I am in process of getting the parts of a cast iron wood stove. I
have not seen it, but understand the bolts in it have been drilled
out and the holes cleaned up with a tap. I am planning on using Never
Seize on the bolts when i assemble it, but wonder if it would be good
to use stainless steel bolts. Any one have experience with stainless
bolts galling in cast iron? I would think that stainless bolts would
be less likely to lock in place due to rust, but wonder about using
dissimilar metals. Would stainless cause the cast iron to rust more
than plain steel?

I have a selection of stainless bolts from the local scrap yard. Some
are clearly marked 316 , others are not identified an to the alloy.


Dan

wrote:
I am in process of getting the parts of a cast iron wood stove. I
have not seen it, but understand the bolts in it have been drilled
out and the holes cleaned up with a tap. I am planning on using Never
Seize on the bolts when i assemble it, but wonder if it would be good
to use stainless steel bolts. Any one have experience with stainless
bolts galling in cast iron? I would think that stainless bolts would
be less likely to lock in place due to rust, but wonder about using
dissimilar metals. Would stainless cause the cast iron to rust more
than plain steel?

I have a selection of stainless bolts from the local scrap yard. Some
are clearly marked 316 , others are not identified an to the alloy.


Dan

Stainless studs and external nuts. Then it doesn't matter if the rust in
place.

--
Steve W.

On Apr 2, 10:43*pm, "Steve W." wrote:


Stainless studs and external nuts. Then it doesn't matter if the rust in
place.

--
Steve W.

Sounds like a plan.

Dan

Test your bolts with a magnet.
Are they all the same ? I have 316 and 19/9 IIRC - and they respond
differently. Not a perfect test, but might sort out stuff.

Martin

On 4/2/2012 9:43 PM, Steve W. wrote:
wrote:
I am in process of getting the parts of a cast iron wood stove. I
have not seen it, but understand the bolts in it have been drilled
out and the holes cleaned up with a tap. I am planning on using Never
Seize on the bolts when i assemble it, but wonder if it would be good
to use stainless steel bolts. Any one have experience with stainless
bolts galling in cast iron? I would think that stainless bolts would
be less likely to lock in place due to rust, but wonder about using
dissimilar metals. Would stainless cause the cast iron to rust more
than plain steel?

I have a selection of stainless bolts from the local scrap yard. Some
are clearly marked 316 , others are not identified an to the alloy.


Dan

Stainless studs and external nuts. Then it doesn't matter if the rust in
place.

"Steve W." wrote in message
...
wrote:
I am in process of getting the parts of a cast iron wood stove. ...
...I am planning on using Never
Seize on the bolts when i assemble it, but wonder if it would be
good
to use stainless steel bolts. Any one have experience with
stainless
bolts galling in cast iron?

When I last disassembled and re-gasketed my 1970's Taiwanese stove in
2008 the original bolts were still in good condition and unscrewed
easily, probably thanks to Never-Seize. I replaced a few with
stainless anyway; they turn easily and the exposed heads are still
shiny after brushing off the soot.

The #8-32 stainless screws that attach the flue pipe to the cast iron
outlet are still fine, they unscrew easily but the tapped holes
haven't loosened despite removal a few times a year since 1985.

jsw

So, the never sieze takes the high temps of a fire box? I would not have
guessed it would.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org
..

"Jim Wilkins" wrote in message
...

When I last disassembled and re-gasketed my 1970's Taiwanese stove in
2008 the original bolts were still in good condition and unscrewed
easily, probably thanks to Never-Seize. I replaced a few with
stainless anyway; they turn easily and the exposed heads are still
shiny after brushing off the soot.

The #8-32 stainless screws that attach the flue pipe to the cast iron
outlet are still fine, they unscrew easily but the tapped holes
haven't loosened despite removal a few times a year since 1985.

jsw

"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...
So, the never sieze takes the high temps of a fire box? I would not
have
guessed it would.

Christopher A. Young
Learn more about Jesus
www.lds.org

The center of the top gets hottest, at 550-600F. The vertical front
corner below it where I installed the remote-display thermocouple
rarely exceeds 200F. The thermocouple hole is in the outer wall of
the overlapping, gasketed corner joint. The actual temperature there
doesn't matter, it's just an indication to go downstairs and tend the
fire

I mounted a stem-type flue thermometer in the upper front, shielded
within the cut-down shell of a broken stainless steel meat
thermometer. Normally it reads 900 - 1100F and sometimes it hits
1400F. Most of the shell's tube has disintegrated.
http://www.condar.com/images/probe-dia-eng-large.png

It's in the only area with an oxidizing atmosphere from the heated
secondary air inlets. The rest of the stove has reducing conditions,
so much that paper and birchbark can survive unburnt in the back and
Ivory soap is enough to protect red-hot tool steel from scaling.

The internal bolts are all in areas where the soot remains black. It
burns to brown and grey in the hottest areas like the side baffles and
the inside of the door.

The original cast iron side baffles burned out. I replaced them about
10-15 years ago with mild steel on the cooler side, stainless on the
hotter. The primary air comes in at an angle and heats the hotter side
baffle to a dull red.

Just checked -- the stainless is smooth on the back, lightly pitted on
the front.

jsw