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I have a couple of boards that are parts of a table I am assembling, and I wish to know the name of the metal piece of hardware circled in red, below. I would have thought it was called a bolt, but I cannot find anything like it under the name "bolts" at home depot.

enter image description here

EDIT:

Upon closer inspection, the hardware appears to be threaded inside for accepting a machine screw. This may help with identification, and I believe that one or two of the answers below may be already correct. I am reluctant to remove it from the hole because I do not want to risk stripping the wood in the hole.

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    A picture of the item while NOT embedded in the board might be helpful for disambiguation, but I'm pretty sure what I'm seeing, anyway. Useful to take one with you to make sure the replacements are the same.
    – Ecnerwal
    Commented Sep 13, 2019 at 0:18
  • Can you post a picture of the Fastener by itself? Hard to tell for sure what it is based on a picture of it installed.
    – Dan Spence
    Commented Sep 14, 2019 at 12:07
  • As I said, I'm reluctant to remove it from the wood because I do not want to risk stripping the hole. I'm now 90% sure it's called a threaded insert, as a couple of people have remarked below.
    – Mark
    Commented Sep 14, 2019 at 14:39
  • Why are you trying to do this online? You need to go find your local "most famous and ancient" hardware store, almost always a family-owned type operation that's been there for 120 years, that has miles of the little sliding drawers with almost every conceivable fastener. They will have it. They're NOT on the web, you have to soft-shoe in there on your own two feet. Bring the board.
    – Harper - Reinstate Monica
    Commented Sep 14, 2019 at 18:52

5 Answers 5

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While difficult to tell for sure I think it is an E-Z Lok threaded insert. It consists of a course threaded screw that is inserted into the wood. A pilot hole is drilled and the insert is screwed in with a Allen wrench until it is flush. The center of the insert is tapped for a machine screw. The advantage of this fastener is it can be disassembled numerous times with out stripping the wood.

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It's a countersink style bolt or screw that comes with the ubiquitous Swedish "assemble-it-yourself" furniture and now some knock-off Ikea copycat furniture. If you look in the fastener section of your Big Box hardware store it will be with other fasteners labeled "furniture fasteners"; often sold in little packages, sometimes in the "specialty fastener" drawers.

picture of an allen wrench and allen screws for wood

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  • Based on the depth of the apparent counterbore in the photo, above the slot, I'll wager this is the correct fastener.
    – fred_dot_u
    Commented Sep 13, 2019 at 9:16
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    The example pic shows really long versions, but short versions, of only about 1/2" to 3/4" can be found at many local hardware stores.
    – computercarguy
    Commented Sep 13, 2019 at 16:17
  • Not if there is a thread inside. Incidentally, the ones shown in this answer are often known as "Euro Screws" for no obvious reason.
    – MikeB
    Commented Apr 6, 2023 at 12:19
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Home Depot sells them as "threaded inserts" on their website and the folks who work at your local store should be able to point you in the right direction.

They're used to provide threads for a machine screw in wooden pieces so that they can be assembled/disassembled more easily. They tend to strip out in softwoods and particle boards quite easily if you're not rather gentle with them.

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You're looking for Tapping Inserts for Softwood. They are available in different sizes so you'll need to determine the screw size.

enter image description here

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    Can you add some more info to the post in case the link breaks?
    – ThreePhaseEel
    Commented Sep 13, 2019 at 23:18
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    The more general term, at least in the US, is "threaded insert"
    – keshlam
    Commented Feb 16, 2023 at 13:36
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The item looks like a grubscrew.

enter image description here

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    This is most definitely not what the OP is looking for. These are commonly used on metal parts in machines to prevent slipping by locking them in place, such as with pulleys or gears on a motor shaft, not on wood parts. They are also used to keep knobs on potentiometers. These screws are more commonly they are called "set screws". en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Set_screw
    – computercarguy
    Commented Sep 13, 2019 at 16:16
  • @computercarguy These would only be "set screws" if they had a sharp point. These have a hollow point, which is often used as a pivot point. The photo here is indeed four grub screws, though as you say, they are not what the OP is showing.
    – MikeB
    Commented Apr 6, 2023 at 12:22
  • @MikeB, from what I'm reading, grub screws and set screws are the same thing. Personally, I don't think I've ever heard them called grub screws, and I've been building things for around 40 years, starting as a kid and having multiple jobs doing machine maintenance. accu.co.uk/p/152-what-are-grub-screws-set-screws and housegrail.com/grub-screw-vs-set-screw Even the Wiki link I posted says they are the same. Maybe it's a cultural difference thing.
    – computercarguy
    Commented Apr 6, 2023 at 14:53
  • @computercarguy a set screw is not necessarily headless
    – jsotola
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 2:59
  • @jsotola, they normally are and even the Wiki link I posted says they aren't always headless. The pic you provided is still a set screw, rather than the threaded wood insert for fastening bolts into wood the OP is looking for.
    – computercarguy
    Commented Apr 7, 2023 at 14:57

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