brass or stainless steel bolts

[dvas]

just wondering... here in israel they are selling only brass... but I see online mostly stainless...

what do you use?

sasha

[WreckWriter]

use stainless. Even if you have to order them.

Tom

[maddiver]

SS Clips are cheap when you consider the value to the system that they offer. Get a couple different sizes for warm vs cold diving conditions...also some double enders. You cannot own too many clips (notice I did not say that you cannot have too many clips on your rig).



WreckWriter once bubbled...
use stainless. Even if you have to order them.

Tom

[O-ring]

I have a myriad of SS bolt snaps...some from Reef Scuba, some from an LDS, some from FifthD, and a couple from EE. Some of mine work really smoothly and some don't...some have a little rust on them and some don't. Since I can't remember for the life of me which ones I got where, which places have you had really good SS bolt snaps from?

[Rick Murchison]

I use both brass and SS. Have no problems with either, unless I slip up and let one sit without cleaning and oiling after a trip.
Rick

[WreckWriter]

O-ring once bubbled...
I have a myriad of SS bolt snaps...some from Reef Scuba, some from an LDS, some from FifthD, and a couple from EE. Some of mine work really smoothly and some don't...some have a little rust on them and some don't. Since I can't remember for the life of me which ones I got where, which places have you had really good SS bolt snaps from?

I get all mine from my LDS. Chances are they use the same supplier as FifthD does.

Tom

[O-ring]

I use both brass and SS. Have no problems with either, unless I slip up and let one sit without cleaning and oiling after a trip.

I knew there was something I should have been doing to them instead of just rinsing...

:monkey:

[Lost Yooper]

I use both, but mostly brass, and I dive in very fresh water. The brass one's have treated me well with no maintenance at all.

Mike

[WreckWriter]

I don't oil mine. When I rinse them I move the lever back and forth a few times while in the rinse tank, that's all.

Tom

[Rick Murchison]

O-ring once bubbled...


I knew there was something I should have been doing to them instead of just rinsing...

:monkey:
After every dive I rinse 'em. After every trip I rinse 'em, inspect 'em, clean if necessary and give 'em a light WD40 wipedown and a tiny little spray on the spring. If it's going to be awhile until my next trip with that bolt snap, then my routine is to take 'em off whatever they're attached to, then a rinse followed by a hot vinegar bath and soak for about 15 minutes, a hot fresh water rinse, drying and oiling before storage. I don't reattach at this time, as I like to use rubber breakaways cut from bicycle innertubes and if they're stored assembled the rubber tends to deteriorate. Doesn't take as long as it sounds, and I have many snaps both brass and steel that are over a decade old and still working fine.
Rick

[tchil01]

There's a guy on EBay that sells SS bolt snaps for a great price. He sells them in lots of 15 for about $2.00 each. They are high quality and so far I've pretty much converted all of my brass to SS.

Ty

[O-ring]

They are high quality and so far I've pretty much converted all of my brass to SS.

I've got one brass holdout on my goodman handle. Thanks for the tip, Ty. I will look that guy up when I get around to changing it and replace some of my other ones that haven't been as lovingly cared for as Rick's.

Makes me wonder what other pieces of kit I am tearing up on a regular basis :)

[dvas]

first of all thanks for all the feedbacks.
I wanted to share with you the tip that I found out. I lube the brass bolts (both those from reel and the ones for deco bottles) with the super lube... it looks like some silicon based lubricant. I use that also for all my tools. It is great, it is covered, so no rust and it moves VERY smoothly.

in 2 hours, I am going for a weekend to Eilat...

happy diving to everyone,
sasha

[Aquamaniac]

www.mcmastercarr.com

Do a search for bolt snaps, page 2

Dave

[dvas]

.

[wetman]

http://216.36.250.99/nixdogcollars/Page_5x.html

this is the guy on ebay. I ordered a lot of 15 and they were great.

steve

[Ziggys_Friend]

wetman once bubbled...
http://216.36.250.99/nixdogcollars/Page_5x.html

this is the guy on ebay. I ordered a lot of 15 and they were great.

steve

His name is Douglas Nix (Nix Dog Collars [dhnix@nixdogcollars.com])

Also, you don't have to buy a full order - email him and he's happy to work with you - partial order - mix and match etc. Great guy, great SS Snaps.

~<//><

[Dectek]

The general consensus here is SS over brass. Can a few of you give reasons besides the oxidation that brass shows if proper maintenance is not done. Is there another reason that I don't know about?

[bwerb]

Dectek once bubbled...
The general consensus here is SS over brass. Can a few of you give reasons besides the oxidation that brass shows if proper maintenance is not done. Is there another reason that I don't know about?

