Thread terminology, designations, series and classes of fit, bolt grades and head markings, taps and thread repair, and how preload and torque keep a joint tight.
What the exam tests here
Thread terminology (pitch vs lead), the designation string, classes of fit, thread series, tap-drill formula, bolt grade markings, tap/pin types, and torque/preload. Heavily tested block.
| Threads do | Examples |
|---|---|
| Transmit power or force | Acme, square, buttress, worm |
| Control movement | Jack screw |
| Convey material | Screw conveyor |
| Hold parts | Bolt, stud, nut, screw |
| Form a pressure-tight joint | Tapered pipe thread |
| Measure | V-form (micrometer) |
Lead
Single-start: lead = pitch. Double-start: lead = 2 × pitch
Exam tip
Pitch is the distance between adjacent threads; lead is how far the thread advances in one turn. They are equal only on a single-start thread.
Read ¾–10 UNC–2A × 1½ lg element by element.
| Element | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ¾ | Nominal diameter |
| 10 | Threads per inch (tpi) |
| UNC | Thread series |
| 2 | Class of fit |
| A | External thread (B = internal) |
| 1½ | Length |
| Class | Fit | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Loosest | Stove and track bolts |
| 2 | Average, hand-assembled | Everyday nuts, bolts, cap screws |
| 3 | Closest fit, no allowance (still goes together by hand) | Precision work, e.g. ring and shaft nuts |
Exam tip
A = external thread, B = internal. Class 2A/2B is the everyday default and is assumed if no class is stated.
| Series | Angle | Profile | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| American National (NC / NF / NEF / NS) | 60° | Flat crest and root | Interchangeable with Unified |
| Unified (UNC / UNF / UNEF / UNS) | 60° | Rounded root | At 1″: NF = 14 tpi vs UNF = 12 tpi |
| Acme | 29° included | Flat crest and root | Adjusting/positioning screw (lathe lead screw), not a fastener; resists binding better than a square thread |
| Square | — | Flanks at right angles to the axis | The most efficient power thread (least friction) for jacks and press screws; hard to cut, and wear can't be taken up |
| Buttress | — | One steep load face, one sloped back face | Heavy thrust in one direction only; the steep face goes toward the load |
| NPT pipe | — | Tapered ¾″ per foot | The taper seals the joint |
| ISO metric | 60° | Crest = 0.125 × pitch; root = 0.250 × pitch | Sizes 1.6–300 mm |
| Constant-pitch series | Use |
|---|---|
| 8 tpi | High-pressure pipe flanges, cylinder-head studs |
| 12 tpi | Thin nuts, boiler work |
| 16 tpi | Fine adjusting and bearing-retaining nuts |
| M8 × 1.25 × 50 | Meaning |
|---|---|
| M | Metric |
| 8 | Major diameter (mm) |
| 1.25 | Pitch (mm) |
| 50 | Length (mm) |
Exam tip
Acme = 29° positioning thread, not a fastener. NPT tapers ¾″ per foot to seal. Unified and American National are interchangeable 60° threads.
| Fastener | Definition |
|---|---|
| Bolt | Tightened by a nut; loaded by its nut |
| Cap screw | Threaded into a tapped hole |
| Stud | Threaded both ends — coarse end into soft metal, fine end for clamping |
| Screw | Loaded by its head |
| Set screw | Holds a hub by its point. On a keyed shaft: on the key, on a flat, or two at 90° — never two at 180°, which only push against each other. Over threads, put a soft brass plug under it so the threads aren't crushed |
| Retaining ring | Sits in a groove. With ring pliers, squeeze an internal ring closed to pass along a bore, or spread an external ring open to pass over a shaft, then let it snap into the groove |
Exam tip
A screw is loaded by its head; a bolt by its nut. A stud's coarse end goes into the soft metal, the fine end takes the clamping nut.
