"Brian Elfert" writes:

McMaster-Carr sells three different grades of stainless steel fasteners.
I know 316 is expensive because it is most corrosion resistant.

What are the differences between 304 stainless and 18-8 stainless
fasteners? The 18-8 seem to be a lot cheaper.

What grade stainless fasteners does your average hardware store sell?

The operative words are "stain" and "less".

All "stainless" corrodes, it's just a matter of time.

All stainless requires the presence of oxygen to be effective.

I use strictly 316 for exterior marine applications since 304 and 18-8,
basically the same, will pit rather quickly in the salt air environment
found around a boat.

McMaster-Carr tends top be very pricey, but they usually have inventory.

If you are willing to purchase full boxes (100 pc) of a given size, try
Jamestown Distributors, they are my main supplier and they are 3,000 miles
away.

Don't know what you are doing, but have you thought of bronze?


HTH


--
Lew

S/A: Challenge, The Bullet Proof Boat, (Under Construction in the Southland)
Visit: http://home.earthlink.net/~lewhodgett for Pictures