Episode #215 – Dodging Lynn

 

The screw turns as the industry heads to Nashville for its annual spring jamboree. NCFA Distributor Social attendees, Gary Graham, Justine Urban, Morgan Wilson speak with the lovely and talented Lynn Dempsey. On the Fastener Training Minute, thread guru Carmen Vertullo explains new structural bolt standard changes that could impact hydrogen embrittlement. PLUS: Who actually won the FTR award at this year’s MWFA Still Screwed Up Open?  Run time: 34:30

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Listen to the podcast here

 

Episode #215 – Dodging Lynn

Morgan Wilson Of STAR Stainless

Imagine my surprise. I’m over here at North Coast and who do I run into?

Morgan Wilson.

What are you doing here?

I just started a new role with Star Stainless.

Congratulations.

Thank you.

How are you going to roll your two roles together?

I’m excited to kind of utilize the strong network that I’ve built over the years at IFE. Also, fall back on my experience with exact industries and the distributor that I worked for prior to that. I got to knock a little rust off my CFS but I’m excited.

You could stay where you are in California, and you can still fish. I know that’s important to Eric. You just go fishing and surfing.

I hope so. I don’t know how much free time I’ll have, but we’ll try and get on the water when we can. I’ll stay in Southern California and be traveling around a little bit.

It’s great to see you.

Likewise.

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Live From Northeast Ohio At The Shagbark Location

I’m coming to you this time from semi-rural Northeast Ohio. I’m at the Shagbark location. Brian, you are the well-known coach slinger and fashion maven of the fastener industry. How are you?

Good. I’m not a fashion maven. That’s you.

You have your chance in Nashville to shine, Brian Musker, that is. You’re getting all rigged up for Nashville. I am, too. We’re going to drop this. This will be the shortest episode on record. We’re going to get it out there just because I have these odds and ends to clean up before we go. Lynn was able to grab a few little interviews from the social. You guys came out to Cleveland back and I have a few of those. Let’s get those off the plates so we can clear the decks for Nashville stuff.

We went to a social event. It was a great social event as always. It wasn’t much in the way of negative vibes, I have to say. People were the waiting and seeing stuff. It was gone away. I don’t know. I couldn’t quite tell, but it was a lot of people. We had a lot of fun talking to them.

That’s what it’s all about and we’ll have more. That’ll be our feature as we’re going to call it. It’s just a couple of slices. We opened up with the voice of Morgan Wilson. He flew out from the West Coast. He was hobnobbing in the Midwest at the NCFA Distributor Social. In this episode, we’ll also have a fastener training minute with Carmen Vertullo. This time he’ll be talking about galvanizing high-strength structural bolts and all you see FSs out there, are thinking, “That’s not permitted.” As Carmen will explain, that is changing.

You’ll be able to get more detail on this as all of Carmen’s training minutes and his various musings. We don’t say this often enough, but he does do a column in Fastener Technology International Magazine. You got another reason to grab FTI. The other FTI, which is the Fastener Training Institute, is very involved with what Carmen does. You’ll hear Joe Morris on his training minute also. They’re bringing back individual CFS classes. You don’t have to sit for the whole week anymore. You can take individual days scattered out and then mash them all together and get your certification, which is cool. They used to offer that. It’s back.

It will amuse a lot of people because they can’t take a whole week off.

Who Actually Won The FTR Award This Year?

For everybody thinking about getting that CFS certification, there you have it. Also, right before we get too much into this brief episode. We should clear up the cover art question.

I think you should.

We were just about ready to turn on the mics and I realized we had a little bit of a mystery. It was the Mid-West Fastener Association, still screwed up open. Which is their spring spectacular golf event. Even though they were freezing their asses off, Brian. They had over 70 golfers, so it was a success.

It’s a pretty good turn up.

I know you stayed comfortably warm there at the data center.

It was very warm setting inside watching the city weather outside.

I got the rundown from Bob. If you’ve seen the thumbnail for this episode, it’s Bill Johansson with Big Bolt. He’s holding the coveted FTR Award. That being a 30 pack of warm Busch Light. I don’t know how warm it would have been because it was so cold out. Anyway, that award is associated with stinking up the greens in some way coming in last or having a noteworthy Mulligan. This time as it turns out, Bill was on the winning team.

