How to treat hardware, nuts and bolts?

[Gregski]

I am of the opinion that today's modern hardware is no way near the quality of the OEM stuff, (I think there's less "metal" and more "filler" but a metallurgist I am not, metal head yes!)hence I try to preserve the original nuts and bolts when ever I can, plus sometimes you gotta reuse something that is no longer available in the aftermarket world

recently I finally got into media blasting, and oh my goodness what a game changer (yes it took me about a month to dial it all in, little things, like oh being able to see inside my media blasting cabinet, lol)

anyway so now I have thse "naked" bolts, now I also do my own powder coating, but that is very time consuming for nuts and bolts, and even if I was going to powder coat them I don't powder coat the threads

I also tried Eastwood cold plating kit, I don't recall if it was zinc plating and bluing but that sucked either way

I also tried the heat them up with a torch and dip them in old used engine oil, but I hear that changes their strength properties so I only do that for ornamental hardware (like the grille, etc) and not structural (actually works great and the nuts and bolts stay black and don't rust)

so I am open to suggestions

[Getter-Done]

This is something I want to try
There are lots of video's out there to do (Electro-plating) home plating.

This is the simplest one I found.
Beside his annoying (Second person) voice

Electroplating - Easy DIY Nickel, Copper, Zinc...

[suville]

Caswell black oxide, restores original finish

[mongocanfly]

Theres a guy near here that does the electro plating on all his hardware..it looks good when hes done

[Gregski]

thank you all for your feedback, here is an excellent video on using motor oil to blue them bolts, he does a really good job of explaining the color changes as you heat up the metal

Delboy's Garage, Simple Skills, "Rust Proofing Bolts"

[Gregski]

nothing to it but to do it

[Gregski]

a little vi de O for you


Rusty Bolt Oil Treatment

[Gregski]

oh this is the garbage I used from Clint Eastwood back in 2015

[mongocanfly]

Nice video.... I'm somewhat suprised, knowing how scientific you are, that you wernt using a temperature gun on the bolts when you heat them... I know it dont take much to do it..weve treated alot of metal in oil at the farm over the yrs..

[Thealien]

Originally Posted by Gregski

oh this is the garbage I used from Clint Eastwood back in 2015

I have used the Caswell plating black oxide solution with good results (link below). To keep them looking good you must use a sealer on them after the black oxide treatment. I am going to watch the video and see the results for comparison.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by Thealien

I have used the Caswell plating black oxide solution with good results (link below). To keep them looking good you must use a sealer on them after the black oxide treatment. I am going to watch the video and see the results for comparison.

thanks, I clicked on your link and saw someone recommended the Eastwood product I used there, so I clicked that link and the result below speaks volumes, ha ha

[TKCR]

What I do with all my bolts, is soak them in EvapRust. Rinse and drop them in oil. Good to go.
The brackets were sandblasted & repainted.m

[44th Miss Inf]

I’ve got a glass bead blaster, but what I do with my small bolts etc, is put them in an old vibratory tumbler that is left over from where I upgraded my reloading tumbler. My arthritis sometimes makes it difficult to hold small stuff to blast. Put it in the tumbler, turn it on, and walk away.
I do have a variety of tumbling media, so may change sometimes to something more “aggressive” (ranges from corn cobb media to stainless steel pins)

[blazer2007]

Originally Posted by TKCR

What I do with all my bolts, is soak them in EvapRust. Rinse and drop them in oil. Good to go.
The brackets were sandblasted & repainted.m

no heat or nothing ? How long did you soak them ?

[TKCR]

Originally Posted by blazer2007

no heat or nothing ? How long did you soak them ?

No heat. Most of the time it’s overnight. The ones that are really bad, I take them to the sink and use a small wire brush on them, and then drop them back in for a few days. They can stay in for days on end.
I do all my seat tracks also in EvapoRust also. I have a plastic rectangle planter that I filled with EvapoRust. Then I submerse the entire set of tracks down in the fluid. The next day I take them out and rinse, and immediately blow them dry with the air compressor nozzle. When they are good and dry, I repaint them. And then lube the bearings & rollers.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by TKCR

No heat. Most of the time it’s overnight. The ones that are really bad, I take them to the sink and use a small wire brush on them, and then drop them back in for a few days. They can stay in for days on end.
I do all my seat tracks also in EvapoRust also. I have a plastic rectangle planter that I filled with EvapoRust. Then I submerse the entire set of tracks down in the fluid. The next day I take them out and rinse, and immediately blow them dry with the air compressor nozzle. When they are good and dry, I repaint them. And then lube the bearings & rollers.

that is impressive and the only thing I can say is that they must secretly make two formulas one for California where I live and the one that works that you are using, cause I swear I tried this stuff and it would not remove a bugger off a finger

[franken]

Greg,
You might try the local home store for concrete etching solution. I think the name around here is Etch-n-Prep or Etch and Prep or something in the paint or concrete toys sections. I wouldn't leave parts in it longer than necessary depending on how diluted it is.

It's phosphoric acid and I suspect it's the base for numerous rust removal stuff like Evaporust. Note that you need to dilute it and don't get it on concrete--it dissolves it. It also removes galvanized plating in case anyone cares.

[Gregski]

Originally Posted by franken

Greg,
You might try the local home store for concrete etching solution. I think the name around here is Etch-n-Prep or Etch and Prep or something in the paint or concrete toys sections. I wouldn't leave parts in it longer than necessary depending on how diluted it is.

It's phosphoric acid and I suspect it's the base for numerous rust removal stuff like Evaporust. Note that you need to dilute it and don't get it on concrete--it dissolves it. It also removes galvanized plating in case anyone cares.

yes sir absolutely, I have been using Home Depot's Prep n Etch for nearly a decade it was one of my greatest discoveries, and I have always shared it on all of my builds, the latest mention of it was in my Yet another spray paint comparison thread!

as far as diluting it, well maybe 10 years ago yes, but I know for a fact they have changed their formula since then here in California, you can almost drink this stuff these days it's that weak