World record hex nut soon to be ready in Texas

Keith Dunlap , Digital Content Team, Graham Media Group

Keith Dunlap , Digital Content Team, Graham Media Group Anchor

World record hex nut soon to be ready in Texas

This is a construction project that is nuts. Literally.

Soon at a bolts and fasteners company in Humble, Texas, the world’s largest hex nut will be on display.

Named “Big Tex: The Incredible Hex,” the nut is being constructed by JK Welding Company and is expected to break the previous record of largest hex nut set by a company in Slovenia, according to Andrew Sosa, who does marketing and social media for JK Welding.

At JK Welding, we are on the verge of breaking the Guinness World Record for the largest hex nut with our spectacular creation, ' Big Tex: The Incredible Hex'.

The nut will be on display at Patriot Bolt and Fasteners in Humble.

Sosa said the size of the nut will be 16 feet from flat side to flat standing, and 18 feet from point to point.

“It consists of steel with the outer sides being built with 10-gauge steel and the threads created of 14-gauge,” Sosa said. “Just the threads alone, it took 30 sheets of 14-gauge. The weight of this is 4,400 lbs. The amount of steel is unknown at the moment.”

Sosa said the duration of the construction has taken roughly six weeks and could be finished by this Friday, depending on weather and other logistics. He added that when the bolt is fully installed at Patriot Bolt and Fasteners, the public will be welcome to see it.

Sosa said the idea came from Patriot Bolt and Fasteners CEO Kris Kolb after hearing about the large hex nuts constructed in Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Slovenia.

“Then came the thought of, ‘Everything is bigger in Texas, why not hold the record here in Texas?’” Sosa said.

Pretty soon, that “nutty” vision will turn into reality.

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

If you need help with the Public File, call 210-351-1241.