Stainless Steel Threads

[timetraveller]

Do not rely on Copperslip type products. One of the things which I make are fibreglass astronomical domes, 4, 5 & 6.4 m diameter. There are several hundred stainless steel nuts and bolts in each one, the exact number depending upon the size. They vary in size from M10 to M6, all with nylock nuts and 'penny' washers. All domes have to be preassembled and then partially dismantled prior to delivery which means that some of the nut/bolt combination have to be dismantled. I have never asembled one dome without loosing 6 to 10 nut/bolts. Generally they bind on first assembly and the only way to remove them is to snap them with a sufficiently long spanner. I have tried normal grease, moly grease, copper slip type grease, silicon grease and just normal oil. None of it makes any difference. I always loose a few. The nuts and bolts are all sourced from the same source and are commercial grade stainless steel. The silver based lubricants are meant to work but are so expensive, at least to me, that I prefer to write off a few nuts and bolts and do the body building on snapping off the ones which bind. If there is now a reasonably priced source of 'silver gloop' I will be a happy man.

Cheers to all

 

[daveinnola]

timetraveler knows his nuts , i totaly sold on nyloc nuts , best thing sinse sliced bread the only problem with them is they are realy one use nuts , working on govt contracts we replace them if we ever take them off , but we use power tools which does tend to tear the insert up , they last much longer if you use hand tools that being said iv never had one back off on me in ten years of use thats why we use power tools to take them off they dont give up till the last couple of threads , ok so heres the quick fix for anti stick on bolts pepto bismol ok i know theres cheaper brands and you have to supply a brush but we have been using it in turbines for years and it works great under heat