Chain Plates

[Brion Toss]

Hello,
You are right, some Asian metals are not top-drawer. On the other hand, some are, But unless you know someone that you trust, who in turn knows and trusts others, and so on down the line, it is a crapshoot. But why buy Asian at all? Cost? If so, for whatever reason, your chances of getting good stuff are much better in this country. Think of it as paying a premium for quality.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[Storm]

Brion,
Thanks for reply. I would rather buy US made silicon bronze, but cannot find it. I have found some made in Germany, which I would expect to be of good quality. If I purchase, I will request mill data sheets to confirm quality.

This brings up some more questions. I was thinking of replacing my 316 Stainless chain plates with C655 Silicon Bronze. The Tensil and yield strengths, as well as hardness look to be nearly equal. Therefore I was thinking of making the silicon bronze chain plates the same size as my currently installed 316 stainless. Yet when I spoke with a rigger and a chain plate fabricator, they suggest making the silicon bronze chain plate bigger to account for elongation the material exhibits under stress. Could you comment on this?

Also, I am considering using Grade 5 Titanium, yet most of this material is made and and fabricated in China. I was concerned about the potential quality of the Titanium chain plate, but some articles about Titanium chain plates say this should not be a concern, as the material and fabrication are of good quality in China, as China supplies most of the Titanium material on the world markets. Please comment.

Regards

[Brion Toss]

Hi again,
Check Skene's and you'll see that Silicon bronze and stainless chainplates are properly done with the same scantlings; Bronze is more ductile, but the offset in the direction of the load, plus metal thickness and width, compensate. Not ever a problem, as the rigger should know...
You might see if Port Townsend Foundry can supply you with the chainplates you need.
As for titanium, I have had mixed experiences with Chinese metal. It is all about the supplier.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss