Lightening Bolts fasteners available in UK, in the USA too?

[toastie]

Lightning Bolt Hex/Flange Head M6 x 75mm Bag10

Forgefix Hex Flange Head Lightning Bolts provide a virtually stress-free fixing for close to edge applications. They are self-threading and allow quick and easy installation of most masonry fixing applications. They can simply be screwed into a pre-drilled hole, without the need for a sleeve or...

www.ciponline.co.uk

Living In the UK I first came across these useful fasteners in a local builders merchant, they are an alternative to the normal expanding bolts that often come with larger CCTV cameras. I'm sorry I haven't got a USA source but there might be an equivalent. Here they are called Forgefix Lightening Bolts, they are tough self-tapping bolts and I've been using them to make a fastening for a PTZ junction box mounting into brick. A pilot hole is required with a masonry drill, in my case most of the cutting today was with some normal 6mm masonry drills that I had, then a USA Milwaukee 0.6mm 150mm drill I'd specifically bought for the hole depth that I needed to make. The brick I was drilling into was incredibly tough, the 4 holes took me well over an hour, perhaps longer. About every 20seconds I'd cool the drill I was using in a wet cloth to prevent the drill getting too hot, up a ladder at 2nd story level wasn't pleasant.

Once the holes were made it was no sweat to use a 10mm socket and ratchet wrench to finally screw and fix the junction box onto the wall where my PTZ will go. I happen to have a torque wrench I've used for my cycles but it wasn't really necessary if you go carefully with the final tightening.

The big plus of these fasteners is that they are removable. I was disappointed when installing some wooden gates a few years ago, helping my son to increase his security after a theft, that I couldn't remove the expanding bolt fasteners I'd used when then I wanted reposition where the gate would go.

The web link I've included above is one I found just for this posting, the one below later. There are a number of UK search hits for these fasteners, I've no idea how worldwide they are available, but they certainly should be.

Fixings & Fasteners by the Experts for the Experts - Fixings & Fastenings | Forgefix

One of the UK’s leading distributors of fixings and fastenings with over 30 years of experience, we supply in excess of 2000 different product lines to builder’s merchants, plumbing merchants, DIY outlets, hardware stores

www.forgefix.co.uk

 

[TonyR]

There's a similar fastener line here in the U.S. that has been around for many, many years and is widely available, known as Tapcon. The distictive blue fastener is sold at big-box hardware/home improvement stores such as Home Depot.

 

[CCTVCam]

Yeah they've been around for years. Commonly called concrete bolts or coach screws over here.

BTW toastie, I can highly recommend the Spectre Screws, another of their products. Dirt cheap and almost as good as Spax. You can get the full range of FF products from your local Toolstation branch.

 

[user8963]

Ive read the first post...

but dont understand what is the use of the screws and why ??

you needed 1 hours to drill 4 holes ? hmm ???

 

[toastie]

Yes I know it was surprisingly tough brick, I've never know brick as tough as this to drill into. It didn't hep that I needed to drill in deeper than usual. If I'd had a heavier SDS electric drill with a much stronger hammer action it might have been like a knife through butter. That electric drill is currently with another family member, and anyway up a ladder I'd have at best to use a ladder stand-off and the SDS electric drill is far heavier than my normal mains electric drill. At ground level things are far easier than when being up a ladder. Anyway the job have now been completed and in the USA there are other manufacturers of masonry screws who IPCT members are recommending to others to the captive bolts that remain permanently in the masonry.

 

[user8963]

Ah ok.. you tried to drill a hole with an impact drill .... ok.. that makes sense.
i know many people here in europe who buys these machines and they have problems... mostly all newer buildings here are complete made out of reinforced concrete walls.. some cheaper houses are made from aerated concrete walls...
so without a rotary hammer its near impossible to drill a hole into a reinforced wall. your drill will be burned up...

i have a small 18v 2J hammer, which is enough for 6-8mm holes... is really lightweight. for bigger holes i have a ac hammer, but on a ladder its hard to use it with the cable
an impact drill is around 0,6-1J , this is not enough for most walls ... also you have to press it down hard... a rotary hammer will go through the wall itself

i dont think these screws work in reinforced concrete... in my opinion they are only for aereted conrete and maybe perforated bricks...
and if you use them in harder concrete , they will break. have fun to get it out
this is also a problem with harder wood.. screw it in works fine... but out... chance of break is really high

 

[TonyR]

FWIW, I've used larger expansion bolts in poured cement and in cement block and have used the blue Tapcon linked in post #2 in cement block, cement walls and the mortar seams in brick walls; in all cases the appropriately-sized hole for the anchor was drilled with an impact-rated masonry bit placed in a rotary hammer-drill.

On Hardie fiber cement siding (made from Portland cement, sand, water, and cellulose fibers) , I have also used the smaller Tapcons screws and on occasions, the plastic sleeve type anchor that expands when the supplied, standard-strength screw is driven in. Those plastic anchors are reserved for light duty, such as affixing cable clamps on the surface of a wall

I have yet to have the need to drill directly into fired, clay brick...only the mortar seams.

 

[user8963]

in all cases the appropriately-sized hole for the anchor was drilled

you have to drill a hole for the screws before ? hmm.. but where is the benefit ?

Here the 6mm x 50 "plastic" anchors are rated for 50-200kg each (depends on wall material) ... only problem is wind resulting in too much traction. but i think this will be more a problem for those tapcon screws because the wall material will get lose in the hole...

 

[TonyR]

you have to drill a hole for the screws before ? hmm.. but where is the benefit ?

Minimizes surface fracture, increases correct placement and decreases difficulty tightening down. Personally, I prefer that method...YMMV.

That's why there's so many different types of anchors out there...for so many different applications AND methods to dictate their design.

 

[Mike A.]

I have yet to have the need to drill directly into fired, clay brick...only the mortar seams.

Me too. Mortar joints are much easier and easier to repair if you need to.

I miss the old flat/cone-shaped spring steel anchors that you drilled a pilot for and then tapped in. Can't find them anymore. I liked those better than the Tapcons for mortar.