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Re: [TowerTalk] Stainless Steel Galling

To: towertalk@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] Stainless Steel Galling
From: Charlie Gallo <Charlie@TheGallos.com>
Reply-to: Charlie Gallo <Charlie@TheGallos.com>
Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010 13:02:34 -0400
List-post: <towertalk@contesting.com">mailto:towertalk@contesting.com>
On 6/25/2010 Larry McDavid wrote:

>  Cyclic motion of stainless 
> against stainless is a sure cause of galling.

Yes - BUT

I probably beat on a set of stainless fasteners worse than just about anyone - 
I ran a vibration testing lab, and we had a fixture that held down units that 
had 3/8" stainless threaded rod, and stainless nuts (hey, they were a "stock 
room" item)

These rods were exposed to EXTREME vibration by 'normal" standards probably 4 
hours a day, with a bolt/unbolt cycle every 10 minutes (for those of you who 
wonder - WS-6536 Vibration standard - .02g^2/hz - if I remember my numbers 
right)

Did they Gall?  Oh Heck yes

BUT, we would get say 6-9 months before the galling got bad enough that we'd 
toss the rods/nuts, and make up another set

Based upon that, you have to start to wonder if we are really beating a dead 
horse, or that if we properly sized our attachments (to keep loading 
'reasonable'), and took a modicum of care (any lube in there - or even the 
dreaded loctite to keep the stainless off the stainless/stop the rub cycle) are 
we "good enough"

For that matter - do we really care if it galls?  It's been a number of years 
since I did any tower work (old and fat), but I never reused hardware.  So long 
as we can get it apart - a nice battery powered "wizzer" tool, cut the bolts, 
replace as needed

-- 
73 de KG2V - Charles Gallo
Quality Custom Machine-shop work for the radio amateur (sm)

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