Nuts, bolts, screws and washers

ISO metric precision hexagon bolts, screws and nuts are covered by BS 3643 and ISO 272. The standard includes washer faced hexagon head bolts and full bearing head bolts. In both cases there is a small radius under the bolthead which would not normally be shown on drawings, due to its size, but is included here for completeness of the text. With an M36 bolt, the radius is only 1.7 mm. Bolts may be chamfered at 45° at the end of the shank, or radiused. The rounded end has a radius of approximately one and one quarter times the shank diameter and can also be used if required to draw the rolled thread end. The washer face under the head is also very thin and for a M36 bolt is only 0.5 mm. Figure 16.1(a) shows the bolt proportions and Table 16.1 the dimensions for bolts in common use. Dimensions of suitable nuts are also given and illustrated in Fig. 16.1(b). Included in Table 16.1 and shown in Fig. 16.1(c) are typical washers to suit the above bolts and nuts and these are covered by BS 4320. Standard washers are available in two different thicknesses, in steel or brass, and are normally plain, but may be chamfered. Table 16.1 gives dimensions of commonly used bolts, nuts and washers so that these can be used easily on assembly drawings. For some dimensions maximum and minimum values appear in the standards and we have taken an average figure rounded up to the nearest 0.5 mm and this will be found satisfactory for normal drawing purposes. Reference should be made to the relevant standards quoted for exact dimensions if required in design and manufacture. 

Manual of

Engineering Drawing

Second edition

Colin H Simmons

I.Eng, FIED, Mem ASME.

Engineering Standards Consultant

Member of BS. & ISO Committees dealing with

Technical Product Documentation specifications

Formerly Standards Engineer, Lucas CAV.

Dennis E Maguire

CEng. MIMechE, Mem ASME, R.Eng.Des, MIED

Design Consultant

Formerly Senior Lecturer, Mechanical and

Production Engineering Department, Southall College

of Technology

City & Guilds International Chief Examiner in

Engineering Drawing