A knurled nut is a fastener with a textured surface that can be tightened and loosened by hand. It is often made from brass or steel and used on small bolts. Knurling is the process of adding diamond-shaped patterns to a metal bar, which is then machined into nut-sized pieces. The knurled pattern works well when wet or oily, making it useful for adjustable mechanisms on fishing reels and carburettors. Brass knurled nuts retain their sharp edges over time, while steel ones flatten and become slippery.
A knurled nut is a fastener that uses a knurled finish instead of hex sides. This design allows the knurled nut to be tightened and loosened by hand without the aid of a wrench. Often made from brass or steel, the knurled nut has been used on electrical components, musical instruments, and automobiles as well as a huge assortment of other items. Sometimes referred to as wing nuts, these fasteners are easily turned by gripping the textured knurled surface around their perimeter between your thumb and forefinger. Typically, a full length of the bar is knurled in a lathe before the knobs are cut and machined from the piece.
Knurling is the art of working small diamond-shaped patterns into the side of a round metal bar. The knurl consists of two or more steel rollers, with the knurling design worked into their surface. This tool is placed into the tool holder of a metal lathe and then pressed into the side of a rotating bar that has been clamped into the jaws of the lathe. As the tool moves along the stock side of the bar, the knurled pattern is stamped into the stock. Once the bar has been knurled, the business of machining nut-sized knurled pieces begins.
It is common practice to use a knurled nut on a threaded rod or small diameter bolt. This is due, in part, to the use of your hands to tighten and remove the nut. Larger bolts would require the strength of a wrench to be used to properly tighten or loosen a nut that would be the correct size to fit the larger fastener. By using the knurled fasteners on mostly smaller bolts, you can apply the correct torque needed to tighten the nut with your bare hands. For stubborn nuts, a pair of leather gloves is usually sufficient to free the knurled nut.
The unique pattern found in the knurling works well when wet or even when covered in oil. For this reason a knurled nut is often used on adjustable mechanisms on fishing reels and carburettors where water and petroleum products often come into contact with the components. When machining a brass knurled nut, the nut will commonly retain the sharp edges of the knurling even after many years of use. A thick steel knurled nut flattens over time and becomes very slippery.
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