I built a DC powered electrolysis deruster over the weekend with washing soda, 5 gallon bucket, rear for sacrificial anodes using car charger...work great.
My issue is bolts and small parts..
I do have a parts cleaner that doesn't pump (bad switch) and was wondering...absent using the deruster I built the parts cleaner i have to degrease or my dishwasher (joking) what other methods have you used to get your bolts looking new again?
I have used phosphoric acid to derust in the past. Very effective and not extremely harmful to good metal.
Also, was thinking of a media tumbler/drum and need suggestions on a very good refinish system/process for oxidizing bolts.
What I have is probably 25# of 67 and 68 body bolts, engine fasteners..etc.
Suggestions please!
Si Vis Pacem Parabellum
1967 Starlight black PMD Engineering 400 Auto 1968 Alpine Blue 400 4 speed 1968 Verdoro Green 400 HO 4 speed 2013 1LE 2SS/RS Inferno Orange Camaro.
I got the tumbler kit from Eastwoods. The green plastic triangles remove the rust and the walnut shells then polish everything very nicely.
Throw a load in, turn it on, let it run overnight (or longer if badly rusted), check on them every once in a while and Voila. No harsh chems, no nasty fumes, it does the work for you.
When it comes to putting finishes back on, from what I read - nothing beats sending them to a quality plater. I have tried Eastwoods black oxide finish and it's messy and comes off. I also tried their electroplating kit on a very limited basis and it's OK. But you can only do ONE part at a time. I know we have hobbies to fill up spare time, but I don't think anybody has that kind of time.
2012 Mustang Boss 302 #1918, Competition Orange. FGF replacement 2006 Mustang V6 Pony, Vista Blue. Factory ordered. 2019 BMW X3 (Titled to the wife, but I'm always driving it for her. So I'm claiming it) Old projects, gone but not forgotten: 1967 FB 400, original CA car. After 22 years of work, trashed by the guy who was supposed to paint it. I had to sell it. 1980 Turbo Trans Am 1970 Mustang fastback, 351C 4Bbl, auto 1988 Mustang GT, 5 speed 1983 F-150 4x4, built 302 1994 Chevy K2500 HD 4x4, 454 TBI
I haven't had good results with the vibratory tumbler. I've used coal slag, sand, kitty litter. After 24 hours of vibrating, the rust is still on the bolts.
I put my bolts in a screen sieve and clean them with coal slag media in my media blast cabinet. That's the best method I've found--only thing that won't readily come off is RTV, gasket shellac, and any other soft coating. These I wire brush and then media blast. It isn't that difficult to clean a fairly large amount of bolts, nuts, etc. this way. You do need 100 psi, however.
Bolts that need to be black are black zinc plated. It's a very dark black finish that is durable. If I want a satin finish, I take the bolts, etc. directly from the blaster to plating. If shiny is what you want, put them in a vibratory tumbler with sand for about 12 hours and the finish will be very shiny after plating.
I may just clean them up some and ship them all out to be black zinc plated. Haven't found a at home system process i can buy...and just like replacing window screens at your house...your best intentions and frustration are better left to a few bucks more and the pros..
Now comes the fun part...
I have now roughly 50# of bolts from 2 parts cars and engines..body bolts, trim..anything one can imagine....collected over the past 25 years.
The fun part will be figuring out what the hell is what....and where it goes to. Hell, I'd pay someone to label them where they went.
Just may have to clean them up and have a photo "guess what this bolt is and where it goes" contest...with the winner getting some NOS parts for their Bird.
Si Vis Pacem Parabellum
1967 Starlight black PMD Engineering 400 Auto 1968 Alpine Blue 400 4 speed 1968 Verdoro Green 400 HO 4 speed 2013 1LE 2SS/RS Inferno Orange Camaro.
After tedious research over the past week or so, I found a system where using sodium hydroxide and potassium nitrate in heat baths to accurately reproduce the rusting black oxide finish. This system is similar to parkerizing and gun bluing and a bit different that the cold oxide finishes Eastwood and Caswell sell. Although a little more involved and more safety measures need to be heeded, the results are far better and long lasting.
I am using a bench grinder to clean, media tumbler to further clean, a dual propane burner for the solutions and wort containers with screens for the parts.
Once I get a batch run and done, I will post the before and after pics.
All tolled, I spent $270 in the setup and from reading 7 different articles on the process, I believe this will replicate the desired result.
Incidentally, I emailed 4 different companies regarding the parts, weight, type of coating requested and condition. Quotes were between $350 and $440. So, considering the price, research, cost/benefit...I have enough solution and material to do 15 to 20 times the bolts for the $270 investment.
So...if you guys like the results, I will be happy to run your parts through the process for a very small nominal cost.
Si Vis Pacem Parabellum
1967 Starlight black PMD Engineering 400 Auto 1968 Alpine Blue 400 4 speed 1968 Verdoro Green 400 HO 4 speed 2013 1LE 2SS/RS Inferno Orange Camaro.
I tried about everything mentioned and settled on bead blasting and sending them to a plater. I even bought the Caswell plating kit with a real power supply and other upgrades. Not many places do black zinc but an alternative is to get them bright zinc'd and then use the Caswell conversion chemical to black them. If you want to experiment, just get some hardware store bolts and black them.
At the bottom of this page is a box of fasteners I had done in cadmium and the contact info for the place that did the work. It was $60 for a 5 gal pale of fasteners, extra if there was anything that needed baked (springs, hardened bolts etc...).
After tedious research over the past week or so, I found a system where using sodium hydroxide and potassium nitrate in heat baths to accurately reproduce the rusting black oxide finish. This system is similar to parkerizing and gun bluing and a bit different that the cold oxide finishes Eastwood and Caswell sell. Although a little more involved and more safety measures need to be heeded, the results are far better and long lasting.
I am using a bench grinder to clean, media tumbler to further clean, a dual propane burner for the solutions and wort containers with screens for the parts.
Once I get a batch run and done, I will post the before and after pics.
All tolled, I spent $270 in the setup and from reading 7 different articles on the process, I believe this will replicate the desired result.
Incidentally, I emailed 4 different companies regarding the parts, weight, type of coating requested and condition. Quotes were between $350 and $440. So, considering the price, research, cost/benefit...I have enough solution and material to do 15 to 20 times the bolts for the $270 investment.
So...if you guys like the results, I will be happy to run your parts through the process for a very small nominal cost.
How did bolts turn out?
Engine Test Stand Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLwoxyUwptUcdqEb-o2ArqyiUaHW0G_C88 restoring my 1968 Firebird 400 HO convertible (Firedawg) 1965 Pontiac Catalina Safari Wagon 389 TriPower (Catwagon) 1999 JD AWS LX Lawn tractor 17hp (my daily driver) 2006 Sequoia 2017 Murano (wife's car) 202? Electric car 203? 68 Firebird /w electric engine 2007 Bayliner 175 runabout /w 3.0L Mercuiser__________________________________________________________