Screws: Styles, Sizes and Shapes
November 1960 Popular Electronics

November 1960 Popular Electronics

November 1960 Popular Electronics Cover - RF CafeTable of Contents

Wax nostalgic about and learn from the history of early electronics. See articles from Popular Electronics, published October 1954 - April 1985. All copyrights are hereby acknowledged.

Bristo cap screw - RF CafeBristo Socket Head Cap Screw - RF Cafe

Bristo Socket Head Cap Screw manufactured by the Bristol Company of Waterbury, Connecticut

Sure, there are lots of resources on the Internet for identifying various screw types, styles, shapes, and sizes, but sometimes there are so many that it can be time consuming to peruse through them all, particularly if what you are looking for is an older type. This chart from a 1960 edition of Popular Electronics magazine might be just the thing you have been looking for when working on a piece of vintage electronic and/or mechanical gear. Interestingly, at first I thought there might be a typographical error in labeling one type screw head as "Bristo," thinking it is probably supposed to be "Bristol." I could not find many references to a Bristo screw type in searches, but evidently it did exist back in the day. They now go by the name Bristol.

Screws: Styles, Sizes and Shapes - Handy reference diagrams you can use...

Courtesy or Vaco Products Company, Chicago, Ill.

Metal screws are made in a wide variety of head styles, diameters, and lengths. Both stove bolts and machine screws are available in most head styles in numbered sizes from 0 to 16 and in fractional-inch sizes from 1/4" to 3/4".

Standard Types of Screw Driver Bits and Screw Openings - RF Cafe

Standard Types of Screw Driver Bits and Screw Openings

Standard Metal Screw Styles - RF Cafe

Standard Metal Screw Styles


Wood screws are available in a wide variety of diameters-from No. 2 to No. 8 and lengths of from 1/4" to 4".

Wood Screw Styles - RF Cafe

Wood Screw Styles


Set screws come in diameters from No.4 to 1", lengths from 1/8" to 3", Both headed and headless styles are available in the point types shown.

Set Screw Styles (Head and Headless) - RF Cafe

Set Screw Styles (Head and Headless)

Socket screws come in numbered sizes from 4 to 10, inch sizes from 14" to 1", and in almost any length.

Socket Screw Styles (Allen or Bristo Openings) - RF Cafe

Socket Screw Styles (Allen or Bristo Openings)


Self-tapping screws are produced in virtually any thread style and virtually any head style in a variety of lengths. Either slotted or Phillips type openings are available in sizes from No. 0 to No, 24.

Self Tapping Metal and Sheet Metal Screws - RF Cafe

Self Tapping Metal and Sheet Metal Screws  

 

 

Posted February 7, 2022
(updated from original post on 5/25/2014)