Galling with stainless steel fasteners
Pluggy:
We define galling as micro friction welds between two fastners. In the worst case, those fastners will bond together.
Gryphon, where did you buy the fastners? Home store hardware may not be the same quality as we use in industry.
At the factory, we recognize the potential for stainless galling, but rarely have it. Quality fasteners, controlled assembly speed and torque are in the process. We typically don't reuse the "Nyloc" nuts. We typically don't use "assembly lube", either. All fastners are clean and new.
Home Depot stainless fastners, used, assembled quickly with power tools, have a potential for galling. But, that's the hardware available to most of us. When we use this stuff, we must take our time and assemble it carefully.
Gryphon Rider:
Quote from: Pluggy on September 07, 2025, 06:53:19 AM
Gryphon, where did you buy the fastners? Home store hardware may not be the same quality as we use in industry.
I got them at a local industrial supply store. They are marked A2, so they are 304 stainless. The other mark is THE, which I assume is the manufacturer. I fastened/tightened them by hand, no power tools.
Pluggy:
304 is the common alloy for stainless fasteners. Are you unusually muscular? Looking at the Fastenal chart, we can tighten M10 to 30 ft. lb. If the hardware is clean and new, that galling shouldn't have happened. Anti-seize compound can work, but under high vibration can cause fasteners to loosen, so we typically won't use it for military equipment.
Hope you have everything fixed up.
WintrSol:
Instead of NyLok, reserved for smaller than #10, and rarely used for flight hardware, we used the kind that I can't recall the term for, but with thin cuts across a tapered end, and the end set with a die to close the gaps. A bugger, but possible, to get back off, and never used twice.
Gryphon Rider:
Quote from: Pluggy on September 07, 2025, 02:20:02 PM
304 is the common alloy for stainless fasteners. Are you unusually muscular? Looking at the Fastenal chart, we can tighten M10 to 30 ft. lb. If the hardware is clean and new, that galling shouldn't have happened. Anti-seize compound can work, but under high vibration can cause fasteners to loosen, so we typically won't use it for military equipment.
Hope you have everything fixed up.
While I AM the go-to guy at my house to open jars, I didn’t over-tighten this bolt. Using moly paste seems to work fine, as I was able to test fit, remove, and reinstall without issues.
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