screw restoration??

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Brian Luce
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screw restoration??

#1 Post by Brian Luce »

Tub of random ziploc bagged interior screws, door handles, door latches, etc came with project car I must purchased. Really fun to go through it and see what I had (and mostly didn't have). At the bottom I found that there had been about 2 inches of water that had collected. Those ziploc bags weren't as water tight as I hoped. There is rust and rust colored staining of many pieces. I'm wondering what to do with that screws to "clean" them up. Should I soak them in something (what?) to remove rust or just pitch them? What is best to remove rust "staining" other than elbow grease? I'm sure this is not the first time for this but I struggled to find much searching previous posts.

Thanks
Brian

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Jim Liberty
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Re: screw restoration??

#2 Post by Jim Liberty »

A professional tumbler can do a good job. Unless something is really special, I'd can them. ............Jim.
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Martin Benade
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Re: screw restoration??

#3 Post by Martin Benade »

Evapo rust is pretty good stuff. You just soak them in it overnight and see what you have. Not much work. You may find damaged plating, missing plating, or pitting. I’ve never had a car that warranted it, but there is something nice about preserving original fasteners when possible. I’d still skip most interior trim screws though.
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Brian Luce
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Re: screw restoration??

#4 Post by Brian Luce »

Thanks guys, I appreciate all advice as usual. I'm pretty new to this...damn I love these cars...but they certainly bring challenges!!

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Mike Wilson
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Re: screw restoration??

#5 Post by Mike Wilson »

The challenge is that most replacement screws are stainless steel and have a non-original look. I have been able to polish some to an acceptable appearance. Some original screws can be satisfactorily rechromed but you need to inspect them to make sure they will look good after plating. Distorted slots can be filed for a better appearance but some may be a lot cause.

Mike
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Steve Proctor
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Re: screw restoration??

#6 Post by Steve Proctor »

Yeah, screw restoration. Just drive it like you found it!! Oh...
STP
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Tom Coughlin
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Screw restoration-been hoping for that

#7 Post by Tom Coughlin »

Sometimes you just need to get the rust out and hope for a good screw.
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Dave Erickson
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Re: screw restoration??

#8 Post by Dave Erickson »

I use a wire brush mounted on a pedestal grinder for cleaning up bolts and nuts. I use a soft brush (fine steel wire or brass) and it will polish up the chrome as well as get the rust and dirt off.

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Mike Wilson
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Re: screw restoration??

#9 Post by Mike Wilson »

I use about the same process, Dave. I also use Zephyr Pro 40. It's an excellent metal polish.

Mike
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Brian R Adams
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Re: screw restoration??

#10 Post by Brian R Adams »

Steve Proctor wrote: Mon Feb 06, 2023 10:24 am Yeah, screw restoration. Just drive it like you found it!! Oh...
Dang, beat me to it. By a furlong.
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Al Zim
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Re: screw restoration??

#11 Post by Al Zim »

send the screws out to be plated! You will not get reasonable priced chrome plating but whatever you get will be better than you can do at home with cleaners and a wire brush. Zim
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Mike Wilson
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Re: screw restoration??

#12 Post by Mike Wilson »

I think Dave and I use the same process for screws that have decent chrome but need cleaning. Screws too rusty are cleaned up then sent out for plating. I've found that if I clean parts prior to chrome, cad or powder-coating, I get better results.

Mike
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Brian Luce
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Re: screw restoration??

#13 Post by Brian Luce »

I think some of them look salvageable but will take some elbow grease. I may try Martin's Evaoprust soak overnight first. I'll let know about my failure!!

Thanks again
Brian

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