That’s a relief.

We don’t want him to be stigmatized here. We’re clearing it up here. Big Bolt in fact did take the FTR Award. I talked to Tom Borer of Kanebridge on this to make sure that it was true because Tom and Vic from Kanebridge headed up the pack out there at the MWFA event surprisingly. According to Tom, they weren’t expecting it but they led the field along with Bill Johansson from Big Bolt and Rick Terry, who many of you know is an independent rep and they were number one. Anyway, everyone else on Big Bolt was on a separate team from Bill and he just accepted the award. That’s how he got on the cover.

He won’t be doing that again.

How To Join This Year’s Tough Mudder Team

You got to be careful when you pick up that 30 pack, folks. Anyway, congratulations to everybody for all of your various achievements. I hope the beer was warm. Also, while I was talking to GQ, he mentioned to me that this year’s Tough Mudder team is building out quite nicely. We’ve lost a few folks but we’ve picked up quite a few as well. That’s all cool and everything’s building. What he wanted me to point out is when we’ve been promoting this, we’ve been staring everybody to the ToughMudder.com website to get a picture of what the event looks like in all that.

He wanted us to clearly state that if you’re interested in jumping in on the team, get with Bob GQ Baer with Abbott Interfast or Bobby Wagner with Beacon Fasteners GH3 over there and he’ll be able to help you out as well. Three of the big shots on this team and they’re doing the coordination. If you want to get in on the Tough Mudder race, we’d love to have you. Our team is the Tough Nutters. The events in August connected with MWFA Fastener week. It’s on August 28th in Rockford kicking off the whole week. You’ll be there, right, Brian?

Of course. At what capacity running around with cameras or whatever. We’ll see.

Are you going to get new shoes for this?

No. I’m usually trying to find some old shoes.

Why You Should Not Dodge Lynn

As they said, we’re just putting up a brief episode together and we’ll take a break in a minute. When we come back, we’ll play a couple more of those short interview segments that Lynn grabbed at the distributor social. If you stay through that, Brian and I will wind up. We’ll give you some tips about how not to suck if Lynn comes up and tries to interview you at Fastener Fare in Nashville.

Not to run screaming away.

Typically, people will freeze up, but there’s so much opportunity. The point is here, she’s putting the mic in front of your face. A lot of people read the show. Not everybody, but a lot of people do. It’s your chance to communicate your message to the industry that may be promoting your company. That might make people back at the home office feel it was worthwhile sending you all to Nashville.

 

It could be your take or your suggestion on what we should be doing on the show, or you might just want to express some reaction to something that’s going on, either on the show or elsewhere out there in the fastener world. Don’t be shy. If you see Lynn walking around, tap her on the shoulder. She’s looking for interviews. We’ll talk about that a little bit more. I pretty much just set it right there. I’m scratching from the material here.

We’re focused on getting to Nashville.

It’s been a while since I’ve had to jam all this stuff in the crate.

Without forgetting something.

Fascinating To Farming With Sam Aldinger

Don’t worry, Brian. You have this paranoia about not having enough extension cords all the time, but we always make it somehow. In the interest of getting more content out there before we leave the office. We published an interview with Sam Aldinger who said a lot of important things about what’s happening, especially with technology and its impacts on the fastener industry. I put it in the category of must listen Fully Threaded episodes. If you’re catching us now and you haven’t read the episode with Sam Aldinger that we just published. Make sure you go back and read it. I’d share it with everybody in your office who would benefit from it as well. Some very key messages on that one.

Sam’s views on the importance of maximizing all your use of data and trying to use AI in the process or to help you do that is a big thing and he’s focused on that.

Learn to maximize the use of your data and try to include AI in the process to help you do that. Share on X

On top of that, it’s just a plain entertaining conversation. Some of you know that Sam and his family jumped into the homesteading lifestyle after working for many years at Fastenal. He gives us a little more insight into that as well. It’s a great conversation. We call it Fascinating to Farming with Sam Aldinger.

Much more than just remotely connected to fastening.

Predominantly, one might say. Our partners are as well. Fully Threaded Radio is made possible by our partners. The title sponsor of Fully Threaded is Star Stainless. Right off the shelf, its Star. Global Fasteners, quality for the first time. Go gobble and Brighton-Best International. Tested, try and true, Brighton-Best.

