COVID-19 Update

Portland Bolt Continues to Operate at Full Capacity

While much of the county has been under a stay-at-home order throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Portland Bolt, deemed an essential business, has continued to operate at full capacity. Oregon has one of the lower rates of COVID cases nationwide. We have implemented precautionary measures in our office and manufacturing facility to keep our employees safe, encouraged social distancing, and increased cleanliness procedures in our facility. As the entire country begins to reopen and construction projects proceed, we want to assure you that our facility is fully operational and ready to help you get your projects back on schedule.
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Timber Connectors

Shear plate and split ring timber connectors have played an integral role in heavy timber construction for nearly a century. Portland Bolt is the leading supplier of these specialty items along with the dapping tools and grooving tools required for proper installation. Plain and galvanized connectors and installation tools are in stock and available for immediate shipment.

Shear Plates

Shear plates are set in pre-cut daps in wood timbers, flush with the face of the wood. The shear plate spreads the load and reduces the number of bolts required. They are available plain finish and hot-dip galvanized in 2-5/8″ and 4″ diameters.

Note: corner of board is cut away below for demonstration purposes.

Split Rings

Split rings are used primarily in the assembly of clear spans ranging from 20′ to 250′ and are available in 2-1/2″ and 4″ diameters. They are placed in grooves in overlapping members and maximize the strength in the joints by distributing the stress over a greater area.

Installation Tools

Portland Bolt’s dapping tools (shear plates) and grooving tools (split rings) are unparalleled in performance. Recent improvements include a shipping/storage block that protects the precision cutting blades when not in use. The block doubles as a blade depth setting gage when blades have been removed for sharpening or replacement. Blades are now made of a higher strength tool steel which increases the number of daps/grooves that can be cut before sharpening or replacement. Tools are now zinc plated to protect against rust. Tool part numbers with Portland Bolt contact information and component part numbers are engraved on all cutting tools. With proper maintenance, these tools should last a lifetime.

Installation Videos

Microsites

Timber connectors are such a specialized and unique product, that Portland Bolt has designed websites dedicated specifically to these products. Visit www.shearplates.com and www.splitringconnectors.com for in-depth, technical information regarding these connectors and installation tools.

How to Order Tie Rod Assemblies

Tie rod assemblies are used in applications such as cross bracing, canopies, and seismic upgrades. Tie rods are an efficient way to add strength and support, or even a decorative architectural element to many projects while allowing for several inches of length adjustments and tensioning.

Due to the complex nature of the clevises, turnbuckles, and left hand / right hand threaded rods, they can be a challenge to order properly.  Our experienced sales representatives and this FAQ will walk you through the process of providing all of the necessary information required to properly order a tie rod assembly.

Learn more →

Try our Tie Rod Length Calculator →

Visit our Tie Rod Microsite: www.tierodassemblies.com →

Mukilteo Ferry Terminal

Mukilteo, Washington

In 2019, Portland Bolt would begin manufacturing and supplying a huge amount of custom fasteners for Phase 2 of the Washington Department of Transportation Mukilteo Ferry Terminal.
Since this was a federally funded project, it required 100% domestic product. Additionally, there were a variety of custom fasteners, all of which required hot-dip galvanizing due to the marine environment in which they would be installed. The fastener requirements for this project were ideally suited for Portland Bolt’s 140,000 square foot manufacturing facility and hot-dip galvanizing line.

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Meet Donnie Coulson

Donnie Coulson began his career at Portland Bolt in March of 2020. He was born and raised in The Dalles, Oregon. Donnie stayed in the great state of Oregon and attended Southern Oregon University, majoring in Business Management and minoring in Psychology.

Donnie competed in Cross Country and Track for five years while attending Southern Oregon University. Since returning back to northern Oregon, Donnie spends his free time running the array of beautiful trails and attending sporting events found in the city of Portland.

• Education: Southern Oregon University
• Bachelors in Business Management and Minor in Psychology
• Hometown: The Dalles, Oregon
• Movies/TV: Space Jam, Game of Thrones, The Office, The Big Lebowski
• Books: Game of Thrones series, The Slight Edge, Wooden,  The Magic of Thinking Big
• Teams: Portland Trail Blazers, UCLA Bruins, SOU Raiders, Seattle Mariners
• Food: Nachos, pizza, mom’s spaghetti, anything including chocolate