So, what's the difference between a bolt and a screw? George always pipes up when he hears me ask this...

"Have ya ever been bolted?" o, George, ! can't say ! have. So what is the dif'? "olts hold the material and usually compress it. Screws are held by the material and are usually compressed by it. "olts have # use nuts or some sort of a compatible threaded interface. Screws are compression fit into or thru and held tight by a material like wood, metal, plastic or bone $perish the thought%. &hat's that. 'retty simple, eh?

"A bolt is a externally threaded fastener designed for insertion through holes in assembled parts, and is normally intended to be tightened or released by torquing a nut." "A screw is an externally threaded fastener capable of being inserted into holes in assembled parts, of mating with a preformed internal thread or forming its own thread and of being tightened and released by torquing the head."

Oh man! I can't belie e all these replies ne er answered the mans question. In layman's terms anyway. !e all "now screws ha e the point. O". #olts usually ha e threads that will accept a nut of the same si$e. %his we also "now. &owe er, most "bolts do ha e a shan" that is threadless. 'ormally if a bolt has full threads then it can be referred to as a "machine screw". (nless of course the head is round and somewhat flat then you can call that a carriage bolt. #olts usually ha e a hex head on them with identifying mar"s that I.). their grade. *achine screws do not. *achine screws usually come with the type of head that an ordinary screw does, pan, o al, or flat which all three types can accommodate a slot, +hillips ,goofy american design- .confused. , robertson superior /anadian design- .cool. , hex, torx, and security.