Cleaning Bolts

[ironpig70]

ok guys i'm somewhat of a pack rat but i hate dropping the world because i need 1 sticking bolt. so i have a large collection of them :D and i use brand new when and where needed, like i said i'm a pack rat not nuts. so howw do you clean them.


1) rusty

2) greasy

i have about 2-3 5 pound coffe cans full so the quicker the better :D

[TJ Fan]

Take them all to your engine shop and have him hot tank them when he is doing some one elses parts :D Usually that is a freebe.

Larry

[fj40guy]

Degrease... just a wire basket into the degreaser. Coffee can with holes
poked in the bottom works just as well as a dedicated basket.

Dishwasher with cascade also works (also leads to a divorce!)

I have a vibratory tumbler for machinging parts (toss small parts in, leave for a couple of hours to remove sharp edges/burrs). Works great for removing
rust off bolts.

Once bolts are clean, derusted. Machinist Black to keep the rust away.

[MiniMog]

I use a blender I found at a garage sale with a plastic container. Just put a screen in the bottom, put in some foam free cleaner, put the lid on (important!!) and hit the button.

2 minutes later...clean bolts!!

[CrustyJeep]

Very rusty and I toss 'em, so that problem is solved...

First into the solvent tank in a bowl or what not, submerged, soak 'em for awhile, shake 'em around, drain 'em, then into the chem-dip for a day or two if they're nasty. It THAT doesn't get 'em clean, then fuck 'em :D

[DozerDan]

wire wheel on the bench grinder

[crimsen]

second the wire wheel on the bench grinder, but if you have a ton, maybe the hot take at local shop for a 6 pack would be easiest :)

[notstock]

I also use the wire wheel. Spray them with a thin coat of One Step when I am done (a similar finish to the machinist black)

[rockcrawln]

bench grinder with a wire wheel works good for low budget shop. We have a coarse wheel one one side and fine on the other.

[fj40guy]

bench grinder with a wire wheel works good for low budget shop. We have a coarse wheel one one side and fine on the other.

I hate launching bolts across the shop!

My trick on wire wheeling bolts. Take a nut, cut a slot on one side. Run up on the bolt, hold with a locktites. Easy to keep a hold of, does rip up fingers, nor get launched. :flipoff2:

Tom :usa:

[Old Scout]

Take them all to your engine shop and have him hot tank them when he is doing some one elses parts :D Usually that is a freebe.

Larry
Just do it yourself at home.

Old 3-4 Qt stainless pot from flea market 3.00
2 Qt Water free
One pound Red Devil Lye drain cleaner. 3.00

Use a 1/4 cup of lye into 2 Qts of water and bring to a boil on the stove top for 30 - 45 minutes.
Pour the liquid down the drain and lay out the hot bolts on shop towels to dry.

[Benny]

I use a wire wheel on the bench grinder. But for nuts, I will be using my new hot tank shortly. :D

[d.d.machine]

Just watch how fast you mix the lye into the water. go slow and NEVER dump in the lye and then add water or :nuke:

I use a soup can in my bead blaster for the rusty bolts.

[PTSchram]

Just do it yourself at home.

Old 3-4 Qt stainless pot from flea market 3.00
2 Qt Water free
One pound Red Devil Lye drain cleaner. 3.00

Use a 1/4 cup of lye into 2 Qts of water and bring to a boil on the stove top for 30 - 45 minutes.
Pour the liquid down the drain and lay out the hot bolts on shop towels to dry.

PLEASE wear your safety glasses when doing this. For the cost of bolts versus permanent blindness, throw the damned things away and buy new.

However, if one were to increase the concentration of the NaOH, you wouldn't have to use the blackening agent as they will come out with a black oxide surface finish :flipoff2: (saturated solution to boiling, boil for 30 minutes, remove, rinse and oil). If you can't find Red Devil, many tree root destroyers are sodium hydroxide based.

[Sundowner]

eastwoodco.com sells a bolt tubmler. you put the bolts and blast media in the pot and it shakes them until they're all nice and shiney again.

[tsm1mt]

Just do it yourself at home.

Old 3-4 Qt stainless pot from flea market 3.00
2 Qt Water free
One pound Red Devil Lye drain cleaner. 3.00

Use a 1/4 cup of lye into 2 Qts of water and bring to a boil on the stove top for 30 - 45 minutes.
Pour the liquid down the drain and lay out the hot bolts on shop towels to dry.

