using stainless steel bolts with RED One

[Michael Morlan]

So, having spent five weeks shooting a feature in the Caribbean and watching all the bolt fasteners on my RED One package rust and corrode at an accelerated rate, I wonder whether replacing the carbon steel bolts with stainless steel (corrosion resistant but weaker) would be advisable. (I'll be replacing everything anyway.) Or, perhaps, chrome plated steel might be a viable choice.

Stainless A-2 (18-8)
A-2 stainless is equivalent to 18-8 stainless. It is an alloy with high corrosion resistance and is the material of choice for most exterior and marine applications.

Steel grade 12.9
Made from heat treated alloy steel. Best for applications where extreme strength and hardness are required. Black oil (plain) finish. Not recommended for exterior use.

Chrome plated steel
A steel bolt with a bright mirror-like finish providing sharp looks for a variety of applications.

Thoughts anyone?

[Mark L. Pederson]

So, having spent five weeks shooting a feature in the Caribbean and watching all the bolt fasteners on my RED One package rust and corrode at an accelerated rate, I wonder whether replacing the carbon steel bolts with stainless steel (corrosion resistant but weaker) would be advisable. (I'll be replacing everything anyway.) Or, perhaps, chrome plated steel might be a viable choice.

Stainless A-2 (18-8)
A-2 stainless is equivalent to 18-8 stainless. It is an alloy with high corrosion resistance and is the material of choice for most exterior and marine applications.

Steel grade 12.9
Made from heat treated alloy steel. Best for applications where extreme strength and hardness are required. Black oil (plain) finish. Not recommended for exterior use.

Chrome plated steel
A steel bolt with a bright mirror-like finish providing sharp looks for a variety of applications.

Thoughts anyone?

You need to make sure you match the EXACT length or you can damage the camera - and there are SEVERAL different lengths - we did
Stainless A-2 (18-8)

[Michael Morlan]

Thanks Mark. I trust your judgment. Yep, get the exact length, absolutely. :)

I'll start measuring and ordering.

Michael

[Jorge Díaz-Amador]

I ran into this problem all the time with my film camera customers here is South Florida, and often shooting in the Carribean.

18-8 (chromium-nickel austenitic) stainless used for fasteners is as tough or tougher than most low/medium carbon steels, but it is not magnetic and cannot be hardened. Alloy steels can be tougher than austenitic stainless and can also be hardened.

The advantages of alloy steel screws is that they can have the threads rolled and heads formed in the annealed condition, and then the screws can be case hardened, and also that they are magnetic.

As long as you avoid stripping the hexes (easier with SS), and don't need for the screws to stay on the screwdriver bit (aiding assembly of complex parts), they are an acceptable substitute.

You can also keep the alloy steel screws oiled with a product such as Boeshield T-9. The Iron Phosphate coating on the screws absorbs oil readily and if kept oiled the steel underneath cannot rust.

SUGGESTIONS:

Keep the camera and accessories dry and fasteners oiled, wipe it off immediately after rain or condensation forms, keep the camera/lenses/accessories out of the cases overnight in air conditioning and humidity below 60%

I offer a service of exposing lenses to UV-C light in order to kill mold spores. This can also be combined with O3 (ozone) if mold exposure is suspected.