Rusted hip rings

[riggerrob 558]

Today I found rusted hip rings on a Sidewinder container. The rings are R.I.1 pattern that include friction adapters.
They are marked 555-1 0103.
Much of the cadmium-plating was missing and the hardware is starting to turn brown with rust.
I suspect that this harness has landed in the salt chuck at least once. It also has dozens of jumps in the SW American desert.
I will contact Bordon Forgecraft and Flying High in the morning.
Has anyone else seen R.I.1 rings rusted?

[RedundantRigger 0]

I've seen rust on MLW adjusters and 3 ring hardware. We have javelin containers. I've been able to polish it down with fine sandpaper and steel wool.
Do you have any pictures?

[councilman24 36]

I've seen well worn, rust coated hardware, but not particular piece. Some was so rusty the rust had started to cause wear on the webbing. And I do not think this hardware had been anywhere near a ocean. Maybe a trip or two to Florida but certainly not dunked. My assumption has been variation in plated hardness causes some to wear. Once plating gone no longer protected.

I'm old for my age.
Terry Urban
D-8631
FAA DPRE

[JerryBaumchen 1,047]

Hi Terry,

Quote

My assumption has been variation in plated hardness causes some to wear.

I think that is one variable. Usually plating standards call for a minimum thickness of plating. However, there are variables in the actual plating process also.

And an excerpt from www.chemprocessing.com: "Electroplated cadmium is a robust and versitile metallic coating. Cadmium is a soft white metal that, when plated onto steel, cast iron, malleable iron, copper, and powdered metal, functions as a "sacrificial coating," corroding before the substrate material." My bolding.

My thinking is that the minimum standard for the plating was quite possibly based upon military rigs only having a predetermined lifetime of 7 yrs. And, for the most part, being warehoused in a somewhat/mostly controlled environment.

Today, rigs ( if taken care of ) last far more than 7 yrs. And the environment is all over the place.

And remember, all plating of this type is considered sacrificial; as mentioned in the quote above. The moment that the plating process is completed, it begins to lose thickness.

Just my thoughts,

Jerry Baumchen

[riggerrob 558]

I recently inspected a second harness made with the same batch of hip rings. Much of the cadmium-plating had worn off, but there was no rust. Probably because the second harness had not been dipped in salt water

I just received a pair of hip rings from DJ Associates (made 0114). The new rings have shiny cadmium-plating that looks better than the earlier rings.