Tell One Screw From Another
By Benjamen Johnson
You need to replace a screw, but you just can’t tell whether it’s a 1/4″-28 or 1/4″-32. It’s an odd size, and you’d like to be sure so you can call around first rather than running all over town. Empire’s $14 screw ID gauge won’t just help you identify the screw, it’ll tell you the bit you’d use for tapping matching threads and the bit you’d need to drill a clearance hole.
Empire makes the 5-1/8″-long screw ID gauge from 5/64″-thick tempered steel. It’ll identify SAE standard screws and bolts from #1 to 5/16″, including their thread pitch. Besides screws and bolts, this gauge’ll also measure wire, pin, and rivet diameters.
Screw ID Gauge [Empire Level]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]
September 25th, 2008 at 4:26 pm
I have both an inch and a metric version and they are great for figuring which type the small screws are.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
I do too Chris! And I used to have a big box of loose screws that are now cataloged by size and stored in plastic bins. It was a nice rainy day project and no more trips to the store to buy one screw.
I like the Screw Chek’r brand, made of heavy gauge satin chrome plated steel with precision machined threads.
September 25th, 2008 at 4:47 pm
Those flat metal ones don’t have enough thickness to it to tell one from the other and it only does screws and bolt not nuts.
I prefer this one from http://www.mcmaster.com carr part number 20375A21
And if you need not just the commen metric and SAE sizes the have more extended versions http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Nut-Bolt-Thread-Checker-METRIC-Size-Gauge-Tool_W0QQitemZ120111464931QQcmdZViewItem