Lubricant for stainless steel bolt snaps?

[tmassey]

Spray the T-9 but it needs a full 3 days to dry and harden the film to make it last the longest.
So if you are just going on an annual vacation, use WD-40. If you are a weekly diver in harsh saltwater then pay the money and use Boeshield.

Boeshield FTW. I use it as the only lube on my half-dozen bikes too, from cable lube to chain lube. Won’t wash off, won’t attract dirt once it dries. Boeshield and PB Blaster are the yin and yang of penetrating lubricants.

 

[TrimixToo]

I'm just joining the "bolt snap crowd" and I'm wondering...
How many of you use the nice stainless ones and how many of you just use the ones you can find at the hardware store for short money. I understand that if they have steel springs that could rust then that would be a problem, but if you rinse, dry, and lube your gear maybe they would be OK.
Thoughts?

I use brass, 'cause I'm cheap. Steel ones would rust solid and break springs, I expect, even if rinsed unless you could get them really dry really fast. On most dive boats they'll be wet for a few hours on the way back to shore with salt water on every dive trip. That said, if treated with lanolin on a regular basis, they probably wouldn't rust. They'd feel a bit greasy, but as a bonus you would get softer hands.

I might go on a program of replacing my brass ones with SS as and if they ever start to break, but that hasn't happened yet. I've been using them about a decade now and none have failed.

One note: Since you're in the NE, if you plan to use them hereabouts you will want the large ones that you can easily open with bulky gloves on.

 

[Brilig]

Thanks for the advice @TrimixToo . I have been using some brass double enders from the hardware store. I think the springs may be steel but I forced some silicone lube down inside there and so far so good.

 

[flymolo]

Try running a pencil up and down the inside of the groove where the spring is. No trip to the hardware store needed

 

[TrimixToo]

Try running a pencil up and down the inside of the groove where the spring is. No trip to the hardware store needed

Hey, nice! A quick and dirty way to get graphite. (The clay will dissolve in water, I suspect.) Gotta remember that if my snaps ever stick on a boat, since the tube of graphite powder stays home.

 

[buddhasummer]

I've been using food grade silicone spray for years, works well, no issues. Dory the bottom spring end, then from the top opening, I then open and close them a few times.

 

[Scuba Cobra]

I use brass, 'cause I'm cheap. Steel ones would rust solid and break springs, I expect, even if rinsed unless you could get them really dry really fast.

I just replaced all my bolt snaps because this is EXACTLY what happened. It was kind of a bummer too because they were all purchased from a very well respected dive shop.

I have since moved on to 316SS stamped bolt snaps.

 

[TrimixToo]

A few months ago, a friend wrote to ask...

"Is there a difference between 316 and 18-8 stainless steel springs in bolt snaps? The 316 one is $6 and the 18-8 is $14. Is there that much of a quality difference in the different alloy? Thanks!"

My response:

I have to admit that at first I thought the 316 ones were more expensive and not less!

18-8 SS is identical to 304 SS, I believe.

316 is much more corrosion resistant, particularly to the chlorides in salt water. Which makes a longer-lasting spring is an entirely different question. I am not an engineer, but I found a site that talks about fatigue resistance. It says 316 is somewhat better than 304 here, which I would expect to mean that springs made from it would last longer. Here's that site:

Article: Fatigue properties and endurance limits of stainless steels

Most metals including SS are priced per pound. While 304 and 316 are not that far apart in cost, 304 is actually less expensive (316 runs about 25% more than 304). Here's a site that sells metals:

Buymetal.com - Online Metal Store

316 machines much more easily and has a lower melting point (for casting things like bolt snaps) than 304, so it's probably cheaper to make bolt snaps from 316. This might be why the ones made from 304 cost more, or it could just be their choice of supplier.

The net is that I'd probably go for 316, and even more so if it's cheaper than 304.

(That said, I'm a cheap so-and-so and I just use brass ones.)