Brass is typically cast and the "joints" where the cast was can actually be quite sharp right out of the gate. SS tends to be smooth all round. Very often the Brass clips use really cheap non-stainless springs which can rust out very quickly. The oxidation of the brass can make for a stiff movement. The last two criticisms can be overcome with good post dive maintenance. The first one takes some work. For the most part the SS bolts are less maintenance. I'm sure there are some other reasons but these are the ones I know of.

Brian

[awap]

Brass is what is available at the local (inland) Lowe's. Select those that don't cut or get the sandpaper out. Surpriseingly most have SS springs. If not I swap out to SS, eliminating that problem.

Cuts down on the cost of an OOPS.

[boomx5]

I buy all my stainless snaps at Lowe's.

[Doof]

I know this has probably been asked a billion times around here, but which size snap works well in cold water (dry gloves, etc)?

I can never tell by the picture, and the numbers are all but meaningless to me.

[Braunbehrens]

Doof once bubbled...
I know this has probably been asked a billion times around here, but which size snap works well in cold water (dry gloves, etc)?

I can never tell by the picture, and the numbers are all but meaningless to me.

That depends on what you put it on, how good you are with fiddling, and what your technique is.

For example, in some places I like to have a big snap with a big ring that I can stick my finger in, in other places a small snap will work fine. Buy a few different sizes, and experiement.

If you clip stuff off in the pocket you probably don't want to huge ones for that.

[pkmaven]

In terms of reliability and endurance both work well. Many of us had no choice in the past since brass was all that was available for small items. The stainless "safety pin" fish stringer is unequaled if you are a good shot. For bcd accessories stainless is in! P.

[Allen42]

I've been considering switching some of my plastic & brass quick connects for tied-off SS, but had a couple of questions:

1. For rec diving , the quick connects (pinch to release buckles) are pretty handy for lights, console etc. I KNOW it's not DIR, but are there significant reasons to abandon these?


Braunbehrens once bubbled...
If you clip stuff off in the pocket you probably don't want to huge ones for that.

2. I really like the idea of clipping things off in the pocket, as it's always been a concern of mine that if I open a pocket and started fumbling for something, I might lose something else. Can I just go to Lowes/Home Depot and buy some of their 1/8" bungie cord for this? What about the ends fraying? Will that last? If so, I might replace my surgical tube octo holder with bungie as well. Thoughts?

3. Finally, if switch to tying things off to SS bolts, where can I pick just a few yards of line? I guess I could cut some off a reel, but...

[Braunbehrens]

Allen42 once bubbled...
I've been considering switching some of my plastic & brass quick connects for tied-off SS, but had a couple of questions:

1. For rec diving , the quick connects (pinch to release buckles) are pretty handy for lights, console etc. I KNOW it's not DIR, but are there significant reasons to abandon these?



Plastic will fail catastrophically without warning. Other divers might not want to dive with you if it looks like you'd rather save a dollar or two than have something sturdy as part of your rig...

If you're diving DIR, there is no need for the plastic stuff. Also, if you use bolt snaps and get used to them, you'll have a much easier time operating them.

I really like bolt snaps, and don't miss the plastic junk at all. In fact, I like it so much that I keep thinking I might find a way to use them on my windsurfing harness. ;)




2. I really like the idea of clipping things off in the pocket, as it's always been a concern of mine that if I open a pocket and started fumbling for something, I might lose something else. Can I just go to Lowes/Home Depot and buy some of their 1/8" bungie cord for this? What about the ends fraying? Will that last? If so, I might replace my surgical tube octo holder with bungie as well. Thoughts?



If Lowes has it, go for it, otherwise any marine store has it.

It'll last a really long time and it will show serious signs of wear long before it fails. The ends may fray, but only up to the knot. Just keep the area past the knot relatively short and it won't look sloppy.

If you are really worried about it, there is a technique called whipping which you may want to do a search for on some marine sites. You'll neeed a marlinspike kit to do it right. Probably not worth the hassle.




3. Finally, if switch to tying things off to SS bolts, where can I pick just a few yards of line? I guess I could cut some off a reel, but...

You won't even need that much, a few feet of line will be plenty. Just take it off your reel. If you want to order it you'll have to get several hundred feet on a spool.

[SeaJay]

You mean there's another way, other than taking it from a spool/reel?

In the dozens of times I've tied something off... Clips to lights, hoses, etc... I've maybe used 3' of my 100' spool. And heck, the 100' spool isn't very likely exactly 100' to begin with. No offense, you guys, but isn't this a little rententive?

Cut off a bit of line and make the knot... Then trim it close and burn the edges to get it right.

Details on how to attach bolt snaps are here:

http://www.mindspring.com/~toddleonard/caverig/howknot.html

Stainless, for me, please... No maintenance, other than normal rinsing. If they get sticky, I lube them, but replacing doesn't cost but a few bucks a year.

