I got my replacement bolts ordered yesterday. 316 stainless steel ones to replace all the badly rusted ones on the top clips which go on the top of the uprights.There are many different grades of stainless steel. The two commonly used grades are 304 (18-8) and 316, with 316 being more corrosion resistant than 304. I always thought the SS bolts I used on my hot rods were stronger than the plain old steel ones I took out. And they look cool. Not so. Since SS can't be hardened by heat treatment they are not up to grade 8 strength! (most SS bolts. There specialty SS bolts made)
I learned some things about stainless bolts or just stainless in general. Just using a regular steel wrench or screwdriver will leave a very small amount of steel behind which can cause the SS fastener to rust. Screw driver or driver tips should be Chrome Vanadium steel. Allen keys should be Hardened-Chrome plated. Cutting Wheels should be made from Aluminium Oxide, be ‘iron’ or ‘carbon – steel’ free, or be labelled “For Stainless Steel”.
"Stainless steel works because it has another element, chromium, added to the steel during its manufacture. The chromium forms a layer of chromium oxide to the outside of the fastener as protection to the steel against corrosion. The layer forms on any exposed metal, and is impervious to water and air, protecting the metal underneath." "There is a catch – to form the protective chromium oxide, the fastener must be exposed to oxygen. No oxygen, no chromium oxide layer, and NO corrosion resistance. So, stainless steel only is “stainless” when the part is exposed to oxygen. There is adequate oxygen present in both air and water." I NEEDS to be exposed to rainwater!" When contaminants settle on stainless steel, depending on the grade and the surface finish, these can damage this protective layer, allowing oxygen to react with the iron in the stainless steel causing it to rust. If the stainless steel is exposed to rainwater, then this should wash these contaminants away, restoring the stainless steel’s protective layer." So what this also means is if a fastener is embedded into something like a landscape timber or a boat hull or transom a hot dipped galvanized might be a better choice.
Not trying to bore anyone but I found this interesting! A person should us some oil or anti-seize to help prevent galling also.
When will this go up? More rain and thunderstorms forecast for next week. Of course a week plus out forecasts change.. Once we get out of this cycle of rain weekly I should be good to go. It might still be a few weeks if next week gets washed out.