Stainlesssteel
- Thread starter Wansworth
- Start date
Keith 66
Well-Known Member
It is a fascinating subject. Over many years in the boat trade I saw the practical effects many times, often failure was down to wrong grade stainless being used or unknown or mixed grades in the first place, then welding with wrong grade rods.
If you look round any boatyard or club you will see a lot of stainless work of varying ages, If you look at stuff on older boats like Snapdragons, Sabres etc you will often find Stainless steel fabrications still perfect after 50 years, yet modern made bits showing surface rust to varying degrees.
I remember looking through a Stainless fabricators scrap bin some years ago, Every bit in there was ordinary 304 grade & much marked as such. This is just cost cutting. Its cheaper. likewise rigging wire that goes rusty, someone cut corners & used a cheaper grade.
If you look round any boatyard or club you will see a lot of stainless work of varying ages, If you look at stuff on older boats like Snapdragons, Sabres etc you will often find Stainless steel fabrications still perfect after 50 years, yet modern made bits showing surface rust to varying degrees.
I remember looking through a Stainless fabricators scrap bin some years ago, Every bit in there was ordinary 304 grade & much marked as such. This is just cost cutting. Its cheaper. likewise rigging wire that goes rusty, someone cut corners & used a cheaper grade.
davidej
Well-Known Member
I’m no expert but isn’t crevice corrosion something that we are warned to look out for. Particularly in oxygen starved environments such as keel bolts.
davidej
Well-Known Member
I’m sure Viv Cox can add a more expert view.
boomerangben
Well-Known Member
Thank you for sharing. I’ve developed a much better understanding of stainless steels 
