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While there are more than one hundred different AISI (American Iron and Steel Institute) chemistry grades of stainless steel, the most commonly used in commercial fasteners (nuts, bolts, washers, fittings) are types 18-8 and 316. "18-8" is short-hand for 18% chromium and 8% nickel. This alloy content is found in types 302,303, and 304 stainless steel. While they offer a high degree of corrosion resistance, they are slightly magnetic. So don't be fooled just because your stainless washers stick to your magnet. Also, there is a small presence of iron in 18-8 fasteners, so they can corrode in severe conditions. 316 stainless generally offers better corrosion resistance and is even referred to as "marine grade stainless," but it is not resistant to warm sea water. Here at Hillco Fastener Warehouse, 99% of all stainless steel fasteners we sell are 18-8, which is sufficient for pretty much all street rod or other automotive projects, in terms of corrosion resistance.
Contrary to popular belief, and probably the most common misconception about fasteners held by our customers here at Hillco, stainless steel fasteners are not very strong. Now, please don't confuse strength with toughness. Anyone who's ever attempted to drill or cut a stainless bolt knows how tough they can be. But for purposes of this article, let's understand that strength refers to tensile strength. A type 18-8 or 316 stainless steel bolt typically has a tensile strength of around 80,000 psi, which is only slightly stronger than a Grade 2 bolt. If I had a nickel for every customer who came to me explaining that he wanted to use stainless steel bolts in place of his stock suspension bolts, I'd be a rich man. But, if I sold them to them, I'd be a poor man due to being sued for selling them weak bolts! There are other types of high strength stainless bolts that are now available for such applications, but they are usually a special order item, as they are too expensive to keep in stock. So, if you need something strong that will not rust, call us and we'll help you find exactly what you need.
Also important to know when using stainless steel fasteners is that they tend to gall, or cold weld. I also wish I had a nickel for every customer that came to Hillco claiming "You sold me the wrong nut. Look, it stuck to the bolt, and I had to break it to get it off!" I then point to the signs posted everywhere recommending the use of anti-seize to prevent galling. This is where I usually hear them say "Ohhhh. So that's what anti-seize is for." We recommend using nickel anti-seize (ND Industries Vibra-Tite part # ND90704, a 4-oz bottle for $9.50). Think of it as cheap insurance for your stainless steel nuts and bolts. You'll spend a lot of time breaking, grinding, and cutting off bolts if you don't use anti-seize.
Our good friend and business associate, John Lazenby of Royze, Inc., recently shared this with us. We thought it was very entertaining and hope you will too!
DRILL PRESS: A tall upright machine useful for suddenly snatching flat
metal bar stock out of your hands so that it smacks you in the chest and
flings your beer across the room, denting the freshly-painted project
which you had carefully set in the corner where nothing could get to it.
WIRE WHEEL: Cleans paint off bolts and then throws them somewhere under
the workbench with the speed of light. Also removes fingerprints and
hard-earned calluses from fingers in about the time it takes you to say,
'Oh sh -- '
ELECTRIC HAND DRILL: Normally used for spinning pop rivets in their
holes until you die of old age.
SKILL SAW: A portable cutting tool used to make studs too short.
PLIERS: Used to round off bolt heads. Sometimes used in the creation of
blood-blisters.
BELT SANDER: An electric sanding tool commonly used to convert minor
touch-up jobs into major refinishing jobs.
HACKSAW: One of a family of cutting tools built on the Ouija board
principle. It transforms human energy into a crooked, unpredictable
motion, and the more you attempt to influence its course, the more
dismal your future becomes.
VISE-GRIPS: Generally used after pliers to completely round off bolt
heads. If nothing else is available, they can also be used to transfer
intense welding heat to the palm of your hand.
OXYACETYLENE TORCH: Used almost entirely for lighting various flammable
objects in your shop on fire. Also handy for igniting the grease inside
the wheel hub out of which you want to remove a bearing race.
TABLE SAW: A large stationary power tool commonly used to launch wood
projectiles for testing wall integrity.
HYDRAULIC FLOOR JACK: Used for lowering an automobile to the ground
after you have installed your new brake shoes, trapping the jack handle
firmly under the bumper.
BAND SAW: A large stationary power saw primarily used by most shops to
cut good aluminum sheet into smaller pieces that more easily fit into
the trash can after you cut on the inside of the line instead of
the outside edge.
TWO-TON ENGINE HOIST: A tool for testing the maximum tensile strength
of everything you forgot to disconnect.
PHILLIPS SCREWDRIVER: Normally used to stab the vacuum seals under
lids or for opening old-style paper-and-tin oil cans and splashing oil
on your shirt; but can also be used, as the name implies, to strip out
Phillips screw heads.
STRAIGHT SCREWDRIVER: A tool for opening paint cans. Sometimes used
to convert common slotted screws into non-removable screws and
butchering your palms.
PRY BAR: A tool used to crumple the metal surrounding that clip or
bracket you needed to remove in order to replace a 50 cent part.
HOSE CUTTER: A tool used to make hoses too short.
HAMMER: Originally employed as a weapon of war, the hammer nowadays
is used as a kind of divining rod to locate the most expensive parts
adjacent the object we are trying to hit.
UTILITY KNIFE: Used to open and slice through the contents of cardboard
cartons delivered to your front door; works particularly well on
contents such as seats, vinyl records, liquids in plastic
bottles, collector magazines, refund checks, and rubber or plastic
parts. Especially useful for slicing work clothes, but only while in
use.
DAMM-IT TOOL: Any handy tool that you grab and throw across the garage
while yelling 'DAMM-IT' at the top of your lungs. It is also, most often,
the next tool that you will need.
"Who buys this stuff?" Hillco employees get that question everday. Odd for someone to be standing in our store, presumably to buy something, or with someone who is looking for some nuts or bolts from our product line, but I digress. While Hillco has enjoyed serving customers large and small in lots of industries, our "bread & butter" has been the auto repair or paint and body/restoration shops. My dad, and Hillco's founder, Jack Hill, has been dutifully calling on and supplying much needed fasteners to shops from San Diego to Los Angeles and the Inland Empire since the early 1970s. He's still at it today, and can't wait for tomorrow. Over the years, he developed a program, called Accu-Pak, which serves as a guarantee to never over-fill the hardware bins or assortments found in most shops. You've seen the gray cabinets (sometimes red, blue, or brown) filled with the various nuts, bolts, fittings, or connectors at your local repair garage. Well, unfortunately, some sales reps have taken advantage of a trusting shop owner by filling those drawers to the brim, regardless of the customer's usage. The guys in the shop just sign for it, the sales rep sends a bill to the A/P department and hopes the owner never even catches on. Most owners do catch on, however, as they watch their dollars just like you and I do. This has the negative effect of causing all shop owners to look down upon fastener salesmen, making cold-calling very tough, and, sometimes uncomfortable. So Hillco guarantees never to do that. This program has served us well over the years. We have a very consistent customer base. In some shops we are now dealing with the second generation, as some owner's children have taken over the family business. As Jack says, "We lose more customers to the cemetery than to the competition." So, if you need a saleman to come by and check your bins, please give Hillco a call. If you don't have any bins, or you need a fastener assortment, Hillco has a great selection of professional shop assortments. We are the most trusted and respected name in automotive fasteners in Southern California, since 1976.