You’ve probably heard a lot about stainless steel this and that. But what’s the big deal about stainless steel — and when do you need to choose stainless steel fasteners for your project?
First let’s examine what goes into stainless steel that makes it, well, stainless. Ordinary carbon steel met the world’s steel needs for centuries, finding its way into everything from building projects to swords, but it was by no means a perfect metal. Before you could say “Taste my steel!” the exposure of the steel’s surface to oxygen would lead to oxidation, which would show itself in the form of iron oxide — in short, it would rust. The more corrosive your environment, the faster oxidation would take place. If you lived by the seaside, forget about it.(…)
