I ordered five 9/16” steel hex nuts from Amazon. I wanted four for spacers to set 9/16” plate separation of my Breville Smart Grill – didn’t care about thread size.

I received five 7/8” steel hex nuts. Oh well, mistakes happen. Low cost, not worth my time to return ‘em. Ordered five more 9/16” steel hex nuts (from a different Amazon supplier). Received five 7/8” steel hex nuts again. Damn.

OK, ordered five 9/16” brass hex nuts from a third Amazon supplier. Figured that with the more expensive brass nuts they’d be more careful with the order. Received five 7/8” brass hex nuts. WTF?!

I’ve finally learned my lesson. I’ll drive the five miles to Marshall’s Industrial Hardware to get my four hex nuts. Anyway, it’s a fascinating store – I seldom leave with nothing but my intended purchase.

I love Marshall’s! My co-Grandpa told me about it, he works on cars all the time.
They also have a great tool selection with lots of overpriced German screwdrivers and the like.
Most recent purchase was strut channel hardware.
For those not in the SD area, here is their website:
Marshall’s Industrial Hardware

It's not Amazon. A 9/16 thread typically uses a 7/8 hex head. If you are looking for a 9/16 head buy 3/8 nuts.

quote:

Originally posted by shiftyvtec:
It's not Amazon. A 9/16 thread typically uses a 7/8 hex head. If you are looking for a 9/16 head buy 3/8 nuts.

I don’t understand that at all. But I’ll take my Mitutoyo vernier caliper along when I go to Marshall’s to be sure that I get hex nuts that are 9/16” across the flats.

And yes, I know that a 9/16” nut is actually slightly less, and a 9/16” socket is slightly more.

Nuts are sized by the thread size (the hole) not the outside of the flats. Is that the confusion here, or am I the one who's puzzled?

I'm not puzzled at all. Everybody knows you can't size up the hex nuts until after they've seen the witch doctor.



Ooh Eeh Ooh Ah Aah Ting Tang Walla Walla Bing Bang...

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

I ordered five 9/16” steel hex nuts from Amazon. I wanted four for spacers to set 9/16” plate separation of my Breville Smart Grill – didn’t care about thread size.

I received five 7/8” steel hex nuts. Oh well, mistakes happen. Low cost, not worth my time to return ‘em. Ordered five more 9/16” steel hex nuts (from a different Amazon supplier). Received five 7/8” steel hex nuts again. Damn.

OK, ordered five 9/16” brass hex nuts from a third Amazon supplier. Figured that with the more expensive brass nuts they’d be more careful with the order. Received five 7/8” brass hex nuts. WTF?!

They sent you exactly what you ordered. Maybe not what you wanted, but they did send what you ordered.

Nuts are "sized" by the I.D. of the hole, not by the outside measurement.

The light finally dawns. Son of a gun – my whole life, I thought a 9/16” wrench would fit a 9/16” nut. Silly me. I thank the forum for educating me.

And my apologies to Amazon, too.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Pipe Smoker,

As shiftvtec said, 3/8" nuts (ID) measure 9/16" across the outside flat edges; i.e. you use a 9/16" open end wrench for that size nut.

Just to save the OP some possible trouble in the future, it's not just nuts.

Pretty much all threaded fasteners are sized this way.

The numbers in the name describe the asme thread size and pitch. Rarely ever is the size of the tool needed to operate the fastener mentioned.

For example a 1/2 - 13 bolt has a threaded shank that is 1/2 inch nominal diameter and a thread pitch of 13 threads per inch. A 1/2 - 13 nut will have a threaded hole that fits a screw with a 1/2-13 thread.

Metric is done the same except for the thread pitch. An m14x1.5 screw will have a nominal major diameter of 14mm, an measure 1.5mm between any two threads.

A 13 pitch screw will measure .0769" between any 2 threads, or 1/13 of an inch.

This knowledge is how a machinist or gunsmith can make a brake or flash hider that hits the correct torque value at the correct position to be timed correctly.

If i want to torque a muzzle brake to 35ft lbs, then test torque a brake and find that it takes 5° of rotation to go from finger tight to, say, 35 ft lbs, I can calculate how much to face off the back of the brake, so the it hits 35 ft lbs at the correct orientation.

A 13 pitch threaded nut, or muzzle brake will move .00107 inches in 5° of rotation.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ken226,

Is this a great place or what,people in the know will educate you,and you will like the place even more.

Why in the hell would you buy 5 hex nuts from amazon? Are you bed ridden?

You're in San Diego, sure its been a few years since I was stationed there but all the Home Depots can't have closed already.

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
Why in the hell would you buy 5 hex nuts from amazon? Are you bed ridden?

You're in San Diego, sure its been a few years since I was stationed there but all the Home Depots can't have closed already.

Nearest Home Depot: ~5 miles.
Nearest Ace Hardware: ~5 miles.
Marshall’s: ~5 miles.
Front door: .~20 steps.

No time pressure, the cost difference is trivial to me, and I have other demands on my time.

Wise up.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:

quote:

Originally posted by SpinZone:
Why in the hell would you buy 5 hex nuts from amazon? Are you bed ridden?

You're in San Diego, sure its been a few years since I was stationed there but all the Home Depots can't have closed already.

Nearest Home Depot: ~5 miles.
Nearest Ace Hardware: ~5 miles.
Marshall’s: ~5 miles.
Front door: .~20 steps.

No time pressure, the cost difference is trivial to me, and I have other demands on my time.

Wise up.

At least if you drove to Home Depot, you wouldn't have bought the wrong nuts 3 TIMES. LOLOLOLOL My bets on Spinzone……..

I’ve got a Breville Smart Grill. What are you doing to it?

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
The light finally dawns. Son of a gun – my whole life, I thought a 9/16” wrench would fit a 9/16” nut. Silly me. I thank the forum for educating me.

And my apologies to Amazon, too.

We all live and learn.

quote:

Originally posted by ArtieS:
Nuts are sized by the thread size (the hole) not the outside of the flats. Is that the confusion here, or am I the one who's puzzled?

JIS is an exception. Take an M8 JIS bolt and you use a 12mm wrench. Buy the same nut from McMaster-Carr and it's a 13mm wrench (ANSI).

In future news, why is my 4" PVC pipe 4.5" in diameter!!??

You've taken this well.

Sounds like he needs some black coffee.

Because pipe is measured by inside diameter.....not outside.