PSA: If you're torquing stainless fittings dry, you're gambling (and the house always wins)

Had a guy send back three 316SS valve assemblies last month claiming they were defective. Threads were completely destroyed - looked like someone took a cheese grater to them. Turns out he was assembling stainless-on-stainless dry, using the same torque values as carbon steel.

Here's the thing most people don't realize: austenitic stainless (304, 316, etc.) work-hardens under pressure. When two stainless surfaces slide against each other without lubrication, microscopic high points weld together almost instantly. That's galling, and once it starts, you're not saving that fitting.

**What actually prevents it:**

- **Anti-seize compound is mandatory, not optional.** Nickel-based for high temps (above 400°F), copper-based for general service. Metal-free if you're worried about galvanic corrosion with exotic alloys.

- **Friction factor changes with lubricant.** If your torque chart assumes dry assembly (K=0.20) but you're using anti-seize (K drops to 0.12-0.15), you MUST reduce your torque values or you'll yield the bolt. I've seen brand new flanges warped because someone slathered on compound but didn't adjust the wrench.

- **Hand-start every time.** If you can't get 2-3 full turns by hand, something is cross-threaded. Do not power through it.

- **Slow RPM on impact wrenches.** High-speed assembly generates heat at the thread interface, which accelerates galling. If you have to use an impact, use the lowest setting and finish with a torque wrench.

The most expensive lesson I see repeated: guys buy premium stainless hardware, then save five minutes by skipping the compound. The fitting costs ten bucks. The emergency shutdown because a galled valve won't open costs... significantly more.

What's the worst galling disaster you've dealt with? I'm collecting war stories at this point.