Fully Threaded is also sponsored by Buckeye Fasteners, BTM Manufacturing, Eurolink Fastener Supply Service, InxSQL Software, J. Lanfranco, MW Components, Solution Industries, Volt Industrial Plastics, and Würth Industry USA. You can catch Brian or myself out there at LinkedIn or send us an email. The address is FTR@FullyThreaded.com. Thanks, everybody, for checking up on the show. We appreciate you. If you are in Nashville, we’ll be in Booth 3308. Look us up.

We have friends who are FCH members and anyone who is not a member who should be.

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Hot Dip Galvanizing And Coding Of F3125 Structural Bolting

This is Carmen Vertullo with the Fastener Training Minute coming to you from the Fastener Training Institute in Carver Lab in beautiful El Cajon, California. Our topic is by no means a new one. We’ve talked about this before. The topic has to do with structural bolts and specifically hot tip galvanizing of structural bolts and very specifically, hot-dip galvanizing of high-strength 150 KSI, grade A 490 structural bolts. Which currently by the F3125 standard is not permitted. However, change is in the works. We’ll talk about hot-dip galvanizing and coding in general of F3125 structural bolting.

If you look at F3125, it is very clear in an appendix or an annex, I should say, which coatings are allowed on which types of fasteners. It turns out that the most common coding that we see on structural bolts is hot-dip galvanizing. However, it is restricted to grade A325 heavy hex structural bolt assemblies. There are no coatings allowed on any tension control bolts at this point. They can occasionally be coded with the agreement. Sometimes we will see for example mechanical zinc on TC volts. The reason for that is TC bolts are very finicky regarding their K factor or their lubrication.

Any coating that we put on them would have to be controlled in such a factor as to make that TC bolt assembly work. The table that is defining what we’re allowed to do in an Annex called A1 permitted coding of F3125 is called Table A1.1 permitted coatings. It’s very clear it starts off telling us that of the two grades 120 KSI, which is the ASTM A325 and the 144 KSI, which is a new grade, by the way, if you haven’t been paying attention to structural bolting. It’s new. It’s better and stronger I should say than the A325. Not quite as strong as the A490 and 150 KSI, but it’s up there. It solves a lot of problems.

Structural bolting is getting better and stronger than A325. It is not quite as strong as the A490 at 150ksi, but it is up there and solves a lot of problems. Share on X

These bolts are permitted to have hot-dip galvanized coatings according to F2329. They’re also permitted to have mechanical zinc coatings according to ASTM B695. They’re also permitted to have various types of zinc flake coatings, which are described in ASTM F3393. If we move over, we talk about the 150 KSI or A490 assemblies. The only qualified coding for that bolt is the F3393 zinc flake type coatings and there are several of them to pick from in that standard. What’s the issue? For many years, we’ve been arguing that we would like to be able to put hot-dip galvanizing on our 150 KSI A490 assemblies.

We’ve had both shifts for us arguments against and for it. It’s been quite contentious on several standards committees. That would be the BOA Coatings Committee. It would be in the F16 Fastener Standards Committee and also in the RCSC Research Council on Structural Connections Committees. We’re about to come up against a final answer to that pretty soon here. As a matter of fact, we will be meeting in June possibly as this Fastener Training Minute is being published to discuss this. The arguments against coding on the A490 bolts are that we have to over tap the nut.

Now, we’re expecting to get great performance out of that nut, much more so than we would need on the grade A325 and somewhat more than we would need on the grade 144. We’re trying to decide if this is an issue or not. We know that they hot-dip galvanized the strength fastener in Europe all the time. However, they have a different approach to it. Their approach is to undersize the threads on the bolt and when the hot-dip galvanized coating goes on, now it’s a standard thread. They don’t have to over tap the nut.

If we over tap the nut by too much or the coating is too thin, we may not have enough threading engagement and we could risk an issue with thread stripping. Also, there is always the fear of hydrogen embrittlement. A490 structural bolts at 150 KSI are not in the range at maximum strength and hardness where hydrogen embrittlement becomes an issue. However, it could be if we missed some bolts and there have been cases in the past. Those are the fears.

