The off-white nylon wing nut can be tightened and loosened by hand, without the use of tools. Nylon provides resistance to abrasion, corrosion, and many chemicals and solvents. The material is a strong yet lightweight plastic and is nonconductive. Nylon can either absorb or lose moisture, which may alter its dimensions and mechanical properties.

Nuts are internally threaded fasteners that are used with bolts and threaded rods and studs to connect components. Several different nut styles fit a variety of application and installation requirements. Some styles, such as hex nuts, acorn nuts, flange nuts, and coupling nuts, must be tightened with a tool. Others, such as eye nuts, thumb nuts, and wing nuts, can be tightened by hand. Nut styles such as locknuts and self-locking hex nuts have a locking mechanism that makes them suitable for applications with a high amount of vibration.