"Milton Waddams" wrote in message
...
Which is better for general maritime hardware such as hinges, clasps,
cleats, etc: Brass or Bronze?What is naval bronze? Thanks, as always,

Milton

Milton,

You can search your materials he

http://www.principalmetals.com/properties/step1.asp

Naval bronze is a very strong copper alloy which is great for deck fittings,
hinges and the like. It has a low coefficient of friction and is long
wearing. It comes in leaded and unleaded versions.Brass tends to be a bit
more brittle. It's tough to tell what kind of bronze/brass you are buying in
premade fittings, the package just says "brass" or "bronze". If you have
specific questions I'll be more than happy to help you out. Softer metals
tend to wear less than harder metals when they rub against each other.
Stainless is terrible for hinges and close tolerance sliding parts.

RJ