[_Kurt_]

No question. =-)

[Seadiver5]

With 30 years of extensive diving experience my impression of which is better is neither.

Brass works just fine, if there are any sharp edges they should be smoothed over but I have never encoutered this problem.

"Plastic" is a cheap and demeaning term for the materials that are actually used to manufacture most of these buckles and clips. If maintained properly they should never fail and if they do get close they are cheap to replace. . They do seem to get ugly quick however.

I dive mostly with Stainless Steel but the only reason is that I like its appearance over the other two options.

Kevin Parkhurst

[ScubaJewel]

Stainless

Julie

[Bob3]

There are some fairly decent plastics on the market, my favorite way to test is to stick them in the freezer for a couple of hours & then smack briskly with a 4 lb hammer.
If they survive, you can test further by doing the "burn test" where you set it on fire & look closely for the glass reinforcing fibers that should be in the ash. :D

[pipedope]

That test works great for tenders and buddies also.
:D

No need for the burn test, just leave them out in the sun choking hose for a few hours.

Actually I like bronse fittings but when I can find good ones they cost more than stainless. I guess that is just the old ocean sailor in me.

[Bob3]

... I like bronse fittings ... Yah, a good grade silicone bronze is hard to beat; ask any machinist about the "self lubrication" properties of bronze. The critters operate noticeably more smoothly than SS, & as long as there's no Zinc in the mix electrolysis isn't an issue.

[d33ps1x]

I'm with Bob3.

Stainless is purdy but doesn't move nearly as nicely. I only use one SS BIG single ended snap because I couldn't find anything handy that day in another material in a bigger size.

[Ice Blue]

Use stainless steel. Stainless steel is a harder metal than brass is and will outlast as well. :doctor:

[rjens]

I was at Lowes last night and noticed that they had Brass, SS and Bronze Snaps.

Brass and Bronze were both both under $2 each, SS were around $5.

I don't know much about metalurgy, ok I know zip about it. What is the chance that the $2 bronze snaps are "Good" bronze?

The slide on the Bronze actually was the smoothest of the three.

Anyway, I picked one up to to try on my next dive. I will try it and see how it fairs with the SW.

RJ

[pipedope]

I have never seen bronze at Lowes but you never know what they will carry next.

I have never seen good bronze hardware for prices less than those of stainless steel.

Any of them are fine in frewh water.
Brass tends to loose the zink content in salt water, over time.

Bronze threads don't gall the way stainless is prone to do and are a much better choice for high load things like turnbuckles on sailboats. This is not important in a boltsnap used in diving but I just like bronze.

[ba_hiker]

Brass is cheap junk..it is copper and zinc (i believe) and the zinc will leach right out. It is soft and not very strong.

Bronze is great stuff (remember it was a bronze age, not a brass age). It is copper and tin. Much stronger, harder and the 'self lubricating' feature. This means that bronzes works well with out oil or lubrication of any kind. Very corrosion resistant.

Phosporous Bronze is even better, very strong (some alloys nearly as strong as hi carbon steel) and self lubricating.

Stainless is good strong and hard. It requires lubrication and suffers from crevice corrosion. There are many alloys. The strength, hardness and corrosing resistance vary according to alloy.

I use bronze and stainless both

[d33ps1x]

Use stainless steel. Stainless steel is a harder metal than brass is and will outlast as well. :doctor:

It comes down to intended use.

These bolt snaps are for clipping thing to you not hanging a truck upside down.

Bronze is more than strong enough to do the job and the spring system is the same as the stainless regardless of the cast material.

Its all good that people prefer SS for asthetic reasons but call a spade a spade.

Interesting enough. You might want to ask your dive shops why stainless is 3 to 4 times the price considering most wholesalers charge only about double the price for it vs bronze. (Non-scuba wholesalers)

Could it be that they also recongnize that people will pay extra to look shiny and cool?

[R_Deluca]

Could it be that they also recongnize that people will pay extra to look shiny and cool?

That's the only reason I buy SS.

[d33ps1x]

Nothing wrong with it. Admitting you like shiny things is half the battle.

[SeaJay]

Lol...

Stainless: Strong, good looking, reasonably unbreakable, and easy to find (Lowe's)... Not to mention affordable. I don't mind paying the extra dollar or two so that my stuff looks good. Call it "expensive" all you want - I only need a couple of them. It's not like the extra $2 per kills me.

I haven't seen bronze at Lowe's... Am I just not looking in the right place?

[clockradio]

i use brass. clean it after every dive and its fine. :santasmil

[jrg]

Lol...

........I haven't seen bronze at Lowe's... Am I just not looking in the right place?

I found bronze snaps at Lowes. They had a better size selection in bronze than in stainless.