Stainless steel fasteners come in various styles and types. The stainless fasteners can be stainless steel bolts or bolts that are metric, stainless steel screws, stainless steel nails as well as stainless steel wire fasteners. Stainless fasteners can be even be standard or metric stainless steel fasteners, which means that they can be used for various applications. It's no mistake the stainless steel fastener manufacturer chose stainless steel as its material of choice: stainless steel resists corrosion which makes them long-lasting.

Stainless steel fasteners are quite varied in their types and style. Below, you'll find information about stainless steel fasteners types and styles that should help you identify each fastener and match them to your applications. As might be expected, not all stainless steel fasteners are the same.

1. Start with stainless steel wire fasteners.

2. Move on to stainless steel nails.

3. Go to stainless steel screws.

4. Finish with stainless steel bolts.

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Use stainless steel wire fasteners

Stainless steel wire fasteners are perhaps the simplest stainless fasteners. Think of staples and then add some heft and you've got the idea. These stainless steel wire fasteners are good for securing wire on the outside of buildings and securing upholstery in place in cars and furniture.

I recommend: Sears has a selection of stainless steel wire fasteners that work with staple guns. JWS Industries has a number stainless steel wire fasteners.

Learn about stainless steel nails

Stainless steel nails take on more than one form. Finish nails are smooth and are designed to be low profile so they can disappear into molding and finish work. Roofing nails are a bit more hefty than finish nails and have rings that help to roofing shingles. Stainless steel nails can also be thick so they can be used for building decks, or very small, like brads, for attaching small pieces of wood.

I recommend: Copperstate Roofing Supply and Fastener USA both have stainless steel nails in bulk.

Learn about stainless steel screws

Stainless steel screws, like stainless steel nails, come in many forms as well. The stainless steel screw can have more than one style of head: slotted heads for standard screwdrivers, Philips head, or Torx head for a more secure fastener. The stainless steel screws can also be self-tapping which means they have points that can help them be drilled even into even the hardest surfaces.

I recommend: Nuts and Bolts and Fastenal have wholesale stainless steel fasteners, including stainless steel screws of various types.

Explore stainless steel bolts

Stainless steel bolts are mostly characterized by thicker shafts and larger heads than stainless steel screws. Some bolts have threads that go directly to the head of the bolts, while others have a little space between the threads and the head. The heads of the stainless steel bolts have different shapes: some are round and smooth, and others are shaped like a hex or a square.

I recommend: Marsh Fasteners has wholesale stainless steel bolts, while Fastener Express has stainless steel metric bolts.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  When you buy stainless steel fasteners, ask for wholesale pricing.

The most popular stainless steel fasteners include bolts, screws and nails. Businesses using fasteners cover a wide range including automotive, construction, marine, industrial and aviation. Three types of alloys categorize stainless steel fasteners: martensitic for strength and hardness, austenitic with excellent corrosion resistance and ferritic with good resistance to stress.

Each stainless steel manufacturer, supplier or distributor maintains inventories for quick shipments. Some companies provide services and solutions to help you find the product needed. When viewing the websites, buy stainless fasteners with the following in mind:

1. Save time viewing inventories by knowing the required dimensions and specs for your stainless steel fasteners.

2. Consider your inventory needs for discounts with larger orders.

3. Work with a manufacturer for specialty fasteners applicable to your business plans.

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Purchase stainless steel fasteners from a wide selection of inventory

These companies carry many types and sizes in stock for your fastener requirements.

I recommend: Find stainless steel bolts, screws, fasteners and assortment kits at Northeast Fasteners Co.; order online. Check out the full line of stainless fasteners that includes machine, self-drilling and decking screws among others at Fairway Fasteners, Inc.; order online or inquire about bulk discounts.

Locate good pricing for stainless steel nails

Purchase standard nails in bulk. Special types include collated nails for construction and finishing or roofing work.

I recommend: Find ring shank, roofing, joist and collated stainless steel nails at Marsh Fasteners; order online or click “Contact Us” to set up a wholesale account for bulk orders. Get nice online pricing for bulk, collated and finishing nails at Fastener USA Systems, Inc.

Find standard or custom made stainless steel screws

Get stainless screws typically applied to door hinges sold by the package or fasteners, bolts and screws with the option of customized solutions.

I recommend: Buy online steel fasteners at HardwareSource, Inc., that include flat head Phillips, pan head, flat head and door hinge stainless steel screws. Request a quote at Chicago Industrial Fasteners, LLC; click “Stainless Fasteners” to view inventory that includes 10-32 screws, socket head, lag and structural bolts among others.

Order wholesale stainless steel fasteners to improve the bottom line

These distributors offer industrial grade products and standard size fasteners.

I recommend: Fill out the contact form with a description of the fasteners you need at Industrial Bolt and Supply, a wholesale distributor of stainless steel 18-8, 316, B8 and 17-4 industrial fasteners. Contact Lightning Bolt, Inc., for a large selection of products that include carriage, hex cap screws and tap bolts; click “Products & Services” to view dimensions.

Buy metric stainless steel fasteners for your business

Get set screws to keep parts attached to a pulley or gear. Other available types include button, slotted cheese and Phillips head screws.

I recommend: Order online metric set screws or kits in 18-8 stainless steel at Small Parts, Inc., with tiered price discounts. Get flat head socket screws online at Micro Fasteners, Inc., or click “Metric Screws, Nuts, Washers” for other choices.

Work with a stainless steel fastener manufacturer for solutions

Order standard sized fasteners or custom made products that fit your business from these manufacturers.