So how's my septic system going to feel about this, OS?

[ironpig70]

eastwoodco.com sells a bolt tubmler. you put the bolts and blast media in the pot and it shakes them until they're all nice and shiney again.

there to small got probaly 2-3 sets of head bolts :D

[PTSchram]

So how's my septic system going to feel about this, OS?

It will definitely shock it, but, it will quickly recover as you are constantly innoculating it with beneficial bacteria.

It might even be good for it. If you have any tree root intrusion, it will take care of the roots. May also help with breaking down any grit that may be in the tank.

[PAToyota]

eastwoodco.com sells a bolt tubmler. you put the bolts and blast media in the pot and it shakes them until they're all nice and shiney again.

Saw those. The bigger one is pretty nice, but that is way expensive unless you are cleaning stuff in it constantly.

[Old Scout]

It will definitely shock it, but, it will quickly recover as you are constantly innoculating it with beneficial bacteria.

It might even be good for it. If you have any tree root intrusion, it will take care of the roots. May also help with breaking down any grit that may be in the tank.
two ounces of Naoh will not do jack!

[Old Scout]

Just watch how fast you mix the lye into the water. go slow and NEVER dump in the lye and then add water or :nuke:

I use a soup can in my bead blaster for the rusty bolts.
two ounces of Naoh into 2 qts of room temp water will have an exothermic reaction of 4-8 F! :flipoff2:

[PTSchram]

two ounces of Naoh will not do jack!

I misread your initial post, I saw a pound, not the 1/4 cup. But, it's still a strong base and will result in a very high pH in the solution to clean the bolts.

[BMAN]

I've been using CHEM DIP for the grease and have found that Muriatic (POOL) acid will strip paint and rust in a matter of minutes when not diluted.

[Old Scout]

I've been using CHEM DIP for the grease and have found that Muriatic (POOL) acid will strip paint and rust in a matter of minutes when not diluted.
And you just made the bolt much weaker!!
Hydrogen embrittlement is a major cause of fastener failure!

http://www.intercorr.com/hec.html

[BMAN]

And you just made the bolt much weaker!!
Hydrogen embrittlement is a major cause of fastener failure!

http://www.intercorr.com/hec.html

Good to know. The good thing (I guess) is that the bolt I've been stripping are "non-esential" low torque bolts and such.

From the reading then, is it fair to say that a zinc plated grade-8 bolt is actually weaker because of the plating process? Would this also hold true for Black oxided bolts? What are the "actual" effects (% of weakening) in stripping with an acid bath?

EDIT***

Does an acid bath actually add Hydrogen to the bolt? Or is the Hydrogen removed from the bolt when the rust is stripped?

[Old Scout]

Good to know. The good thing (I guess) is that the bolt I've been stripping are "non-esential" low torque bolts and such.

From the reading then, is it fair to say that a zinc plated grade-8 bolt is actually weaker because of the plating process? Would this also hold true for Black oxided bolts? What are the "actual" effects (% of weakening) in stripping with an acid bath?

EDIT***

Does an acid bath actually add Hydrogen to the bolt? Or is the Hydrogen removed from the bolt when the rust is stripped?

Pool acids (muriatic) real name is hydrochloric acid. (HCL) Chlorine residual gas can be combusted together with the concentrated Cl2 gas and H2 gas to produce HC. It gives up H2 to the metal. It's the worst acid you can use on metal.

Most plating is done wth Phosporic and or Nitric acid, not HCL.

[BMAN]

Would you then recommend that I use either the phosphoric or nitric for stripping rust as opposed to HCL?

[Old Scout]

Would you then recommend that I use either the phosphoric or nitric for stripping rust as opposed to HCL?
Phos by far! Most paint dept will have it in pints,quarts,gallons:
http://www.jasco-help.com/images/products/0701.gif

Check out what it does:
http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showpost.php?p=3489753&postcount=37

[braxton357]

Two questions. One, is it alright for me to drink most of these chemicals? I bet it would get me really wasted!!1

And two, have you all read this thread? Seems like it might be a viable option...

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352021

[300sniper]

i just replace them with new ones but..... i think a rock tumbler or a bullet case tumbler with the walnut medium would work great.

[ZJim]

Two questions. One, is it alright for me to drink most of these chemicals? I bet it would get me really wasted!!1

http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=352021



Depends on how hard you like to party! I bet you'd be the most wasted you'd ever been (or ever would be again)



:p