Lock-Tite and anti-seize

[bluedog225]

I came across a large box of 1/2” stainless nuts and bolts at restore. Perfect for putting together some solar racking unistrut projects I’m working on.

Unscrewing some of the nuts, I can feel them wanting to seize. Been there and want to avoid. But I also need to lock these in place. I know anti-sieze will work. But it seems like lock-tite would also work. Even though it’s sorta the opposite.

Seems weird to use lock-tite this way so I wanted to check in with you guys.

Thanks

 

[Old Man Roger]

Stainless galls easily, never seize or not, but it does help. Can’t see lock tight helping with the issue, but I never tried it either.

 

[Theronswanson]

Use the antisieze with lock nuts or washers and skip the loctite.

 

[bluedog225]

Thanks. Seems like it would lube it up and provide a buffer. Locknuts or split rings are an option.

 

[Firebrick43]

Loctite is designed to lubricate the threads until it sets up. Second sentence below from a screen shot from Henkels website

It also prevents corrosion as it seals the threads and doesn't let air/water into the threads therefore eliminating corrosion. Once you heat it to 400 degrees it lets go and becomes a powdered lubricant for disassembly

 

[bluedog225]

Loctite is designed to lubricate the threads until it sets up. Second sentence below from a screen shot from Henkels website

It also prevents corrosion as it seals the threads and doesn't let air/water into the threads therefore eliminating corrosion. Once you heat it to 400 degrees it lets go and becomes a powdered lubricant for disassembly

Great. Thanks!

 

[reader2580]

I installed solar panels on a ground mount rack with stainless fasteners in 2017 or 2018. In 2020 the rack was dismantled and moved to a new location. Most of the stainless fasteners would not come apart so it is good you are trying to avoid the galling.

 

[Old Man Roger]

Loctite is designed to lubricate the threads until it sets up. Second sentence below from a screen shot from Henkels website

It also prevents corrosion as it seals the threads and doesn't let air/water into the threads therefore eliminating corrosion. Once you heat it to 400 degrees it lets go and becomes a powdered lubricant for disassembly

But will he heat them to 400 degrees?

 

[Firebrick43]

But will he heat them to 400 degrees?

 

[Leaflessshadetree]

One thing to consider is that stainless is more likely to gall when power driving (impact or drill).

 

[Danno1]

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Even red Loctite can be dis-assembled w hand tools w/o heat. BTDT many times. And yes, it will prevent galling of SS h'ware. As stated above, don't use power driver.


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[nadogail]

IMHO, there are several grades of Stainless, I have found 316 to be the most corrosion resistant, 304 much less corrosion resistant.

316 has not been attracted to my magnets, 304 can be picked up with a strong magnet.

Any fasteners I found at a liquidator or resale shop would automatically be suspected to be counterfeit.

 

[Firebrick43]

IMHO, there are several grades of Stainless, I have found 316 to be the most corrosion resistant, 304 much less corrosion resistant.

316 has not been attracted to my magnets, 304 can be picked up with a strong magnet.

Any fasteners I found at a liquidator or resale shop would automatically be suspected to be counterfeit.

400 series are magnetic and 300 series is not. 304 CAN become magnetic if cold worked significantly but that is not a universal and if annealed, demagged, or sometimes even a sharp tap after cold working will lose any slight magnetism it may have picked up.

High quality 304 SS fasteners will have it removed after rolling the threads.

 

[Skyman]

Loctite 242 breaks loose easily without the application of heat, but seems to hold well in the absence of extreme vibration. I use it frequently on CRES fasteners. Although I've never conducted any testing that would withstand scientific scrutiny, my experience had led me to conclude that it reduces the well-known galling tendency of CRES threads.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

I'll just remind by putting this here:

 

[Old Man Roger]

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Even red Loctite can be dis-assembled w hand tools w/o heat. BTDT many times. And yes, it will prevent galling of SS h'ware. As stated above, don't use power driver.


.

I was assuming it only acted as a lubricant when heated.

 

[bwringer]

Yes, Loctite will help prevent galling and corrosion. The primary function is locking the threads, yes, but the coating also has important secondary benefits. It also helps sealing.

It doesn't sound like this application would be subject to severe vibration or anything, so you'd be fine with regular old blue stuff. I prefer the chapstick tubes because they're a lot less messy.

 

[WisJim]

When I was doing work with small wind turbines, many of them had stainless steel hardware. The manufacturer specified using teflon pipe dope on threads to prevent galling.

 

[Worsedog]

Beeswax also works.

And as mentioned above no power tools for assembly, most spin too fast.

 

[Danno1]

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