Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screws

Sometimes the problem isn't the space around the screw — it's the space above it. A slide passes over the mounting surface, a panel closes against it, a housing sits two millimeters proud of where a standard cap screw head would reach. The low head socket cap screw is built for exactly that height budget: the same cylindrical head and internal hex drive as a standard socket head cap screw, with the head height cut roughly in half. Robotics, automation equipment, inspection fixtures, packaging machinery, machine guarding, compact assemblies — anywhere the design stacks components tightly in the vertical direction, this is the screw that fits under the lid.

What makes it the practical answer — rather than just the short answer — is what it doesn't require. A flat head screw also gets out of the way, but it demands an 82° countersink machined into the part. A low head screw works in a plain clearance hole or a shallow counterbore, with a flat bearing surface under the head doing normal cap-screw duty. That makes it the natural retrofit: when a design change or a repair puts something new in the flight path of an existing screw head, a low head screw threads into the same tapped hole with no re-machining at all — same thread, half the altitude. Machine builders keep them on hand for precisely those mid-life design collisions.

The honest trade is stamped into the geometry: half the head height means a shallower hex socket taking a smaller key, so a low head screw accepts less installation torque and delivers less clamping capability than a standard socket head cap screw of the same diameter. It's a clearance solution, not a strength upgrade — select it where headroom governs, keep the full-height screw where preload governs, and never swap one for the other without checking which of those is actually in charge of the joint.

Cold Headers supplies alloy steel low head socket cap screws in a range of inch thread sizes and lengths, including uncommon and difficult-to-source configurations — low heads are a thin-stock item industry-wide, which is exactly why we carry them. Individual product pages list exact thread size, length, head diameter, head height, and hex socket size so the clearance check takes seconds. If the size you need isn't shown, there's a good chance we can quote or supply it.

Call 773-775-7900 or email Sales@coldheaders.com for pricing, availability, or a quote.

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6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw
List Price (per 100 pieces) $8.25
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6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw
List Price (per 100 pieces) $8.50
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6-32 x 3/8 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw
List Price (per 100 pieces) $8.75
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6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw
List Price (per 100 pieces) $9.00
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6-32 x 1/2 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw
List Price (per 100 pieces) $9.25
Description N/A

6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is built for shallow counterbores where the head-height budget is the controlling design detail. For 6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw, the published dimensions show the half-height low-head budget: 0.072 in. maximum head height on a 0.138 in. basic diameter.

Check 6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw against shallow counterbores and milled pockets; the head stays below nearby sliding or cover surfaces. 6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is listed as Alloy Steel, so final selection should follow the drawing, clearance envelope, and assembly requirements. Tooling note for 6-32 x 1/4 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw: this low-head socket is 1/16, while the full-height socket cap counterpart uses 7/64.

  • Thread Size: 6-32
  • Length: 1/4 in.
  • Basic Diameter: 0.138 in.
  • Head Diameter: 0.226 in. max / 0.221 in. min
  • Head Height: 0.072 in. max / 0.066 in. min
  • Hex Socket Size: 1/16

Call 773-775-7900 or email Sales@coldheaders.com for pricing, availability, or a quote.

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6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw gives machinery builders a reduced-height socket cap when a full-height head would stand too tall. 6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw uses the family half-height geometry, with 0.072 in. max head height tied to the 0.138 in. basic diameter.

Use 6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw in thin housings, guards, and machine covers when the fastener must give up stack height in a tight envelope. 6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is listed as Alloy Steel, so final selection should follow the drawing, clearance envelope, and assembly requirements. For 6-32 x 5/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw, route the review to Alloy Steel Socket Head Cap Screws when drive depth or preload capacity matters more than stack height.

  • Thread Size: 6-32
  • Length: 5/16 in.
  • Basic Diameter: 0.138 in.
  • Head Diameter: 0.226 in. max / 0.221 in. min
  • Head Height: 0.072 in. max / 0.066 in. min
  • Hex Socket Size: 1/16

For pricing, availability, or a quote, call 773-775-7900 or email Sales@coldheaders.com.

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6-32 x 3/8 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw supports compact assemblies that need a cylindrical socket head without the full socket-cap stack. The half-height story for 6-32 x 3/8 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is the low-head stack: 0.072 in. maximum head height against a 0.138 in. basic diameter.

Review 6-32 x 3/8 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw for retrofit plates and service assemblies where the joint geometry is already fixed by existing equipment. 6-32 x 3/8 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is listed as Alloy Steel, so final selection should follow the drawing, clearance envelope, and assembly requirements.

  • Thread Size: 6-32
  • Length: 3/8 in.
  • Basic Diameter: 0.138 in.
  • Head Diameter: 0.226 in. max / 0.221 in. min
  • Head Height: 0.072 in. max / 0.066 in. min
  • Hex Socket Size: 1/16

Contact 773-775-7900 or Sales@coldheaders.com for pricing, availability, or a quote.

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6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is selected when a fixed cover, guard, or pocket leaves only a narrow head-height envelope. On 6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw, the half-height low-head geometry uses 0.072 in. max head height with the 0.138 in. basic diameter.

Specify 6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw for low-profile fixturing and tooling plates if fixture clearance matters more than a taller head form. 6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is listed as Alloy Steel, so final selection should follow the drawing, clearance envelope, and assembly requirements. Tooling note for 6-32 x 7/16 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw: this low-head socket is 1/16, while the full-height socket cap counterpart uses 7/64.

  • Thread Size: 6-32
  • Length: 7/16 in.
  • Basic Diameter: 0.138 in.
  • Head Diameter: 0.226 in. max / 0.221 in. min
  • Head Height: 0.072 in. max / 0.066 in. min
  • Hex Socket Size: 1/16

To request pricing, availability, or a quote, call 773-775-7900 or email Sales@coldheaders.com.

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6-32 x 1/2 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw helps service teams match a low-profile socket cap callout without changing the thread or length. 6-32 x 1/2 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw preserves clearance by using the half-height low-head form shown by the 0.072 in. max head height and 0.138 in. basic diameter.

Consider 6-32 x 1/2 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw for shallow counterbores and milled pockets when the head stays below nearby sliding or cover surfaces. 6-32 x 1/2 Alloy Steel Low Head Socket Cap Screw is listed as Alloy Steel, so final selection should follow the drawing, clearance envelope, and assembly requirements.

  • Thread Size: 6-32
  • Length: 1/2 in.
  • Basic Diameter: 0.138 in.
  • Head Diameter: 0.226 in. max / 0.221 in. min
  • Head Height: 0.072 in. max / 0.066 in. min
  • Hex Socket Size: 1/16

For quote support on this low head size, call 773-775-7900 or email Sales@coldheaders.com.
Brands N/A Cold Headers, Inc.
Diameter N/A 6-32
Length N/A 1/4 in N/A 5/16 in N/A 3/8 in N/A 7/16 in N/A 1/2 in
Basic Diameter N/A 0.138 in
Maximum Head Diameter N/A 0.226 in
Minimum Head Diameter N/A 0.221 in
Maximum Head Height N/A 0.072 in
Minimum Head Height N/A 0.066 in
Hex Socket Size N/A 1/16 in
Minimum Key Engagement N/A
Material N/A Alloy Steel
Quantity N/A 100
Package Type N/A Box
Note N/A Less Than Package Quantity Specified Plus 25%.