So, while I am waiting for items back that help me move along with the frame, I wanted to take on another task. My plan for this build is to use all stainless hardware. I read in several places that Totally Stainless was the place to get frame bolts as they offered them in material close to Grade 8. Well, I tried to go that route, and the company is on a 9 month backorder due to Covid19. Ouch! So I had to go a different route, nickel plating. This would require me to document everything I had for hardware and what it belonged to. I Anything that was used, I bought new Grade 8 replacements. Some of my new parts came with Grade 8 hardware. Documenting probably took me around a week of evenings. Every time I would think I was finished, I would find something else that need accounted for and replaced. Here is some of my spreadsheet.
Here is a huge pile of metal. I swear I know where everything goes. I even have extras in there, just in case.
Once everything was accounted for and ready, I needed to strip any coating off and get it down to raw for the plater. For this, I used muriatic acid. Nasty but effective stuff.
I filled a five gallon bucket up with 1 gallon of straight muriatic acid. I filled the bottom of a strainer with hardware and dipped it in the acid.
It foams and smokes for about 30 seconds and I'm being super careful not to breathe any of this crap in. After 30 seconds, I pull up the strainer and rinse the hardware off with cool water. I end up with nice raw hardware.
I had to hurry and dry it off because it flash rusts in a hurry. Once I got it dried off pretty good, I threw it in a gallon ziplock bag and sprayed WD-40 all over it.
All of the hardware is stripped and will get sent to the plater tomorrow. It should be back in a week.
