Stainless steel fasteners

[Barry Wolk]

I love stainless. However, it can deliver an expensive lesson. I learned the hard way.

When I built my trailer (for those of you with a lot of time to kill http://cardomain.com/ride/340096/5) I used a lot of stainless.

What I didn't know was how friction sensitive it is. Galling is the disruption of two frictions surfaces. That's what happens when you tighten stainless steel without a lubricant. It also provides false torque readings as the wrench is just sensing the friction that builds up in a galled bolt, not how tight it actually is. Without a lubricant you won't be able to loosen the bolt, either, as the friction causes microscopic burrs to seize the fastener.

Just about any lubricant would do. If you're anything like me, things need to be assembled and disassembled a couple of times before I get it right.:o

[Chuck Lutz]

Oh Boy.. I love stainless too. It's provided a livelyhood for me for over 30 years. In sheet form on commercial, public buildings and artwork in #4 satin and #8 polished finishes and even artsy swirls. It absolutely distroys tooling from drill bits to shear blades. The perfect metal. Well, except for screws, bolts and other fasteners that require strength.
Sheet, bar and rod is primarily 300 series. 300 series is non-magnetic.(great way to check it, btw) Some of the SS trim that is used on cars is actually a 400 series, magnetic and will tarnish like rust.
Fasteners are 18-8 and because of thier abilty to resist corrosives are used extensively. However, they are not strong at all. I don't have the tensile strengths on hand right now but below 36ksi which is a nomial standard for steel. I too,found this out the hard way thinking I was desigining in a superior fastener on my project before my structural engineer changed them back to steel bolts.

[Barry Wolk]

I just drilled 280 1/4" holes in the vertical elements of my deck railing to install a stainless wire rope system. I learned from Tom P, a member here, that the slower the better when it comes to stainless. I actually learned that the hard way after burning up a number of drill bits.

Luckily, the drill press I recently purchased, came in real handy as it has an automatic quill feed feature. After a bit of trial and error, each hole sent out a perfect spiral of stainless steel. It was wonderful, I tell ya. Just about the time I finished I got good at it. Isn't that way it always is?

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/House/IMG_3599.jpg

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/House/IMG_3591.jpg

[Chuck Lutz]

Barry...Great looking job! The coolant mist is essential. For the next project in SS look for some cobalt bits. They're not cheap but time is money. Would you like some formed 3/16" bent rods for the corners? I love the cable rail systems. So clean and elegant.

[Barry Wolk]

I'm going to do 3/8" tempered glass panels in the corners. I just got the industrial fitting to hang a pair of panels in each corner.

This my "forever" deck. All stainless, aluminum, plastic and wolmanized southern pine. My insurance company threatened to cancel my policy unless I finished the railing.

I collect out door art. A bit of stainless. Show me your stuff.

This is "Icarus Rising". He's made of Onida Stainless spoons, from the artist's sponsor. His name is Boban.

http://i244.photobucket.com/albums/gg18/barry2952/House/IMG_2539.jpg

[Chuck Lutz]

Barry - That's amazing! I love the form and how the texture seems to duplicate muscle forms of the human body. Do you know if it's 300 series stainless? The "forever" deck is a great concept. I wondered what the lower columns where. SS or Alum?
Also, if don't already know them, these folks are a great source for architectural hardware for glass and rails and just about any other thing you can dream up.
http://www.crlaurence.com/

[Barry Wolk]

The supports are schedule 80 stainless with a top and bottom flange. The end caps are pole base covers installed before the flanges were welded on.

I'm thinking that the railing is 316? It's used in the dairy industry. The fitting are Holleander stock rail fittings.

[Chuck Lutz]

Sched 80? LOL Oh boy.. that's serious.
Yes, #316 is corrrosive resistant. It's used in lots of food and process piping applications. We use it a lot for public transit facilities, wine production and drug manufacturers. The SF area is close to salt water (no Duh!) so it's the stainless dejour for lots of places. #304 can actually form an oxide that looks like rust if it's not passivated and sealed. I've seen SS rails on buildings that look like they ready to rust off the building. (citric acid will clean it up) Type 316and 316L are harder to locate in some of the many sizes you can get #304 and Ouch about 40% or more per lb above #304. I recognized the Holleander fittings. Looks great.

[Barry Wolk]

The sculpture is an interesting story. We visited Boban's showroom in Chicago and fell in love with his work. We wanted an outdoor piece as we've literally run out of room indoors.

http://www.boban.com/tekst/prva.htm

He delivered the piece and set it on a pedestal I built. Within weeks it was covered in rust. I sent a picture to the artist and he was aghast. He came to our home with a helper and wire-brushed off all the rust.

Two weeks later, it was back again so he opted to make us a new sculpture out of strictly Onida flatwear as some of the original work's pieces were salvage pieces from yard sales.

He kept very close to the original design with known stainless silverware, delivered the piece and it was covered in rust within 2 weeks.

Then I figured it out. He was using iron wire wheels and some of the iron was embedding itself in the stainless steel, exposing it to rain and rusting.

He came back one last time with brass and stainless wheels, took off the rust and salvaged the piece.

Here's another stainless piece we love. The artist made three wheels out of one sheet of 1/4" plate. He then calculated the locations of the axles to be placed at the very center of the plate's mass. Setting each piece at the furthest offset to the balance point makes the pieces rock back and fourth for over 45 minutes. Nearly perpetual motion. :)

http://static.collectorsquest.com/users/barry2952+618+items+8f9219cda01023d9e367db9298a04b cd.jpg?1214492532

[Chuck Lutz]

This is a common cause for "rusting" stainless. We can't even use grinding discs that came anywhere near ferrous metals. Even airborne particulate can get imbeded in SS at the shop if you don't keep them in separate areas.
I went to the artist website. Very nice. I looked for his location but didn't find it. Glad you mentioned Chicago. I own very little art but enjoy it from afar, especially metal pieces.
Before they developed "rustless steel" (stainless) in the 30's, if you wanted a "white" metal for architecture there was aluminum (but even then it was in its early development) or Nickel Silver (white bronze). One of the largest examples of this is the Waldorf Astoria in NY. Castings, railings, canopies etc. It, like bronze has to be maintained or it will oxidize.
Just got the photo. Very nice piece was well.

[Barry Wolk]

Hmmm..... I can see it. Try again.

My father is an art collector, so it's in my blood. However, he invested his retirement in art and has to still work at 83. I bought only what I liked and didn't care about resale value. That's the way to collect art. We have a house full.

Here's a link to our metal art.

http://www.collectorsquest.com/collection/618/metal-art.html

You'll probably like this one, too.

http://static.collectorsquest.com/users/barry2952+618+items+fdaf37e4cfd427255cbe5b913471c3 0c.jpg?1214495866

[Chuck Lutz]

It's nice to see that "changing light bulbs" doesn't overwhelm your days. :D

[Barry Wolk]

"Changing light bulbs" has been veddy, veddy good to me.:D

[SLK]

However, they are not strong at all. I don't have the tensile strengths on hand right now but below 36ksi which is a nomial standard for steel. I too,found this out the hard way thinking I was desigining in a superior fastener on my project before my structural engineer changed them back to steel bolts.

Does this mean I shouldn't have used Stainless carriage bolts on the bottom of the front shock where it connects to the A-arm?:confused:

Thanks.

Ben

[Barry Wolk]

No problem in that application as the shock absorber makes for little stress at that location.

[SLK]

OK, thanks.

The deck looks great by the way.

Ben