Here’s the resolution that we’re seeking. Hopefully, enough parties will agree to it because we could benefit from being able to hot-dip galvanize our 150 KSI structural bolting. The proposal is that we will allow it but only with the permission or under the supervision of the manufacturer of the bolts. In other words, an end user or a distributor would not be able to just buy these bolts and hot-dip galvanize them and match them with a nut and a washer and make the assembly. That would be only done with the permission or under the auspices of the manufacturer, which is a fairly decent solution. We’ll see where that goes.

 

Having said all of that, chances are it may not matter very much because for most cases where we need 150 KSI, a hot-dip galvanized bolt, probably the 144 KSI assembly will work fine. That’s the thinking. It’s quite possible going into the future that we may not have 150 KSI bolts as the standard and the 144 KSI bolt will become the standard. It could conceivably even replace the A325 1220 KSI bolt. We all of a sudden can win from this very complex standard with three different bolts in three different styles and there’s another standard that has the torque and angle. Don’t worry. That’s a topic for another fastener training minute.

We could go from a very complex structural bolt situation to a much simpler one, where we only have one grade that’s 144 KSI and we can put whatever coating we want on it. That is where we’re living now in the world of dealing with hot-dip galvanizing of structural bolting. We’ll be discussing this at a couple of upcoming conferences and I will give you an update when we have it. Pay attention to the fastener standards update in the NFTA newsletter and also in the Faster Technology International Magazine, where we will be reporting on this as developments occur. This has been Carmen Vertullo with the Faster Training Minute.

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Justine Urban Of Hodell-Natco’s Sourcing Department

I’m still over here at North Coast and now I’m with?

Justine Urban, Hodell-Natco. I’m the Manager of the Sourcing Department.

I noticed Kevin, your boss said, “She can handle it.”

He has been my boss since I’ve been with the company and it’s a great company to work for.

Tell me. How’s the events so far?

It’s been great. I’ve talked to a lot of vendors and had a lot of great conversations.

What’s happening over at Hodell that you want to tell us about?

We’ve been very busy. Busy with new business and busy with figuring out tariffs, which is everybody’s favorite topic. I think we’ve got everything pretty well aligned and hoping that things stay up beat for us.

Should I ask, how do you figure out tariffs?

Lots of math.

Tony Bowman Of Michigan Bolt Manufacturing

That says it all. We have a newbie here for North Coast Fastener. This is?

Tony Bowman from Michigan Bolt Manufacturing.

What do you think so far?

It’s a great event. A lot of people here. It’s been a good network and I didn’t know what I was getting into coming here since it was my first time, but I’m pleasantly surprised.

Tell me a little bit about Michigan Bolt.

We are located out of Romeo, Michigan. We are an external threaded manufacturing supplier. We produce standard well sets for the automotive industry. On top of that, bolts, cap screws, capex bolts, hinge pins, solid pins and rivets. Pretty much anything that’s a pin with an external thread or not, we can manufacture.

How long have you been in the industry?

I’ve been in the industry now for about fourteen years, but I’ve been with Michigan Bolts specifically for four.

Will we see you at more shows?

Absolutely.

That’s always good. Do you listen to Fully Threaded Radio?

Yes, I do.

Eric’s not here, but Brian’s here. I think you met Brian earlier. You’ll have to meet Eric at the Fastener Fair.

Yes, at the Fastener Fair National. We’ll see him down there.

Gary Graham, New President Of North Coast Fastener Association

I’m over here at the North Coast Social and I’m here with the new president who happens to be?

Gary Graham.

I knew you when, Gary? How about it?

You’ve known me for a while. Since I was a young buck in the industry.

I know. How about it? Here you are a president. I’m so proud of you.

Thank you. Thanks for your support.

Tell me. How did this happen? When did it happen?

We had an election and years of service finally won over my peers or they got tired of doing it. They elected me. This is my first term as the president, as you said. Finally, a chance to give back and serve the organization that served me so well over these years.

What direction are you taking the club?

Now you’re giving me a platform in a semi direction. If I had to say, it would be keeping the youth and new members of the industry involved. As the platform I came up on, as you’ve known me. I’ve been bumping my gums for a long time about keeping the new youth, the new generation, the young fastener professionals involved. I would like to push that.

