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MG TD TF 1500 - Cold galvanizing hardware bits

considering the amount of ferrous oxide etc that I have had to take off of various small parts and nuts bolts washers etc has anyone tried to cold galvanize coat these hardware parts? If so what were the results and are there some recommendations as to a good performing product?
Many thanks
Rod 54 TF project
Rodney G Murray

Hi Rodney,

Are you referring to zinc based paints or electrolytic zinc plating? I have recently had the seat runners and the bonnet catch mechanisms zinc plated. They have turned out really well for a cost of £50. The great advantage over paint is that screw threads, and in my case the seat runners, don't become clogged. I know zinc rich paint is available to repair areas where galvanising has been damaged eg insitu welding of crash barriers and railings but I think its use on cars would be restricted to the chassis and other large items.



Jan T
J Targosz

Hi Jan:
I was thinking not of electroplating but a thin solution to dip or spray nuts bolts etc that might provide a reasonable protective coat.
Best regards
Rod (expat from Luton Beds)
Rodney G Murray

Rodney, I don't know if this info will be of any use to you but, we used to dip bolts and nuts in Galvacon liquid before inserting them in steel buildings when working by salt water. They also had it in spray cans which we used to touch up after we were done bolting up. Very heavy cans. I've been in some buildings years later and the stuff was still on the bolts. I think one of the major paint manufactures has a similar mixture in a spray can, might be Duplicolor, not sure. The color was a flat zinc color with a very faint bluish tint. PJ
Paul S Jennings

I use a spray weld through cold galvanizing product from Solder Seal. Comes in a spray can and available at NAPA.

I used it on all fasteners that I wanted left naturally plated, and areas that that are exposed to weather. Can be painted over very easily. You don't need a heavy coating, so no problems with threads etc.

...CR
C.R. Tyrell

What about getting a zinc plating kit? Caswell and Eastwood sell them...

http://www.caswellplating.com/electroplating-anodizing/zinc-plating-kits/copy-cad-reg-and-zinc-plating-kit-1-5-gal.html

Plate all the bits you want!
Geoffrey M Baker

Hi Geoff
I do have a Eastwood kit and use it for a lot of parts,; however, I was looking for an easier solution for all off the nuts bolts and washers etc than having to wait on each piece going through the plating process. It would be much easier to dip or spray the the parts. Even if it still is one at a time it will entail MUCH less time:)
Been watching your progress with pleasure.
Best regards
Rod
Rodney G Murray

I managed to buy a gallon of "Acid Wheel Cleaner" at an autojumble for £5. It is supposed to be used to clean brake dust stains from alloy wheels but don't use it for this since it strips the plating from wheel nuts and brake calipers. However it is excellent for cleaning rust off steel components. Soak them for about a hour and all rust disappears. It is also superb for cleaning copper and brass electrical contacts. You need to be careful though since it is strongly acidic (phoshoric?) and wash it off well when finished.
Another product I have found is called Vactan. It is a rust converter used on North Sea Oil Rigs. I bought a bottle of it on line. If the steel is clean it doesn't work but on rust it form a hard, black finish which is great for fastners and brackets.


Jan T
J Targosz

What I have done with all of the parts thus far is either wire wheeled, bead blasted or Tumbled them to remove all of the ferrous oxide. Also, thus far I have then painted the larger pieces with Master Series one part epoxy coating (frame included ) which should nicely preserve the parts for posterity. Now for the smaller parts I was sitting in front of the small Eastwood Zinc Plating kit labourisly plating nuts bolts washers etc, one at a time which at the speed of the plating process could take all winter. I'm still more tha willing to do that as I would like every nut and bolt to go back on the project thoroughly cleaned and protected.
What engendered my original question was me wondering if there was maybe a faster method of protecting these small nuts and bolts such as dip or spray of a Cold Glavanizing solution that someone had used to do this in the past!
Best regards
Rod 54 TF project
Rodney G Murray

I use cold galvanising spray in cans as a protector and primer. Works great. For bolts I spray some into the cap and apply using a Q-tip.

Yes I have had good long term results. Nice looking finish too.

Dave
D Moore

You can save yourself hundreds of hours in a restoration by having all the fasteners and small parts zinc plated.

You have to find a shop that does zinc "barrel plating". A four litre container full of nuts, bolts and brackets costs about $80AUD to have cleaned & plated. No need to clean the parts - they do that as part of the process (just remove any thick deposits).

Every small part and fastener that comes off a car in my workshop goes in a plating bucket - when the bucket is full - it goes to the platers.

You can wire small parts together and label them with a stamped washer to aid in sorting them out when they return.

You can paint the plated parts prior to assembly where needed. Assembly is so much easier with clean nuts and bolts.

Tony Slattery
The Classic Workshop
Black Mountain
Australia
A L SLATTERY

I totally agree with Tony. I suggest at the start of a restoration you put £500 away for bead blasting, specialist cleaning treatments, powder coating and zinc plating. A job, working with filthy components, can be a real chore, with clean ones it is a pleasure. I attach a photo showing my seat rails after blasting and zinc plating. Hinges fold, catch works, springs expand and sliders slide. Wouldn't be the case with paint


Jan T

J Targosz

This thread was discussed between 28/11/2014 and 01/12/2014

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