[TowerTalk] anti seize/never seize ?

[Jim Thomson]

This stuff comes in 8 oz containers [and also larger]   The stuff available from my local
fastener place is made by locktite.   It's used on SS threads so they don't gall, etc. 

It comes in two grades.. standard 'silver'.. and 'marine grade'.   I see DX eng also sells
this goop... and also in both grades.   The only diff i can see between the 2 x types 
[besides price]  is the marine grade stuff is rated for a higher temp. [1800 deg f  vs 1600 deg f]

The guy tells me the marine grade stuff has a higher temp rating cuz it's used on engine parts
in marine applications. [ I can't see any engine getting this hot, even a turbo]. 
 No mention of the marine grade being better suited for wet environments.

I'm going to use it for outside ant stuff... like dx eng SS  U clamps, etc, etc.   So other than being 
in the rain, the temp is not an issue. 

I bought the regular grade.  Did I buy the wrong stuff ?    On a similar note, today, 3 of us took down
my trylon tower [to be replaced with a crank up] ... and I had replaced 4 of the leg splice bolts  with
longer  1/2" diam SS bolts... and had not used any anti seize on em.   I required longer bolts since I had
mounted small al plates on one tower face.. to side mount a 15m yagi.. fixed due east. 

Of course one of the 4 x SS bolts gauled.. and flat out would not come out!  Fortunately, we had mounted the
nuts on the outside of the tower legs.   We had to use the sawzall  to come the damn thing off ! 

I have made up 8 x new  boom to mast plates  from 3/8" thick al plate.... F-12 style.. with one vert plate
on the mast.. and one horz plate on the boom.[ 4 x ants in total]   5  x   1/2" diam  SS bolts  mate the 2 x plates together. 
I can just envision  just 1 of 20 x SS bolts  gauling.. and a gong show ensuing, trying to cut em off. 
How reliable is this anti-seize /never seize stuff.. esp after several yrs ??    I think if I was to ever remove any of the
SS nuts, i would slop some more anti seize goop  on the exposed, excess threads.. just prior to removal. 

I only had gauling problems just once b4.. and that was when using SS nylock  nuts  on  SS bolts.  In that case, the
SS nylock was being tightened for the 1st time.. and the nut seized up.. with a 1/8"  left to go !   Would not loosen
and would not tighten.   I cranked on it with a breaker bar.. and sheared off the SS bolt.   [these were 3/8" bolts]
I had that happen 3 x times.... and the gauling problem was only when SS nylocks were being used..... until
today's incident [ no nylocks, just SS flatwashers and SS split ring lock washers]    

Of course, I had not put any goop on the 3/8" bolts  nor SS nylocks either.  I just discovered the goop a few months back. 

Funny thing is.. I use SS  machine screws all the time on HB amps... [ like  10-32  1/4-20, 8-32  6-32 etc]  and have never had a 
gauling problem with em in the last 20 yrs.    The gauling problem only seems to happen with 3/8" and bigger.. and esp when 
SS nylocks are employed.  BTW... just bought a ton  of dx eng SS saddle clamps  [ SS u bolts with solid AL saddles]  to use on the 
el to plate connections for each el on the yagis.   All my F-12 ones had rusted. In some cases, it was just the nuts.. some times jut one thread
on one side of a U bolt..some times both.  I was getting fed up with rusted hardware... and have not found a source for galvanized
u bolts..yet. 

I hope this anti seize/never seize goop actually works.  Trying to cut rusted /gauled hardware..up a tower is no fun.

Later..... Jim   VE7RF