We’re having a lot of events here at the North Coast Fastener Association. We just had a go-kart race in February with an amazing turnout. It is geared toward getting everyone from the office. Maybe get your Warehouse out there. Some of your crew you want to keep involved showing fun things that we do. It’s not just getting orders out at the end of the day. It’s going on plant tours, learning the industry and amazing social events like this.

We’ve got a ball game with the Cleveland Guardians in the summer and our golf tournament. A lot of young golfers out there spend a beautiful day outside working for the company. I would like to get everyone involved. There’s so much knowledge and professionals in this industry. There’s just so much wealth and just the experience that we could share and we can make a great next generation for the industry.

There is a lot of knowledge and professionals in the fastener industry that should be shared around to make a great next generation. Share on X

You should be president here, Gary.

You just inherit the long-winded speeches.

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Episode Wrap-Up And Closing Words

Sounds from the 2025 edition of the North Coast Fastener Association distributor social. I’m glad you were able to swing out for that along with Lynn, Brian.

I was but I’ve made that most years. I sat when we’re overseas once, but it’s great social. People who’ve never been to any of these joint things before. This is a one-way you’ll see that the industry can get along quite happily, even though many of the people in this room are competing in one way against each other, but not necessarily exactly. They’re in the same area and it’s great to see.

As usual, it attracted several members of the upper echelon sprinkle in amongst the plebeians. It’s good to see and we’ll see a lot of them again in Nashville coming up here. The countdown has begun. I’m sure Blanca is quite excited. You know how it feels before the big day when you have all these plans and everything coming together. It’s exciting. If you’ve been to a fastener event in the last several years and you have your eyes open, then you’ve seen the lovely and talented Lynn Dempsey walking the aisles looking for interviews for this very show inviting anyone and everyone to share their voice with the industry.

We’ll close out this brief episode of Fully Threaded Radio with a few encouraging words for our would-be participants who sometimes, as you said, should go running in horror. Not all of them. We have some great regulars over the years as it turns out, but there’s a lot of room out there. What words of advice would you give for folks who are hesitant to jump in on this opportunity?

It’s a chance to give a summary of what your company does. Normally, Lynn will be asking for your comments relating to the industry, the state of it as you see it and you should give that, too. The way that someone who sells pins would be different to the way or supplier will say bolts especially at the moment. Everyone has a different view of what state the industry is in. Altogether, it makes the general state of the industry. It is important for all of us and you can make it important for you. You represent your company.

 

I get your drift on all that. I’m going to say it’s an opportunity to perhaps poke fun at one of your industry friends or make note of an interesting anecdote that might have occurred or maybe you rolled a golf cart down the berm. We won’t go into that but different fastener lore that can now be told. It’s your chance. I’ll tell you. We’ll make it a little juicier for you. There’s a new edition Fully Threaded Radio coffee mug. A very attractive addition to your collection, a fastener culturments. Anyone who does an interview with Lynn, you’re going to go home with one of those. We’ll have a small quantity of them available at the FCH Sourcing Network booth. Again, that’s in 3308. That’s our main gig, by the way.

Sometimes, we forget to mention that. it was pointed out to me several times. Here’s our plug for this episode. Get out to FastenersClearingHouse.com. Anyway, we’ll be there in Nashville, so will you. Talk to Lynn. Get on the next episode and that’ll be the next time some of you hear from us. We’ll do our usual roll-up of the Fastener Fair. We look forward to seeing a lot of you there, but if we don’t, we’ll talk to you then.

Come by or stop by and say hi.

Good advice. We managed to do the shortest one on record yet. Thanks so much for reading, folks. I’ll say for Brian Musker, this is Eric Dudas. Get out there and sell some screws. Talk to Lynn if you see her coming.

 

Important Links

• Morgan Wilson on LinkedIn
• Star Stainless
• IFE
• Brian Musker on LinkedIn
• Fastener Training Institute
• Kanebridge
• Tough Mudder
• Abbott Interfast
• Sam Aldinger – Previous Episode
• Fastenal
• FTR@FullyThreaded.com
• Carver Lab
• Carmen Vertullo on LinkedIn
• Hodell-Natco
• Michigan Bolt Manufacturing
• North Coast Fastener Association
• Fasteners Clearing House
• Justine Urban on LinkedIn
• Gary Graham on LinkedIn