Path: ...!eternal-september.org!feeder2.eternal-september.org!news.eternal-september.org!.POSTED!not-for-mail
From: AMuzi <am@yellowjersey.org>
Newsgroups: alt.home.repair,rec.autos.tech
Subject: Re: stainless steel bolts
Date: Thu, 7 Nov 2024 19:22:05 -0600
Organization: Yellow Jersey, Ltd.
Lines: 59
Message-ID: <vgjp3r$2st01$1@dont-email.me>
References: <0a446412adf840d0919764ec418895c5aa33204f@novabbs.org>
 <vggrq6$2aaft$1@dont-email.me> <vgjisa$2s1ks$1@dont-email.me>
 <vgjltn$2sjm8$1@dont-email.me>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit
Injection-Date: Fri, 08 Nov 2024 02:22:04 +0100 (CET)
Injection-Info: dont-email.me; posting-host="4e8848a7c8478889fb7735f29610c79c";
	logging-data="3044353"; mail-complaints-to="abuse@eternal-september.org";	posting-account="U2FsdGVkX1/oigvY43P7LmoytkUI+NGu"
User-Agent: Mozilla Thunderbird
Cancel-Lock: sha1:aMuTiMwoo86+/Z2bDXU4c/ChyFk=
Content-Language: en-US
In-Reply-To: <vgjltn$2sjm8$1@dont-email.me>
Bytes: 3113

On 11/7/2024 6:27 PM, Paul in Houston TX wrote:
> Colour Sergeant Bourne wrote:
>> On 11/6/24 5:49 PM, Paul in Houston TX wrote:
>>> Larry Wolff wrote:
>>>> How can I tell if these bolts are stainless steel or not?
>>>> https://i.postimg.cc/8cMgwY4Y/bolts.jpg
>>>>
>>>> All I know is they're heavy feeling - and magnetic.
>>>>
>>>> But how do I know if they're stainless short of 
>>>> purposefully rusting them
>>>> by dipping them in acid?
>>>
>>> If the pic is of the actual bolts...
>>> The bolts do not look like stainless - they look like low 
>>> quality steel bolts plated with zinc.  The manufacturing 
>>> looks poor.
>>> IMO, they are the 13 cent variety, not the $1.13 
>>> variety.  Same for the nuts. They are the 5 cent variety, 
>>> not the 55 cent variety.
>>> There is low quality stainless but I have never seen that 
>>> used in nuts and bolts.  Threaded pieces are normally 
>>> 18-8 or better and have better machining.
>>
>> Whar are the tip-offs in the picture that they ared ow 
>> quality?
> 
> It's difficult to say for sure with out viewing the head 
> markings or seeing better photos.  It could be the small 
> pixel count of the photo or the zinc plating, but... the 
> machining just does not look crisp / sharp.    There are 
> striations on the bolt head and nut that are not seen on 
> quality bolts and nuts.  The nut appears to be much thinner 
> than a good quality nut.
> 

You're right, it's difficult to say with certainty.
There are chemical and spark tests which I linked in a reply 
the other day which are much better than images.

Here are M5 ULS stainless we sell in a parts packet:
http://www.yellowjersey.org/cleat18d.jpg

Typical SNP steel ULS:
https://helmi-sport.de/en/p/uls-screws-m6x20

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51jJbwulu5L._SL1201_.jpg

depending on the camera and lighting they look pretty much 
similar.





-- 
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971