5

Does anyone know what this type of screw is called in the UK?

Screw

I ask because I have some flat pack furniture that has been sitting in the attic for ages, and now I try to assemble it I find some of the screws are missing. Unless I can buy some more screws like the one pictured I'm going to have fun trying to assemble the furniture.

The screw has a 4mm hex socket in the end. I'd guess they're targetted at us amateur flat pack assemblers rather than the professional woodworkers. But as I don't know what this type of screw is called I don't even know where to start Googling.

Later:

Many thanks to everyone who answered. Several people suggested this is a custom made screw and I suspect they are correct. The paperwork with the furniture (a bed) is missing, but I think it is this bed made by Birlea.

With clues from all the answers I've found several similar screws - they all have sharp points but I don't think that matters as I suspect the tips have been removed just to stop amateurs like me impaling themselves. The closest seems to be these screws from Spax, though they are startlingly expensive! Searching for timber construction screws, lag screws and coach screws returns an array of likely looking hits.

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  • Great question. It definitely looks like a furniture connector bolt. I can give you two keywords to get started: "button head" and "hex socket" (or "Allen socket" or "hex socket"), but I was unable to find exactly this sort of connector bolt. If I were you, I'd take it to a screw specialist shop, they'll figure it out in no time -- I'm not sure if there's any where you live, I found one in my city (not UK). Or you can just contact the furniture manufacturer. – PeterK May 6 '15 at 18:41
  • Take it to your local IKEA store and ask to pick up a pack? They're probably the world's largest purchaser of the things. – FreeMan May 6 '15 at 19:04
  • The hex socket head is also known as an Allen head. – rob♦ May 6 '15 at 20:34
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To me it looks like a "Lag Screw" with the tip cut off.

Here are some that appear to be closer

enter image description here

And even closer

enter image description here enter link description here

I just searched for 'Flat Pack Bolts'

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  • In the US, at least, the pictured bolts are commonly called connector bolts. – rob♦ May 6 '15 at 19:00
  • The main difference between the ones in your photos and the OP's example is the thread pitch. Yours are clearly designed to be used with a cross nut. OP's look meant for threading into particle board or similar. – Caleb May 6 '15 at 19:24
  • @Caleb Yes I know. I originally had a picture of lag screws which the pitch seemed to match, but of course it had a point. I let the comment about that at the beginning. I couldn't find anything that looked just like it though. – bowlturner♦ May 6 '15 at 19:46
  • Thanks, Googling for "lag screws" gave me a good start and I've found several likely looking possibilities. – John Rennie May 7 '15 at 6:10
  • @JohnRennie glad I could help! – bowlturner♦ May 7 '15 at 12:50
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The coarse thread of the screw in your photo looks meant for use with particle board or soft woods, much like confirmat screws. Screws with a blunt point like the one in your photo are known as "type b self tapping" screws. You use them with predrilled holes, and the thread on the screw cuts threads into the material. But I don't think I've ever seen that type of point on a screw with a socket head -- your example looks like the offspring of a confirmat screw and a connector bolt, and I suspect it's custom hardware made for a large manufacturer like IKEA rather than a standard part. Your best bet would be to order additional screws from the manufacturer.

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  • 1
    Was about to leave an IKEA comment but you beat me too it. Even if the furniture did not come from there some of the larger stores have a section devoted to "that one missing piece". It's a wall of hardware where you are allowed to take that piece or two that you are missing / lost – Matt May 7 '15 at 1:23
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To me it looks like a type of joint connector screw or connector bolt. Sometimes the various types of screws for knock-down furniture are also called furniture screws or furniture bolts.

Sometimes when I don't know what something is called, I take it to the local hardware store and try to find something that looks the same. Often they don't have the right size but sometimes they have something similar enough that I know what term to use when trying to find them elsewhere.

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