A knurled nut is a

nut Nut often refers to: * Nut (fruit), fruit composed of a hard shell and a seed * Nut (food), a dry and edible fruit or seed, including but not limited to true nuts * Nut (hardware), fastener used with a bolt Nut, NUT or Nuts may also refer to: A ...

with a

knurled Knurling is a manufacturing process, typically conducted on a lathe, whereby a pattern of straight, angled or crossed lines is rolled into the material. Knurling can also refer to material that has a knurled pattern. Etymology The terms ''knur ...

outside surface. This facilitates tightening by hand (thumb nut) or secures the nut into a handle or cover (

insertion nut Insertion may refer to: *Insertion (anatomy), the point of a tendon or ligament onto the skeleton or other part of the body *Insertion (genetics), the addition of DNA into a genetic sequence *Insertion, several meanings in medicine, see ICD-10-PCS ...

Uses

Knurled nuts are commonly used in any application where the fasteners will be removed regularly but not needed for structural support. They can commonly be found on electrical panel covers, precision measuring tools, squares, and service covers. The advantages of using a knurled fastener in this situation are: it improves the ease of removal, deters the possibly over-tightening/stripping, and does not require any tools to manipulate the fastener. However, there are knurled nuts available that have a slot cut into them for the use of a Phillips head screwdriver. This expands the versatility of the nut and provides the option to use tools. Nuts with the Phillips slot are common in applications where vibration is a concern.

References

* ''What Are Thumb Screws and Where Are They Used'', www.rabcomponents.com/blog/what-are-thumb-screws-and-where-are-they-used.html. * “Understanding Benefits and Applications of Knurled Thumb Screws.” ''Norwood'', norwoodscrewmachine.com/blog/understanding-benefits-applications-knurled-thumb-screws/. Nuts (hardware) Mechanical fasteners {{technology-stub