Fasteners & repair supplies

Tools get the attention. The fasteners, adhesives, and tapes that hold your tools, structures, and gear together are an afterthought — until you need them. A broken axe handle, a leaking water pipe, a torn tarp, a frayed strap: none of these require specialty skills to fix if you have the right supplies on hand. This page covers the consumable repair materials that belong in every prepared household.

For the skills side of rope and cordage work, see Cordage.

Adhesives

The right adhesive is determined by the materials being joined and the load it needs to bear. Stocking one of each category covers nearly any repair scenario.

Epoxy (two-part) Two-part epoxies (resin + hardener) create structural bonds on metal, wood, ceramic, glass, and most plastics. Cure time ranges from 5 minutes (quick-set) to 24 hours (full-strength). A 5-minute epoxy is useful for field repairs; a slow-cure marine epoxy (like West System) is stronger and better for structural applications. Stock both if budget allows — or prioritize the slow-cure if you can only have one.

5-minute epoxy: inexpensive tier, adequate for most household repairs
Slow-cure marine epoxy: affordable tier, better for structural joins

Cyanoacrylate (super glue) Fast-setting bonds on small surface areas. Excellent for ceramics, wood, metal, and rigid plastics. Weak in shear and on flexible materials. Shelf life is 12–18 months opened, 2–3 years unopened in a cool, dry location.

Stock gel formula (doesn't run) and thin formula (wicks into tight joints). Cost: inexpensive tier.

JB Weld A two-part steel-reinforced epoxy that cures to a hardness comparable to steel (3,960 psi tensile strength). The benchmark repair compound for metal: cracked engine housings, stripped threads, broken cast iron, leaking radiators. Full cure takes 15–24 hours; the WeldWeld variant cures in 4 hours. One tube set handles most repairs. Mid-range tier.

Construction adhesive (PL Premium, Liquid Nails) Cartridge-format adhesive for bonding large surfaces: subfloor, paneling, framing, foam board. Requires a caulk gun (keep one in your repair kit). Gap-filling and weather-resistant. A single cartridge covers roughly 100 linear feet of bead. Inexpensive tier.

Contact cement The right choice for flexible materials — foam, rubber, leather, vinyl, fabric, laminates. Both surfaces are coated, allowed to tack-dry, then pressed together for an instant bond. Essential for boot sole repairs and upholstery. Inexpensive tier.

Field note

Cyanoacrylate super glue bonds skin instantly — keep a small bottle of acetone (nail polish remover) with it. A drop dissolves the bond without damage.

Tapes

Duct tape The baseline. 10 mil (0.25 mm) thickness is the minimum — thinner tape delaminates quickly under load. Gorilla Tape (17 mil, 105 mph wind rating per manufacturer) outperforms standard duct tape significantly on rough surfaces and in cold weather. Keep at least two rolls: one standard, one premium. Cost: inexpensive to affordable tier.

Electrical tape Self-fusing silicone tape (not vinyl electrical tape) is far more durable for wire splices, pipe wrapping, and waterproofing. Vinyl tape is adequate for indoor low-voltage repairs. For outdoor or high-heat applications, silicone tape is worth the price premium. Inexpensive tier.

Teflon tape (plumber's tape / PTFE tape) White PTFE thread-seal tape is the difference between a leaking pipe fitting and a sealed one. Wrap 3–5 times clockwise (viewed from the thread end) before joining. A single roll repairs dozens of connections and costs almost nothing.

Yellow gas-rated tape is also worth having if you work on propane connections. Stock 3–5 rolls.

Aluminum foil tape HVAC-rated aluminum tape (not the craft-store version) seals ductwork, reflects heat, and patches holes in metal. Rated for high temperatures where duct tape fails. Inexpensive tier.

Gorilla tape / heavy fabric tape For large-area repairs on tarps, tents, and fabric. Far better bonding than standard duct tape on rough or dusty surfaces. Stock one large roll.

Fasteners

A small assortment of the right fasteners handles the majority of structural repairs.

Screws Wood screws (coarse thread) and sheet metal screws (sharp point) cover most applications. Stainless or zinc-plated for outdoor use. An assortment kit with #6 and #8 sizes, 1 inch (25 mm) through 3 inches (76 mm), is more practical than buying individual boxes. Cost: inexpensive tier for a 200–400 piece assortment. For the joinery techniques that put these screws to work, see carpentry.

Nails Framing nails — 16d, 3.5 inch (89 mm) — and common wire nails — 8d, 2.5 inch (63 mm) — for structural repairs. Box nails for siding and trim. Roofing nails — 1.75 inch (44 mm), galvanized — for emergency roof patches. Stock a small assortment rather than large quantities of any one type.

Zip ties (cable ties) One of the most versatile fasteners in a repair kit. UV-stabilized black ties last longer outdoors than standard white ones. Stock: - 4 inch (100 mm) — small wire management, bundling - 8 inch (200 mm) — general purpose, the most useful size - 12 inch (305 mm) — larger structural ties A mixed bag of 100–200 ties weighs under 1 lb (0.5 kg) and costs inexpensive tier.

Hose clamps (worm-drive clamps) Stainless steel worm-drive clamps seal leaking hoses, improvised repairs on pipes, and strap-based lashings. Stock an assortment from 1/2 inch (12 mm) to 4 inches (100 mm) in diameter — roughly 10–15 mixed sizes. Cost: inexpensive tier.