The grade is stamped on the head.
| SAE grade | Tensile strength | Radial slash marks |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ≈ 510 MPa (74 000 psi) up to ¾″; ≈ 415 MPa (60 000 psi) over ¾″ to 1½″ | None |
| 5 | ≈ 830 MPa (120 000 psi) up to 1″; ≈ 725 MPa (105 000 psi) over 1″ | 3 |
| 8 | ≈ 1040 MPa (150 000 psi) | 6 |
Imperial bolt grade from head marks
Grade = number of radial slashes + 2
Grade 5 = 3 slashes; Grade 8 = 6 slashes
| Bolt / screw head | Feature |
|---|---|
| Carriage | Round head + square anti-turn shoulder |
| Hex | Most common — re-grips every 60° |
| Square | Re-grips every 90° |
| Cap screw | Hex or socket head |
| Nut | Feature |
|---|---|
| Hex | General use |
| Square | Bigger flats → more torque |
| Slotted-hex / castellated | Cotter-pin locked |
| Stover & nylon-insert | Self-locking |
| Jam | Thin locknut — sits between the joint and the main nut so the main nut takes the load |
| Cage, clip or rivet nut | Gives a full nut's worth of thread in sheet too thin to tap (a thread tapped in thin sheet strips). A cage nut snaps into a square hole, and its cage stops it turning |
Machine-screw diameter
Ø = (number × 0.013) + 0.060
Machine screws ≤ 3/8″, numbered 0–12. #6 = 0.138″
Exam tip
Grade = radial slashes + 2: Grade 5 = 3 slashes (120 000 psi), Grade 8 = 6 slashes (150 000 psi). Metric 8.8 < 10.9 < 12.9.
Replacement bolts: the same specification or a stronger one, never a weaker bolt torqued harder. A325 is a high-strength structural bolt (quenched and tempered, about 120 000 psi); A307 is a general-purpose low-carbon bolt (about 60 000 psi). A high-strength bolt that has been heated red to free it has lost its heat treatment: scrap it and fit a new one of the same grade.
| Pin | Use / feature |
|---|---|
| Cotter | Locking pin through castellated nuts and clevis pins |
| Clevis / headed | Headed pin retained by a cotter |
| Taper | 1:48 taper = ¼″ per foot |
| Dowel | Alignment |
| Shear | Softer or grooved — breaks to protect the machine |
| Spring / roll | Oversize spring steel |
| Grooved | Grooves grip the hole |
| Convenience | Hairpin / quick-lock |
Taper pin
Taper 1:48 = ¼″ per foot
Exam tip
Never stack a lock washer on a flat washer. A shear pin is the deliberate weak link — it breaks to protect the machine.
| Tap | Chamfer | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Taper | 7–10 threads | Start the thread; through-holes |
| Plug | 3–5 threads | General work; blind holes |
| Bottoming | 1–2 threads | Threads to the bottom of a blind hole |
Tap-drill size
TDS = nominal diameter − pitch
1″–8 UNC → 1 − 1/8 = 7/8″; M10 × 1.5 → 8.5 mm
Exam tip
Tap drill = nominal diameter − pitch. Back the tap off a quarter turn to break chips, and run cast iron dry.
| Tensile stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Elastic limit | Proof load sits just below yield |
| Yield point | Permanent set begins |
| UTS | The fastener breaks |
| Preload method | How |
|---|---|
| Load-indicating washers | Crush to a gap read with a feeler gauge |
| Preload-indicating bolts | Wavy flange or spinning cap |
| Torque nuts / bolts | High clamp from low torque via jacking screws — hardened washer required |
| Measured elongation | Mic each fastener |
| Turn-of-the-nut | Snug-tight, then ⅓ to ⅔ of a turn, by bolt length |
Watch out
Never loosen a fastener with a torque wrench. Torque tables assume new, lightly lubricated 2A/2B threads — extra lubricant or anti-seize at the same torque over-tightens the bolt.
The full study guide covers every block of the 433A Industrial Millwright exam, with practice questions and a timed mock exam.
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