This image caught my eye earlier today:

Types of screw heads. They’re so abstract I’m not sure I would have recognized them without the labels and maybe the distinctive Phillips drive (though I probably would have called the Frearson a Phillips). Visual catalogs are always interesting, and the fasteners that hold buildings together are an often hidden (so usually overlooked) but still fascinating deatil of construction. Nails are cool, too (the invention of machine-made wire nails revolutionized construction), and even bolts are interesting. The chart above only shows the plan view of a screw, but the section and elevation are interesting, too. Who knew such a small detail had so much variation? Not me. Kinda makes me wish the local hardware store was open late…

PS: These charts remind me of the amazing drawings (somewhere between visual lists and idiosyncratic catalogs) of Gregory Lee Blackstock. I bet you can guess who showed me that book…

This entry was posted on Monday, January 5th, 2009 and is filed under architecture. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

 

 

2 Responses to “Fascinating Fasteners”

1. Anne
   January 6th, 2009 at 11:25 am

   I like MorTorq (c) … They’re sort of like the coffee lid tops, too.
2. Kirsten
   January 11th, 2009 at 12:51 pm

   They are, you’re right! I wonder if there’s some coffee-lid type project there…