Zinc plated bolts

[EASLOOP]

First time here so hope it is comes out OK. I need to buy 50 coach bolts as I am renewing the rusted ones in the garboard strake of my East Anglian Sloop (mahogony on oak). The local chandler (a real one - real bits, not gin palace bits) will sell them to me at about £15 for 50. A mail order company (can't remember name at moment - but is known to boating types) can supply them at about £3 for 50. Is there a difference in quality that would explain this rather big price differential ? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Col]

Do you mean zinc plated, or do you mean galvanised? What size are they?

 

[Col]

By the way, welcome.

 

[DanTribe]

There is a big difference in cost and durability between "pukka" hot dipped galvanised, and cheap electro zinc plated bolts.If you can find a friendly local structural steel erection contractor that could be a source of galvanised bolts.

 

[Starspinner]

There are Hot dipped galvanised, Plated and passivated and Electroplated in decending quality. Try your Yellow pages fot Bolt and Nut suppliers and go in and see, they are usually very helpful

 

[EASLOOP]

Thanks for all the input. I guess I meant galvanised. The mail order place was Screfix. Their goodies are probably zinc plated rather than galvanised. I will check it out
John

 

[JohnR]

Not half an hour ago I was sorting through some Screwfix zinc plated set screws and the zinc was already failing and they are only 3 years old and still in their boxes in my dampish workshop.

 

[ccscott49]

You can obtain, stainless, galvanised or bronze coach bolts from Anglia Stainless steel, in suffolk. Screwfix ones are electro plated and no good for boat work. Classic marine, in Ipswich also have pukka galvanised ones. If you are through bolting oak, I would tend towards bronze, more expensive, but last for ever and no black leeching from the oak.

 

[Stemar]

I use a lot of screws for general woodworking, and these are described as "bright zinc plated". Further down the package, it says (in small print) "not suitable for use in a damp environment" From experience I can confirm this! All the plating does is keep them from rusting in B & Q!

The only type of plating I would use in a marine environment is hot-dip galvanising.