Bay Supply Blog - Rivets, Fasteners, and Tools

Not all fasteners are created equal. A different type of fastener is available for every type of application you can think of, and choosing the right fastener for the job ensures a lasting and trouble-free joint. The question is, which of the myriad fastener types is appropriate for each task?

Here are four of the most common applications that require fasteners and the best types of fasteners for each one.

Here at Bay Supply, we provide a wide range of blind bolts to customers when they need a lasting, vibration-resistant joint. But what if you have an application where you need to screw in a bolt instead, either because of the nature of the joint or to make it easier to remove the bolt at a later time? For applications where you need a solid, threaded hole that can accept a fastener such as a bolt, you will need a rivet nut or RIVNUT®.

Goebel Fasteners Inc. is one of the leading makers of threaded inserts and tools. Bay Supply has been an authorized distributor of Goebel threaded inserts and tools for more than a year, and we wanted to share some of the specifics about Goebel threaded inserts and tools so you can see why they are becoming popular.

Blind rivets have come a long way in the last 100 years. What makes blind rivets so useful in a wide range of industries is the fact that you can drive them in from only one side, and once sealed, they have excellent load-carrying capacity and are less prone to failure caused by vibration or corrosion.

The construction industry continues to grow, and that means an increasing demand for industrial fasteners and lockbolts. By the end of the third quarter in 2018, construction spending was up 5.5 percent over the previous year, and 2019 promises even more growth.

A rivet nut is a unique type of rivet, sometimes known as a blind rivet nut, a threaded insert, a rivnut, or a nutsert. It is tubular, internally threaded, and counterbored so it can be driven just like a blind rivet from one side. However, there are various types of rivet nuts from multiple manufacturers, so it’s important to understand some of the nuances. 

No matter the job, you want to have the right tools, especially when you are driving rivets. Having the right type of rivet gun makes that much easier to produce a solid result. While the basic design of the rivet gun remains unchanged, there have been a number of advances over the years, including the adoption of cordless rivet guns, especially for driving blind rivets.

Precision is essential for many manufacturing and construction applications. Sometimes the required precision can vary across applications, and even among different areas of the same application.