and come in a variety of lengths, from long to short.
From the top of the head to the end of the threaded fastener, the threaded fastener is measured.
To name a few options, an elevator bolt’s head can be countersunk flat, shallow conical, square neck under the head of a unified thread
23. Hanger screws
Hanger screws are headless screws that are typically used in wood applications to add an extra exterior thread or form an interior fastening junction.
One side of the hanger screw thread holds into the wood with the help of a self-tapping lag screw, while the other side features machine screw threads for a nut.
Hanger screws are popular in storm shutter applications because of their qualities, and they’re also utilized in furniture building, framing, and flooring joints.
