How To Measure Hardware
A Complete Guide for Beginners
Now you can put Dress Up Bolts on everything!
Bolt Gauge Video Tutorial
Watch our step-by-step guide that goes over how to measure bolts, nuts, and washers using our bolt gauge.
Watch VideoHow To Measure Bolts
There are three parts to a bolt that you have to measure: Thread Diameter, Thread Pitch, and Thread Length.
Thread Diameter
The thread diameter is the width of the bolts threaded section. For metric hardware sizes you would see something like M6 which means the diameter is 6mm wide.
In the image you can see how we find the diameter using our bolt gauge.
Pictured: M6 thread diameter
Thread Pitch
Thread pitch is the distance between each individual thread on the bolt. If you are using our bolt gauge you can measure this by flipping the bolt gauge over and place the bolt threads into the grooves to find which thread pitch the bolt locks into.
Pictured: 1.00 thread pitch
Thread Length
The final measurement you need is the bolts length. Using our bolt gauge you will place the bolt on top along the ruler to see how far the end of the bolt reaches.
When measuring the length of a bolt the majority of the time you are just going to be measuring the length from underneath the head of the bolt. However, when you are measuring the length of a countersunk bolt you will need to measure the entire length of the bolt, from the top of the head to the bottom of the thread. Watch our How To Measure Hardware video for more details on how to measure the length of a countersunk bolt.
Pictured: 25mm length
What About Nuts & Washers?
If you already measured the bolt or stud you are pairing with a nut or washer then you already know the size you need.
A nut is going to have the same thread diameter and pitch as the bolt you just measured. Nut measurements will look like this M6 x 1.00 when you are shopping for them on our store.
You only need the thread diameter to find the correct washer size to fit your bolt. If you have a M6 x 1.00 x 15mm bolt then you need a M6 washer.
Bolt Head Types
We offer a variety of bolt head types in our inventory to ensure a secure and precise fit for your application. You can choose between button heads, socket caps, countersunk, and our signature motor head design.