Best online sourse for SS marine grade fasteners - and bronze screws

[PamlicoTraveler]

Any recommendations for a good easy to navigate online source for screws, nuts bolts, bronze screws etc. It's tough to find specific things in a retail store in my opinion.

[Rhapsody-NS27]

Try searching for McMaster-Carr. They have a large selection of supplies.

[Sumner]

I've gotten hundreds of bolts, washers, nuts, etc. from Albany County Fasteners...

Albany County Fasteners - Stainless Steel, Silicon Bronze @ Brass Fasteners

...great pricing and good service. They usually get them out the same day and the shipping costs are very low as they use the 'flat rate' boxes.

Talk to Anna and tell her Sumner said to call. I have no affiliation with them, but it is nice knowing I'm helping a mom and pop business make it,

Sum

[twistedtree]

boltdepot.com

[PamlicoTraveler]

Good suggestions all.... I'm workin' on it as we speak....

[Sailorman Ed]

thanks Summer and Twistedtree - both are good sources and I especially like the reference material from Boltdepot. Now for a good comparison of 18-8 vs 304 vs 316, pros and cons of each??

[Dsanduril]

You could go to the granddaddy of them all for the hard to find stuff:

Home | Fastenal

For some explanation:

https://www.bosunsupplies.com/StainlessInfo2.cfm

or:

Differences Between 18-8, 304, and 316 Stainless Steel « Blog Archive « Ask the Expert

18-8 is a generic term that indicates 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Many of the 300 series stainless steels are 18-8.

304 is stronger and more wear resistant than 316, frequently used for fasteners.

316 contains molybdenum, making it more resistant to the chloride attack that can be the bane of stainless steel in a marine environment.

[Sumner]

Originally Posted by Dsanduril

.....304 is stronger and more wear resistant than 316, frequently used for fasteners......

I've used 304 for all of the fasteners on both boats. I think when I first started buying 304 might of been all that Albany County Fasteners carried at that point so I might not of know better.

I think I'll still stay with them. The Mac was used for 3 months on the water in Florida and will probably spend the rest of her life with us on fresh water lakes in the west with maybe a trip to the Sea of Cortez.

The Endeavour will be in the boatyard inland on stands for 6 to 9 months of the year and I have a lot of aluminum on her that will oxidize. If we had her in the water all of the time I might then consider 316.

It looks like the boltdepot is probably selling 304 and no 316, but I'd call and see. I guess from reading more, the above link and this one...

Differences Between 18-8, 304, and 316 Stainless Steel « Blog Archive « Ask the Expert

...that the 18-8 doesn't necessarily even mean that it is 304. There pricing looks to be better than where I bough, but I ran an order through to check shipping and the shipping was over double what I paid the last time with the flat rate box and I didn't include near as much to the order. I guess it might come down to a toss of the coin,

Sum

[billr]

Try McFeeleys, the mail order place in Wisconsin. For screws, they have a great catatalog and a fair amount of education. But they are not necessarily boat focused. And if you have never used square drive screws, well once you do you won't use anything else.

Billr

[S/V Pearl]

I've found a great selection and good pricing at Marsh Fasteners in FL. Stainless Steel Fasteners | Wide Variety, Great Prices, Fast Delivery | Marsh Fasteners . I needed some 14" s/s flat head machine screws for my winches and they were available and reasonably priced.

[PamlicoTraveler]

Originally Posted by Sumner

It looks like the boltdepot is probably selling 304 and no 316, but I'd call and see. I guess from reading more, the above link and this one...

A lot of places just say "stainless steel." In screws and bolts its never shown on the item itself which is a problem if you jumble them all together after you get them. Another good thread might be to discuss which is preferred - 304 or 316.

[S/V Alchemy]

Pacific Fasteners, Brafasco and Spanauer work for me.

[osirissail]

Jamestown Distributors used to be exclusively a dealer of fasteners (screws, bolts, etc.) in stainless steel and bronze, etc. But these days they also sell just about everything else for boats. But for fasteners, see:
http://www.jamestowndistributors.com...ry=1&page=GRID