I was going through my old pile of original HW and gave evapo-rust a try, to see if the pile of rust can be saved.

Worked out really good!

Unfortunately I didn't take a picture before. However, after letting the screws sit submerged for two days in a cold garage, the screws looks "used/new".

I got the small bottle at HF for $8. Any other product experience on the board?


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cool; good suggestion.

now the question is.....do they need to be replated for rust protection?

I use that stuff and it definitely works.

Unless you a build a perfect cc restoration, wouldn't it be better to just buy some new screws? Perhaps something with allen head or phillips instead of the dreaded flathead?

im using new HW on all safety relevant items. the flathead screws was just a test before I was thinking to toss them. actually, i'm using torxs for the cooling tin.

in some area, I think HW with some patina looks better than brand new stuff.

These all need to be re-plated or they'll just quickly rust again. Chemistry 101.
If you can buy new, you should...try Belmetric.
If you have irreplaceable fasteners, get them re-plated.
JMHO

White vinegar does same thing.. Sorry to be a downer.

Apple cider vinegar- as well, just a little quicker.

Yeah, why doesn't someone contact that guy that showed up here a year ago
with his ultra expensive plating prices. You know...the guy that really cares about his customers..
Seriously though.... Buy new, or send it to a plating company in a USPS
Flat Rate Box and save yourself a lot of money.
Just takes a little work on your part to clean the parts and send them.
There are plenty of plating places that do excellent work.
Some for shops that do World Class Restorations.
No real need for a middle man or the costs incurred.

lemon juice works well too and you can make martini`s when your done,,,i really dont know whats in a martini

and i replaced all mine with stainless allen heads! so much nicer looking then that ratty old crap

Can you recommend some local plating shops in the north-east region?

There are no less then 25 of them within 30 miles from me. Look in your local industrial parks

When I researched this last year, I called Paul Russel and Company and asked their parts dept who they sent their plating to.
The place they used then doesn't seem to be in business now, but you could call Paul Russel and ask them who they use now.
Or if you have a good restoration shop near you, ask them.

I also googled zinc plating.. in Massachusetts and got a list and called them.
If they can't do it, they will know who does.

Pretty easy to find with a little research and a few phone calls.

Almost all plating places will have a minimum weight they will take. You will need 50lbs and costs vary depending if they have to clean the parts before plating. That is what I found out around here anyway.

"unfortunately" I live in a very posh town, and there is no industry within 30mls of me.

I have heard about that thing called google.com - thanks!

but for whatever reason all the plating companies in central and north NJ only do commercial and will not touch 10lbs of private HW stuff (too small, no time, no blablabla).

We have very few places around me that will do it. I need a good one that I can pack my stuff into usps flat rate boxes and ship.

In California we have an abundance of plating shops. I switched from the last plater to a new shop that does better work. They have a $65 minimum charge. Still affordable.
They do wire rack plating. You want barrel plating for small loose hardware. I need to find a barrel plater too.
And yes, it is better to restore hardware compared to the quality of a lot of what is out there.
Used both vinegar and Evaporust.
If you use vinegar be ready with a neural solution of baking soda, rinse and dry to prevent flash rust.
I cleaned a gas tank with 15 gallons of vinegar. Flash rust happens where ever metal is not submerged but exposed to vinegar fumes. Messy and smelly.
I did another with 4 gallons of evaporust. Much cleaner and easier. Cost $100 for it but used it on a lot of other parts.

If I had just a few screws to replace it would be easy to buy new ones; but my nut and bolt restoration means literally every nut and bolt on the car needs to be replaced. Trying to obtain the correct length, size, thread pitch, and strength would be nuts so I'm going to look into replating.