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Jam · 03-23-2005, 08:47 AM

Slightly O.T.

But then again, the topic is morphing a bit, lol.

Steel {mostly iron with a bit of manganese and generally less then 2.5% carbon} screws are often either zinc plated or cadmium plated to prevent the steel from oxidizing in the presence of moisture - and air.

Over time, the plating never holds up, especially when the screws are exposed to the elements.

The fact that the coating is eventually gone - shows it has done its job up until the point of failure as its "job" was to shield the underlying steel from oxidation - and to provide sacrificial cathodic protection as the coating gets eaten away over time.

Galvanizing, generally hot-dipped galvanizing submerges steel in molten zinc and upon cooling, provides a thicker, better bonded coating then . . .

. . . so-called cold galvanizing, applying a coating of powdered metal in suspension - with a brush or spray method.

My experience in this WC arena is limited . . .

I notice that, all of the hardware supplied by Danger Den for their blocks {with the exception of the springs} is either stainless steel or brass.

Another leading manufacturer of WC kits, supplies hardware with plated steel screws.

In the overall scheme of things, the cost differences are trivial, but the folks who include the more application-appropriate hardware send a message that they probably pay more attention to all other relevant details, whether 'tis true or not.

Three of the five "homebrewed" systems I have built thus far were built into Lian-Li aluminum cases. Though arguably unnecessary, I discard my plated hardware when putting the aluminum chassis PCs together {especially a water-cooled PC} and replace all with stainless.

I'd stay away completely from mixing aluminum into the cooling circuits.

Cheers,

Joe

Good Steel Dictionary here

03-23-2005, 08:47 AM	#13
Jam Cooling Neophyte Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: Staten Island, New York Posts: 16	Slightly O.T. But then again, the topic is morphing a bit, lol. Steel {mostly iron with a bit of manganese and generally less then 2.5% carbon} screws are often either zinc plated or cadmium plated to prevent the steel from oxidizing in the presence of moisture - and air. Over time, the plating never holds up, especially when the screws are exposed to the elements. The fact that the coating is eventually gone - shows it has done its job up until the point of failure as its "job" was to shield the underlying steel from oxidation - and to provide sacrificial cathodic protection as the coating gets eaten away over time. Galvanizing, generally hot-dipped galvanizing submerges steel in molten zinc and upon cooling, provides a thicker, better bonded coating then . . . . . . so-called cold galvanizing, applying a coating of powdered metal in suspension - with a brush or spray method. My experience in this WC arena is limited . . . I notice that, all of the hardware supplied by Danger Den for their blocks {with the exception of the springs} is either stainless steel or brass. Another leading manufacturer of WC kits, supplies hardware with plated steel screws. In the overall scheme of things, the cost differences are trivial, but the folks who include the more application-appropriate hardware send a message that they probably pay more attention to all other relevant details, whether 'tis true or not. Three of the five "homebrewed" systems I have built thus far were built into Lian-Li aluminum cases. Though arguably unnecessary, I discard my plated hardware when putting the aluminum chassis PCs together {especially a water-cooled PC} and replace all with stainless. I'd stay away completely from mixing aluminum into the cooling circuits. Cheers, Joe Good Steel Dictionary here Last edited by Jam; 03-23-2005 at 08:57 AM.