I recommend: Get standard stainless bolts or customized fasteners in 1/4 -1 1/4 inch diameter by filling out the form at Quality Bolt & Screw Company. Contact Shamrock Industrial Fastener Corp. for stainless steel wire fasteners or other stainless products.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  The letter 'M' preceding the size of a stainless steel fastener indicates metric. For example, a hex bolt with M10 x 1.5 x 20 means the diameter equals 10mm with a thread pitch of 1.5 and a length of 20mm.

This type of fastener owes much of its effectiveness to the metal from which it's made: stainless steel. Because stainless steel is an alloy of chromium and steel, it is able to resist corrosion and tarnishing. This resistance to corrosion is useful in a material for making fasteners, be they stainless steel bolts, stainless steel screws, stainless steel metric bolts, stainless steel nails, or stainless steel wire fasteners.

Stainless steel fasteners applications and uses are very broad: from decks to buildings, furniture, and toys. The stainless steel fastener manufacturer is able to create a fastener able to withstand the elements as well as keep objects, buildings, and structures sound. Consider these uses:

1. Make use of stainless steel bolts.

2. Use stainless steel screws.

3. Employ stainless steel nails.

4. Apply stainless steel wire fasteners.

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Rely on stainless steel bolts for indoor and outdoor projects

Stainless bolts can come in more than one form. They can be lag bolts, hex bolts, and carriage bolts. Lag bolts, also known as lag screws or hex lag screws, are very good for securing wood, especially for outdoor wooden structures. Hex bolts also work well for wooden structures. Bolts with narrower threads work very well to secure metal, adding to the benefit of the stainless steel, which resists corrosion. A carriage bolt is one of the stainless fasteners that provides a cleaner, smoother finish because of its rounded head, and it works well to secure wood. A variation on the carriage bolt is a timber bolt, which works well in the timber and marine industry and doesn't have the square steps beneath the head. Bolts can be metric stainless steel fasteners as well.

I recommend: Bolt Depot has a good selection of stainless bolts. Portland Bolt has a wide selection of bolts as well.

Employ stainless steel screws for added structure

Stainless screws can be designed to work with wood, composite lumber, decks, fiber siding, and more. Stainless steel screws come in many styles, including slotted-head screws,, Philips head screws, and Torx screws. The head of the screw can even act as a security device by being able to be loosened only with a specialized tool.

I recommend: Stainless Fasteners and Screw Products have a selection of stainless screws of various styles.

Use the holding power of stainless steel nails

Stainless steel nails can have smooth shanks or ringed shanks. They work well for fastening roofing materials, decking, siding, millwork, finish work, as well as framing.

I recommend: Swan Secure Everlasting Fasteners and Fastener USA are good sources of stainless steel nails.

Use stainless steel wire fasteners to secure upholstery and wires

Stainless steel wire fasteners can come in many different forms, such as staples, spring pins, and cotter pins. Stainless steel wire fasteners in the form of staples are excellent for securing upholstery in place or securing wiring. Because they're easy to apply, their applications and uses are seemingly endless. No wonder they're loved by electricians and upholsterers.

I recommend: Western Wire Products and Stainless Nails Brads Staples have a selection of various stainless steel wire fasteners.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Contact the manufacturer when you buy stainless steel fasteners to ask about wholesale pricing.

Stainless steel fasteners make sense for numerous applications. They come in the form of bolts, screws, pins and other products and are relied on heavily by the marine, automotive, aerospace, defense and waste processing industries, among many others.

If you're in the market for stainless steel fasteners for your own manufacturing process, or if you sell them, it's important to grasp the terminology related to stainless steel fasteners. This guide explores the definitions of six terms dealing with components, processes and types of stainless steel fasteners. Terms include austenitic, cold forming, hot forging, roll threading, machine screw and carriage bolt.

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Austenitic

Austenitic is another name for the highly popular 300 series stainless steel alloy. Austenitic fasteners are nonmagnetic or just slightly magnetic and possess the highest corrosion resistance level of all stainless steel types. The most common types of austenitic fasteners are called 18-8 Stainless.

I recommend: Scroll down a little more than half way down the design page at SFS intec, a fastener and fastener system manufacturer, to get more information on austenitic fasteners and other stainless steel fasteners.

Cold forming

Cold forming refers to the process of manufacturing fasteners using little to no heat and thereby improving tensile hardness and strength. The cold forming manufacturing process involves pushing metal wire against different dies at high speeds to form the fastener's shape. Cold forming is also known as cold heading and cold working.

I recommend: Learn more about cold forming parts at Acme Companies, a metal forming company.

Hot forging

Hot forging is a manufacturing process typically used with fasteners that are too big for cold forming or when the batch to be manufactured is very small. The process involves the heating of metal to extremely high temperatures to soften it prior to shaping.

I recommend: For more information on the hot forging process, hot forging considerations and a comparison to cold forging, read the article at ThomasNet.

Roll threading

Roll threading describes the extrusion process of forming a fastener's threads by rolling or pushing a die against the fastener without removing any material. This process hardens the stainless steel and results in stronger threads.

I recommend: Get more information on roll threading and roll threading equipment at the Portland Bolt & Manufacturing Company. Click on the link at the end of the third paragraph for more information on the pros and cons of roll threading versus cut threading.

Machine screw

Stainless steel machine screws are threaded fasteners that incorporate either a nut or a tapped hole and are used for fastening together metal parts. The screw's slotted head is driven down or up using a screwdriver.

I recommend: View different types and descriptions of machine screws at the Bolt Depot website.

Carriage bolt

A carriage bolt is a round-headed fastener with a square neck, often stainless steel, that's inserted into pre-drilled holes in timber. These bolts have the recognizable feature of only being threaded along just a portion of the shank. Carriage bolts are also referred to as plow bolts.

I recommend: Get more information on carriage bolts at the website for Aaron's Cap Screws.