Wire Galvanized bailing wire — 14-gauge, 0.083 inch (2.1 mm) — is the benchmark repair wire for farm and rural applications — fence repair, binding, improvised clamps. A 100-foot (30 m) roll handles dozens of repairs. Soft annealed steel wire (16-gauge) is easier to work with for general lashing. Cost: inexpensive tier.

Cotter pins and clevis pins Critical for reattaching mechanical connections — trailer hitches, equipment linkages, gate hinges, chain attachments. A small assortment pack — 1/8 inch (3.2 mm) through 1/4 inch (6.4 mm) — handles most common sizes. Often the single missing piece that makes a piece of equipment unusable.

Cordage as Supply

Cordage is covered as a skill in Cordage. From a supply standpoint, the question is what to stock and how much.

Paracord (Type III, 550 cord) The baseline utility cordage. MIL-C-5040H Type III specification: minimum 550 lb (250 kg) break strength, 7 inner strands, nylon sheath. The inner strands are individually useful for fishing line, sewing thread, and snare cordage. Stock 100 feet (30 m) minimum; 500 feet (150 m) for a household with active outdoor use.

Cost: inexpensive tier. Note: many "550 paracord" products on the market are decorative and do not meet the specification — check for actual break-strength ratings.

Type IV paracord (750 cord) Thicker than Type III at 11/64 inch (4.4 mm) diameter, rated to 750 lb (340 kg). Better for load-bearing applications — ridgelines, lashing, hauling. Worth having a separate 100-foot (30 m) skein alongside standard 550 cord.

Bankline (tarred twine)

36 tarred nylon twine is one of the most practical cordages for extended outdoor use. The tar treatment makes it weather-resistant and prevents fraying without whipping. Works for: hanging food bags, small lashings, fishing net repair, staking, and camp setups where paracord is overkill. A spool of 425 feet (130 m) is extremely compact and lightweight, and costs inexpensive tier. Preferred by primitive campers and hunters over paracord for most small-task applications.

Rope (3/8 inch or 10 mm, static or utility) A 50-foot (15 m) length of 3/8 inch (10 mm) nylon or polyester utility rope handles tasks too heavy for paracord: equipment rigging, clothesline, securing loads, lifting. Static kernmantle (no stretch) is best for hauling and anchoring. Inexpensive tier.

Fastener selection decision guide

Choosing the wrong fastener is how structural repairs fail six months later. The load type, the material being joined, and the exposure environment each narrow the options.

Fastener type by load and application

Situation	Fastener to use	Why
Joining two pieces of wood, light to moderate load	Wood screw (coarse thread)	Threads cut into wood fibers for grip; self-countersinking head
Attaching hardware to wood with high shear load (shelf bracket, gate hinge)	Lag bolt	Large diameter and coarse thread resist the lateral pull that strips smaller screws
Connecting two pieces of wood through-bolted (deck ledger, structural framing)	Carriage bolt	Smooth domed head on one side, nut on the other; head pulls flush and resists rotation as nut tightens
Through-bolting with load from both sides, or metal-to-metal	Through-bolt (hex bolt + nut + washers)	Full shank contact through both materials; washers distribute bearing load and prevent pull-through
Fastening into concrete, block, or masonry	Concrete anchor (Tapcon or wedge anchor)	Standard screws and bolts cannot grip concrete; hardened anchors cut threads into cured concrete

Thread type matters for the material:

Coarse thread (fewer, deeper threads per inch): wood screws, lag bolts. The larger thread pitch bites into soft material without stripping. Use coarse threads any time you're going into wood, plastic, or soft metal.
Fine thread (more threads per inch, shallower pitch): machine screws, bolts threading into metal. Fine threads develop more clamping force in rigid materials and resist backing out under vibration. Use fine threads for metal-to-metal connections.
Mixing up thread types in metal causes thread stripping on the first tight turn.

Corrosion resistance for outdoor use

Fastener finish determines how long it survives exposure to weather, pressure-treated lumber, and salt air. Not all silver-colored fasteners are created equal.

Finish	Outdoor exposure	Pressure-treated lumber	Salt / coastal
Zinc-plated (bright zinc)	1–2 seasons	Not recommended — PT chemicals corrode zinc plating rapidly	Not suitable
Hot-dipped galvanized (HDG)	10–20 years	Acceptable for most applications	Marginal; use stainless in true salt-air environments
Stainless steel (304 grade)	20+ years	Excellent	Good for most coastal
Stainless steel (316 grade)	20+ years	Excellent	Best choice for marine or continuous salt exposure

The pressure-treated lumber rule: modern ACQ (alkaline copper quaternate) and CA (copper azole) treated lumber is significantly more corrosive to fasteners than older CCA lumber. Zinc-plated screws in PT lumber will fail in 1 to 3 years in wet conditions. Decks, fences, and any outdoor structure built with PT lumber require HDG or stainless fasteners — this is not a budget choice, it is a structural safety issue.

Practical minimum for outdoor projects: hot-dipped galvanized for anything structural; stainless for any application near salt water or where appearance matters (visible hardware on furniture or gates). Stainless costs approximately 2–3× more than HDG for equivalent sizes — worth it in any coastal or high-humidity environment. For structural context on how these choices apply across a full build, see owner-built homes.

Starter repair kit checklist

The following quantities cover a 2-person household for 1–2 years of normal-use repairs:

Field note

Store adhesives at room temperature — heat and cold dramatically shorten shelf life. A simple ziplock bag in a cool cabinet keeps a tube of super glue usable for 2–3 years. Replace your epoxy syringes when the tips start to leak; the remaining resin is usually still good for 12–18 months if sealed.