fasteners

[tburris]

what is a good all round fastener that is not to expensive nor to cheap? Also that has a wide selection for all application of boat building? Please dont mis-understand me If the most expensive is what I should use then so be it. I just wanted to know if there was a product out there that didn't cost an arm and a leg and that would be very adequate in building a boat.

Thanks
Ted :confused:

[paladin]

boat nails

[RonW]

http://store.tremontnail.com/cgi-bin/tremontnail/items?mv_arg=32

[tburris]

Oops !!! my bad :D what I meant is more like wood screws and bolts :cool: sorry :eek:

[ssor]

Nails, either metalic or wood, have been around for more centuries than my years. Bronze screws for a bit less. Fiber rope, pitch and tallow served for quite a while and still do in some places. There are many methods for keeping the many pieces of a boat from going adrift, But nails, screws and bolts are generally the comtemporary limits of the means of fastening one piece of wood to another.

[ 09-16-2005, 09:56 PM: Message edited by: ssor ]

[Ralphw]

I buy from here and shipping is normally very quick.
I buy the bronze stuff...mostly because its what came out of the boat I'm restoring

http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/Fasteners (http://www.jamestowndistributors.com/to;ID;,Fasteners)

[ 09-16-2005, 09:49 PM: Message edited by: Ralphw ]

[Thorne]

Good quality stainless screws are often used, even though they will eventually rust - unlike good bronze fasteners.

[Bruce Hooke]

For wooden boats bronze pretty much seems to be the standard at least as far as screws and bolts go. Yeah, they ain't cheap, but they work really well, and all things considered they aren't THAT expensive if you get them in bulk from places like Jamestown Distributors.

For riviting, copper is the way to go in most situaitons and for frame to plank fasteners rivits are a wonderful way to do things.

Stainless has problems with something called crevise corrosion so it usually is not recommended for boat work, especially below the waterline or in other wet areas. If you are considering stainless make sure you know what alloy to get because only certain alloys of stainless should even be considered for boat work.

Brass should only be used for decorative stuff because if it gets wet regularly it looses its zinc and with it most of its strength.

For workboats GOOD hot-dipped galvanized fasteners are a reasonable way to go, but they can weep rust and will not last as long as bronze.

Those are pretty much your options unless you want to get into the really exotic stuff like monel ($$$) or wierd stuff like plastic nails used for laminating.

[marsbar]

Specifically, what about using SS carrage bolts for fastening frames to engine stringers, frames to floors, frames to knees together? They are much less $ than silicone bronze. If you consider the quantity needed for an entire restoration, this can really add up. However, I definately don't want to regret this decision years down the road if they were to fail.

[Bruce Hooke]

Those interested in using stainless steel would do well to read this thread (http://www.woodenboat-ubb.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=011980). The issues around using stainless steel on a wooden boat were hashed out in considerable detail there...