Bolt material to bolt aluminum hinge to aluminum plate, outdoors

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Bill D

Diamond

Joined

Apr 1, 2004

Location

Modesto, CA USA

• Nov 1, 2021

• #1

I bought some aluminum storage cabinets I will use outdoors. I was told it is aircraft aluminum from a helicopter factory. One aluminum piano hinge popped a few welds and I should bolt it on. I can not weld it.
What material should the nuts & bolts be. Probably use #10 so not galavanized. Would stainless be a bad idea?
Bill D.

 

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mjk

Titanium

Joined

Oct 20, 2005

Location

Wilmington DE USA

• Nov 1, 2021

• #2

Aluminum pop rivet? Relatively easy and quick from one side

 

MilGunsmith

Stainless

Joined

Mar 6, 2006

Location

Sandyston, NJ

• Nov 1, 2021

• #3

Stainless steel.

 

rcoope

Stainless

Joined

Sep 25, 2010

Location

Vancouver Canada

• Nov 1, 2021

• #4

Boats use stainless plates riveted with stainless rivets to extruded aluminum spars and it seems to be fine.

 

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jz79

Stainless

Joined

Mar 21, 2017

Location

Latvia

• Nov 1, 2021

• #5

it works on boats because the rivets have very little surface area compared to aluminum it is galvanically coupled, the amount of corrosion due to incompatibility of these 2 is spread over a large area, hence the illusion of it being ok

zinc plated regular steel would be better, but, as already suggested, if aluminum rivet can hold it - use that, that being said - even is you'll use stainless - it won't fall off in couple months and will probably be fine for quite a long while

 

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Strostkovy

Titanium

Joined

Oct 29, 2017

• Nov 1, 2021

• #6

I build aluminum racks and we offer stainless hardware as an upgrade.

Stainless hardware gets noticeable white galvanic corrosion after a year or two in the elements. The typical yellow zinc chromate coating on grade 8 bolts corrodes far less in the same time.

Aluminum bolts exist and I've used them and I hate them but they do work.

 

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Scottl

Diamond

Joined

Nov 3, 2013

Location

Eastern Massachusetts, USA

• Nov 1, 2021

• #7

As already said, stainless steel or use aluminum pop rivets.

The latter are more tamper resistant so if you use screws use a prevailing torque nut (can be Nylock) on the inside.

 

kustomizer

Diamond

Joined

Aug 17, 2007

Location

North Fork Idaho

• Nov 1, 2021

• #8

Scottl said:

As already said, stainless steel or use aluminum pop rivets.

The latter are more tamper resistant so if you use screws use a prevailing torque nut (can be Nylock) on the inside.

Click to expand...

He is in Modesto, they will take the whole cabinet and open it elsewhere, you never see a tweeker with a leatherman

I vote for the ease of the pop rivets

 

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Bill D

Diamond

Joined

Apr 1, 2004

Location

Modesto, CA USA

• Nov 1, 2021

• #9

I am more worried they will take the whole cabinet just to sell the aluminum.
Bill D