Washers are flattened, circular or disc-shaped piece of metal with a hole that are often used in conjunction with threaded fasteners. They are used to distribute the weight of a threaded fastener, washers are thin plates with a hole that can also be used as spacers, springs, wear pads, and locking device.

There are different forms of the lock washer: Belleville, curved disc, wave, split, toothed, tab, and wedge. These are used to prevent the loosening of a bolted joint brought about by vibration. Which is why hardened steel washers such as 304 Stainless Steel is necessary for high-quality bolted joints. The washers prevent the loss of pre-load when the torque is applied. 304 Stainless Steel is the material used for this washer. Type 304 Stainless steel is a T300 Series Stainless Steel austenitic. It has a minimum of 18% chromium and 8% nickel, combined with a maximum of 0.08% carbon. Knowing this, you may be confident that your 304 stainless steel stove bolt is corrosion-resistant.