How necessary is SS hardware?

[SolarYellow]

Tee nuts vary widely in quality.

 

[Antares JS]

It's not absolutely necessary, but bear in mind that BP residue can be corrosive. I have noticed that SS links and eyebolts that are right next to charge wells are easier to clean and prevent from corroding if they are SS.

 

[Buckeye]

I use nothing but Home Depot zinc wire eyebolts. I will admit though, after a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats, some of my hardware was pretty corroded and a little difficult to thread thereafter.

My heaviest rocket is about 15 lbs. If you are bending open eyebolts, then you are doing something else wrong with your harness or ejection charges.

Sometimes I snug the free end of eyebolt right on top of the bulkplate. It won't open.

 

[David Schwantz]

Anything with threads will benefit from being SS. But the biggest issue is when they are hanging in the shop all winter long they sure do look nice all shiny and sparkly.

 

[kjhambrick]

If you use Mag Switches, 316 Stainless in Austenitic ( non magnetic ).

My old AltAcc Rockets have mild steel threaded rods and my magnetic wands want to grab the rods thru the airframe

No worries with 316 stainless rods -- the magnets don't grab them.

-- kjh

 

[SolarYellow]

If you use Mag Switches, 316 Stainless in Austenitic ( non magnetic ).

My old AltAcc Rockets have mild steel threaded rods and my magnetic wands want to grab the rods thru the airframe

No worries with 316 stainless rods -- the magnets don't grab them.

-- kjh

@bad_idea and I have chased around small-diameter aluminum threaded rod. I think Zoro has it in #6 and #10. AliExpress has it in M6 and up. Brass is also non-magnetic and nicely conductive.

 

[Zman1961]

I use nothing but Home Depot zinc wire eyebolts. I will admit though, after a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats, some of my hardware was pretty corroded and a little difficult to thread thereafter.

My heaviest rocket is about 15 lbs. If you are bending open eyebolts, then you are doing something else wrong with your harness or ejection charges.

Sometimes I snug the free end of eyebolt right on top of the bulkplate. It won't open.

View attachment 642962

I have never bent one, but I have been warned about it by other club members. So far, their advice has been top notch, I would rather be redundantly safe or "overbuilt" than drop a nose cone on someone.

 

[SolarYellow]

I use nothing but Home Depot zinc wire eyebolts. I will admit though, after a trip to the Bonneville Salt Flats, some of my hardware was pretty corroded and a little difficult to thread thereafter.

My heaviest rocket is about 15 lbs. If you are bending open eyebolts, then you are doing something else wrong with your harness or ejection charges.

Sometimes I snug the free end of eyebolt right on top of the bulkplate. It won't open.

View attachment 642962

On something that big, if you have a friend who can weld, it's pretty easy to get it closed up.

 

[lr64]

If you are not bending open eyebolts, then you're using eyebolts that are bigger and heavier than necessary.

 

[David Schwantz]

I turned an eye bolt into a J bolt. Also zippered a full length CF tube, 48". There can be lots of force on those parts.

 

[lr64]

If there can be lots of force, even more reason to pick the design that's light for its strength.

How about this Harken eye strap? Breaking strength said to be 1,600 lbs, 4.5 grams, less than $3, stainless steel:
https://defender.com/en_us/harken-eye-strap-073-100

 

[SolarYellow]

Leave out the base. Nuts and washers on either side of your bulkhead.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbilt-1-8-in-Zinc-Plated-Wire-Rope-Clamp-2-Pack-42594/205883055

Also available in metric for a lot cheaper on Chinabay.

 

[-Slick-Ice]

Regardless of being 304, 316, plastic, aluminum, or zinc plated which this thread was originally about, please spec your hardware around the load requirements.

On my 4" rockets the hardware is in direct contact with 2g of black powder. These parts looked nasty after two flights and not cleaning it for a week. I if I didn't grease the wing nuts they would have NEVER come apart.

Other than corrosion (which CAN get bad with humidity if you don't clean it or protect it). There isn't any functional difference between stainless and zinc. But... a good 316ss 1/4" u-bolt or forged eye bolt and 1/4" quick link is maybe $10 total and I will never have to clean it? Even a 29mm motor casing is $100.

On 5.5" I use two 1/4 U-bolts on the booster and one 5/16 u-bolt on the payload section. When I need to use my 60 feet of Kevlar shock cord to pull down the tree branch my $1200 of motor casing and electronics are stuck in I'm not going to use questionable hardware.

 

[lr64]

I don't know about you, but I can't pull much more than 200 lbs unless I get out the come-along.

 

[KenECoyote]

I don't know about you, but I can't pull much more than 200 lbs unless I get out the come-along.

In treed recovery, oftentimes you'll have others along with you to help pull the rocket from the stupid tree's death grip.