Stainless Hardware Question

[GoBlue!]

I'll get around to writing a trip report soon, but my wife and I have just enjoyed our new (and 1st) bp/w setups over the last couple weeks. I quickly found that I needed to replace the carriage bolts with slightly longer ones to fasten the STA to the plate. So, I bought a 1" carriage bolt & lock washer, which served us very well for the rest of the trip with no loosening at all of the STA.

The problem, though, was I didn't even think that the hardware I quickly grabbed at Home Depot would hold up in salt water. One day of diving & the rust started to appear on my bolts & washers. The wing nuts that came with the STA must have been stainless, as they're still pristine.

So, does anyone have a favorite supplier of stainless carriage bolts, lock washers, etc.? I couldn't find them at my local Home Depot....

Thanks,
Jim

 

[ScubaTexas]

Try a marine supply store either near you or on line.

 

[smoritz0370]

Try some place like McMaster-Carr

http://www.mcmaster.com/

An excellent place for general hardware, stainless or otherwise.

I had another place to suggest, but it is in Canada only...

 

[simbrooks]

I managed to pick up a load of stainless stuff at Home Depot, you just have to find them amongst the coated steel and brass stuff. I also found them at Lowes for the same price, just HD was a little closer to the route i took for other shopping. I also popped in some other local hardware stores like ACE and independants around here, they all had stainless stuff, bolts, snaps, clips etc.

 

[Tiny Bubbles]

Lowe's has a lot more stainless bolts than Home Depot, at least around here. They have stainless carriage bolts, too, but none longer than 3" (had to go to We$t Marine for those). Sears Hardware also carries a lot of stainless fasteners.

-tiny-B.

 

[ClassAction]

Any particilar grade of stainless? What works best? Also, I'm looking for new bolts to hold my wing to my bp (OMS IQ). Should the head of the bolds be flat or round? Seems like a round head would work better against a tank (I don't use a STA). Thanks!

 

[jonnythan]

Home Depot doesn't carry stainless steel hardware.

Lowe's, on the other hand, does.

They're usually in the drawers directly above the cheapo galvanized or zinc ones, at the front of the aisle. A package of a couple of 5/16" carriage bolts usually runs about a buck or so.

 

[ScubaRon]

My local Home Depot, ACE and Menards all carry stainless steel nuts, bolts and washers, so I guess it varies. Less common items (e.g. grommets) I have ordered from Dive Rite through my LDS.

 

[ElectricZombie]

Go to Lowes. Make sure you get the 316 stainless hardware. It will be the most expensive, but it will last.

 

[ABQdiver]

I have found the ones I use at Lowes also. But a word of caution; bone head shoppers can mix up the plated clips with the stainless so be carefull of which you grab to take home. I had to look through the bin a bit to find ones that were in fact stainless and that worked the best.