The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area Paint and Body Shop Refurbishing rusty bolts & screws

Not really interested in laying out a bunch of $$ for a stainless steel bolt set. Would like to wire wheel the ones I removed, that are still in good enough shape, and re-use. But if I wire wheel the rust off, they will be very susceptible to rust. Can I paint them? I'm talking threads and all to protect from rust.


Thanks

I plan on replacing the more common bolts (hex head), with new ones that are zinc plated. Some others that are unique (like some clutch head (button and flat head), or oval head phillips), I've soaked them in evaporust to remove the rust, then a tumble in walnut shells with a little sandblasting grit for final cleanup, then zinc plating in a home-built setup.
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Screws & other hardware

I always reuse hardware, I wire wheel them or put them in a French fry basket I got at Goodwill and shake and blast them in my sandblast cabinet. I don't worry about them rusting in the structural sense just the appearance. They lasted this long didn't they? I paint over before or after install. Use Rustoleum Rust Reformer, then paint....or go the chemical/plating route if you wish. There are as many ways on the web as you can imagine. The Rustoleum Rust Reformer is pretty good stuff. Many of the ideas will add thickness to the threads which will be taken off when threaded into mating threads.

Paint

Chemical

Where I live there is not much rust, so my method may be no good for Alabama or Alaska.

I plan on reusing some fasteners without plating, mainly chassis stuff that haven't been rusted too badly and will be painted over after assembly like bartamos said. Alaska (at least where I am) isn't too bad for corrosion (too freaking cold? ), but some bolts were too sketchy in the thread area to comfortably reuse. Then there's the ones that I remove by tightening them till they break, rather than going to the trouble to try and get them unscrewed.

That exhaust dressing paint link looks interesting, and fairly easy.

That is the only way to get bed bolts off. The ones with a square under the head, that fits in a square hole. the one's with no head to hold. LIKE A STOVEBOLT! If you try to loosen them (and they are always rusted) they will spin the hole round and nut won't come off, then you take two weeks to grind off or cut off from underneath, while laying in the dirt with a little rock in your back. I think there are about 200 of the bastards. All that is done while they are still being spun by the grinder or cut off wheel. Then the hot cut off falls on your neck and goes down your shirt. Good clean fun.

Thanks for the Youtubes. I have never heard of the black oxide coating but it looks interesting in that he said it is a '"stain" rather than a "coating."

This evening I was looking at the bag of body bolts I have removed and most of them are still in decent shape. It would be a shame to scrap them. I'm definitely going to clean them up and re-use. With some kind of coating. And I just prefer original to the maximum extent possible, no matter what it is.

Also I was thinking that the original bolts were not stainless and for the most part they have held up pretty well for 55 years of mostly hard, weather-exposed use. And there is the fact that my resto will be an occasional driver for the rest if its (my) life, and spend most of its time under cover, I really don't see the need for stainless when it comes right down to it.

Yeah removing the bed bolts was an ordeal as you said. I had pretty good luck breaking them off with large vise grips and twisting them off. Still had grit in my eyes a week later I think. Didn't always remember the safety glasses.

I appreciate the advice.

Black oxide has no affect on dimensions. It's environmental protection is on the minimal side, but good enough for us.

What do you think of powder coating bolts? Looks relatively inexpensive

I don't like powder coating anything because I can't touch it up like rustoleum. It will add WAY too much thickness on threads. Can cause fit problems on certain other items. Really hard, really hard to get off. Lots of restorers on TV like it for the frame. Good for show cars and trucks, no good for driving around trucks. But that is just one mans opinion. DIY is difficult because it has to be baked. So oven size stuff only, or I guess a heat lamp. For hardware....nope nope and no.

10-4 thanks

Yeah, I'd agree on the powder coating. Not for fasteners. And probably more trouble to put on than zinc plating. Or that black coating in the video.

You might consider using gun bluing or "cold blue". Make sure they are very clean. Also keep in mind that other than specialty bolts like ARP a bolt is only good to torque once. If its anything important you might consider replacing those such as steering box or front end bolts.

Been down this path.

I do not recommend caswell cold oxide

I have purchased and used it, bolts looked awesome and great, whilst my car sat in the shed they looked factory original within a month of my car being on the road getting physically wet etc, the bolts rusted like tomorrow and left streaks of rust around them.

I consulted a few other people re what to do and they advised painting the bolts in epoxy primer black, i did this and they have stood up to the weather fantastic so far, they come otut in a satin finish but look great

Steve

Here is a couple pf photos, i use 3d printed holders for convenience as my blaster at work is huge and i would loose them otherwise

Rusty loaded
Blasted
Ready for paint
Painted in black epoxy primer

Not on subject, but those holders look great. Makes me want to run out and get a 3D printer. I’ve had to dig a few fasteners out of my cabinet blaster a few times!

Being more of a welding type guy, I'd be inclined to tack a few nuts on a piece of steel to hold bolts. But definitely a good idea to fab up something to hold fasteners for blasting.

[on edit] Or to be even more of a cheapskate, I'd stick them thru a piece of cardboard.

Cardboard is great for holding bolts for painting.

Steve

Over 40-something years of reloading virtually everything that shoots, I've accumulated several vibrator brass cleaners. Those things also work well for de-rusting nuts and bolts with the same ground corncob and jewelers' rouge media I use for polishing brass. Once the hareware is clean, I either assemble things and paint the exposed areas, or drop them into a Mason jar filled with oil and dare 'em to rust until I'm ready to use them.
Jerry

Soak your bolts and nuts in vinegar for a couple of days and it will take all the rust off.

Muriatic acid makes fast work of it but tough on the skin and nose. Ya gotta protect it with something afterwords 'cause it's raw.

Evaporust works very well and you can stick your hands in it without eating the skin off.