Octania

I bought some SS brake cable clips

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Corvette-Par...:X:BCS:US:3160

and find they are strongly attracted to a magnet.

WTH?

Seller refunded the money, graciously, but now in looking into stainless steel I find that cold working greatly affects the magnetism of the material.

https://www.fastenal.com/en/75/magne...teel-fasteners

https://www.cartech.com/techarticles.aspx?id=1476

So, how exactly can I assess these parts?
Put 'em in a container with acid vapor and see if they rust overnight?

They LOOK pretty stainlessy.

I want to get the seller his money as long as they are SS as advertised.

Hairy Olds

Stainless that is magnetic will rust over time. Car manufacturers use stainless exhaust systems and claim this in literature. I have a exhaust system that is nonmagnetic ant will never rust that was made for my 67 Tornado. Same stuff that is in sinks.
The links explain the differences pretty well.

don71

I worked with stainless steel for several years. In the work place we referred to them as "300" and "400" series. The main difference was one is magnetic the other is not. Your links talk about this.

I don't think you have any thing to worry about.

If you really want to know, you'll have to have some one in the know tell you exactly what alloy it is. OR, do you know anyone in the scrap business? Modern scrap yards usually have the scanner-gun thing and it will give the alloy measurement.

Koda

All stainless will eventually rust. The various grades take different times.

Octania

So either sacrifice one to acid vapor or take a day off work to swing by a scrap processor for analysis. I'll look into spark show examination while grinding also. Maybe specific weight? G/mm^3...

edzolz

If you want more rust resistance, have them passivated. Any plating shop should be able to do this process. What this does is, it removes the surface iron molecules from the alloy and leaves the chrome molecules thereby giving a more rust resistant surface. Magnetism has nothing to do with it.

Allan R

I don't get it. What's the big deal about parts that work and no one ever sees after they're installed?

Octania

If they are zinc plated steel, passivating will not work, right?

The big deal?

Accurate description and getting what is paid for I guess. Others advertise then w/o the "SS" description. I chose these based on being SS. Big deal? no. Big $? No.

Just shooting for accuracy in descriptions so that informed buy decisions can be made.

I am used to seeing SS that is at most "slightly" magnetic. These are HELLA magnetic.

83hurstguy

300 series/18-8 washers will be mildly magnetic, as you mentioned, cold work induced. It's not strongly magnetic though. Bolts and nuts I've checked were not magnetic at all. Most labs can do a non detructive test like PMI to check the chromium and nickel content, other than that there's not a great way other than obvious color differences between stainless and plated carbon steel.

Hard to say on the clips from the picture.... But plated steel tends to be
shinier than stainless, which is typically a dull sheen.

Koda

Allan, Mr. Witt is a precise individual who does not like to be subject to the cut corners of others. And he likes to grumble.

Allan R

Gotcha.

biggus

I always used Adel clamps with the rubber cushion. Personally I've never seen them rust and even if they do its not gonna happen in my lifetime.

edzolz

The difference betwen Zinc plate and Stainless Steel should be very obvious in the appearance. Zinc will be much more shiny than SS, that is unless the SS has been polished, and that should be very obvious to you since you are an experienced polisher.