Rusty Stainless Screws

[griervictoria]

My 2014 R31 is just coming up for 1 year old and I am delighted with it.
However, I notice a few rusty screws on the swimgrid which are now staining the fiberglass. These are around the fixtures attached to the swim platform. Most of the rusty marks I have removed with FSR but there remains the question of why this has happened in less than a year?
Do you think some of the stainless is a lower quality than rest? Are some of your screws imported rather than USA made?
Should I remove these and and could you send me US made ones?

 

[bails023]

Same thing is happening on my 2014 C-28

 

[knotflying]

Try separating the word stainless - Stain Less. It happens. Several products mentioned here on the site will remove the stains. Polishing and waxing on a regular basis helps.

 

[Stevan47]

Hi all: I agree - 'Stain Less', rather than 'stainless'. After all, it is still a corrosion-prone metal to some degree, just with a high proportion of chromium content. It does not readily stain, however in areas of low oxygen and high salinity it will do just that. I always try to use , at a minimum, 316 grade S/S fittings, which I find give the best resistance to staining and corrosion. It still requires treatment with a good quality preventative agent, such as FSR or similar. I have found that some of the allegedly '316 stainless steel fittings' sourced from places like China, Vietnam and India, for example, do not seem to be of the same quality as those manufactuted here in Australia and/or USA and UK. Food for thought. regards, Stevan

 

[nzfisher]

More often than not your stainless fittings are not oxidizing. Typically they picked up some iron from some other metal nearby or that they came in contact with. You will often see this in stainless sinks where someone left something ferrous on the surface. This can be cleaned fairly easily in my experience (unless something else is going) on with brasso, a chrome cleaner that has a high acid contact. It will typically take this surface "rust" right off. Use it sparingly and do not get it on parts of your boat or self that are prone to acid degradation and wipe it off after you are finished. Be very careful not to get it in your eyes.

 

[coreychamness]

I have something I just spray on the fittings on the swim platform and it seems to easily take it off in short order. There are many products that can remove it. Unfortunately stainless isn't rust free (darn'it)

 

[CAPTCRUNCH]

This was Andrew's explanation when I raised the issue about a year ago:
"The stains come from the bleeding if [sic] the stainless. It is pretty common and typically seen from our driver tips as we install the screws and stainless. It usually slows down and once protected, stops."

A number of "Googled" professional sources agree. See http://www.euro-inox.org/pdf/map/Passiv ... ing_EN.pdf at pp 10-11, for example.

 

[jmkalbert]

I would agree with Andrews explanation, except for one thing pointed out to me by the manager at Friday Harbor Marine as he was replacing all my bolts and washers and nuts last week. Each of the bolts had been cut off by some sort of saw, perhaps a sawsall. The bolts were too long evidently when installed at the factory and appear to have been cut off while sticking thru the nut. The resulting heat melted the nyloc material in the nut and every nut could be freely turned by fingertip. I also believe that heating a stainless bolt and nut and washer destroys some of the stainless anti corrosion properties. Every nut, bolt and washer sticking out of the bottom of the swim step and the bowsprit of my 2012 Cutwater 28 has had to be replaced for not only corrosion, but also due to the fact that the nuts are basically useless. Eventually they would have rotated right off and then the swim step railings could have fallen off or been totally unsafe. I intend to request a refund for parts and labor based on the cut off bolts and the useless nuts, under the warranty. This is a serious safety issue. John Kalbert JUST RIGHT.

 

[nzfisher]

I cut off all of those hanging threads under the swim step as well. I will have to check the nuts.

 

[LADYBUG TOO]

Ospho, a product containing phosphoric acid will remove any stains. Typically 304 SS will show more staining in salt water than 316 SS. We get our ospho from the local farmers co-op. Trust farmers to know, they have to do most everything themselves. Chewing gum and bailing wire ain't no joke!

Pat
Ladybug, Too