Stainless fasteners 18/8 alloy

[eveningstar]

Hi all, is there any info out there on the quality of the 18/8 stainless fasteners? Jamestown sells them but they are from China. I'm a little worried to use them as they will be buried and not able to be changed out if they fail. I'm talking 3/8 x 5" carriage bolts to attach new deck beams to the shelf. Thanks, Pete

[Stiletto]

I understood that problems with stainless fasteners occured when immersed.

Hopefully your deckbeam/shelf area should stay dry.

[eveningstar]

My concern was raised because as I pulled the old screws out of the teak decking, I came upon a large area on the Port side where someone had refastened with stainless. The old original bronze screws ( 2 1/2 x #20 ) came out by the hundreds without breaking a single one, while the " newer " stainless screws sheared the heads off with hardly any effort at a ratio of about half. Lots of the ss screws that did come out whole have the appearance of cracked pot metal!

[Garret]

The old original bronze screws ( 2 1/2 x #20 ) came out by the hundreds without breaking a single one, while the " newer " stainless screws sheared the heads off with hardly any effort at a ratio of about half. Lots of the ss screws that did come out whole have the appearance of cracked pot metal!

Seriously not trying to be a wise-a$$ - but didn't you just answer your question? I do realize the cost of bronze (boy do I) - but do you want deck beams held with bolts that look like "cracked pot metal"?

One idea I used on new floors that saved 30-40% was instead of carriage bolts, I used threaded rod - with nuts & washers on both ends. Lets you cut them to exactly the right length too. Put a nut on, cut it off, round the end slightly with a grinder & take the nut off to clean up the threads.

[eveningstar]

Yeah, I feel foolish for already buying the bolts, but are all the bolts made in China? I will have to just try to send them back and order the bronze.
I used to have good luck using 316 ss bolts in the past but they seem harder to find. Just priced the threaded rod at Jamestown and it would still be over $ 10
per bolt going that route. I also used threaded rod for engine bed bolts once, worked great.

[Garret]

Yup - seems that most screws & bolts are made in China these days.

[reddog]

Yeah, I feel foolish for already buying the bolts, but are all the bolts made in China? I will have to just try to send them back and order the bronze.
I used to have good luck using 316 ss bolts in the past but they seem harder to find. Just priced the threaded rod at Jamestown and it would still be over $ 10
per bolt going that route. I also used threaded rod for engine bed bolts once, worked great.

If you didn't mind the extra work you could buy the bronze rod stock and do the cutting/threading yourself. I also recall an article somewhere of a home made die for cold forming the end of bronze rod stock into a Herreshoff design carriage bolt. Not sure how the forming would affect the formed head though.

Earl

[eveningstar]

Well, Jamestown took the 18/8 bolts back for full refund, good guys. I'll sleep better not putting Chinese crap bolts in my boat. I will use American made bronze and be happy!