Rusty bolt heads

[Motorhobo]

So I pulled every single bolt off my brick and wire-wheeled the corrosion off so they were bright and shiny and now less than two months later they're covered with a thin coat of rust. WTF? Is there any way to keep them from oxidizing or do I just need to paint them? Has anyone tried Rain-X on bolt and screw heads?

Van

[drut]

Done a few bolt heads on mine with a gun blueing pen with reasonable results but too early to say how long it will last.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/178848/birchwood-casey-presto-gun-blue-pen

[Motorhobo]

Done a few bolt heads on mine with a gun blueing pen with reasonable results but too early to say how long it will last.
http://www.midwayusa.com/product/178848/birchwood-casey-presto-gun-blue-pen

I'm going to pick up some of this at Sears tomorrow-- will let you know how it works out. They also sell the bicycle formula at bike shops for exactly the same purpose.



http://www.boeshield.com

V

[wmax351]

They're cadmium coated I believe. Wire wheel removes that, reduces resistance to corrosion. Bluing them would be an option, as would nickel plating.

[Motorhobo]

They're cadmium coated I believe. Wire wheel removes that, reduces resistance to corrosion. Bluing them would be an option, as would nickel plating.

I see. Well, they looked like crap before and they look like crap again. Guess that's another thing to deal with.

Thanks for the info, next time I'll think twice about the wire wheel unless I have plan for after the fact.

V

[WayneDW]

Van, I always do the same.  Every bolt that comes off gets hit with the wire wheel.  Looks a whole lot better for a while!  I just figure I'll hit em again the next time they come off.  Maybe some clear shellack would make em last longer?

[Motorhobo]

Wayne -- I'm gonna order me up some of that Boeshield and see how it works. I did some reading on the do it yourself plating option but there are issues with metal integrity that I don't understand not being a metallurgist.

Check out the Amazon reviews -- only one bad review I found and that wasn't because of the product itself but because the spray can lost its pressure over the course of a couple years.

http://www.amazon.com/Boeshield-Corrosion-Protection-Waterproof-Lubrication/product-reviews/B001447PEK

I'm gonna go with the liquid stuff...will let you know. BTW it wasn't even 6 weeks after wire wheeling for me before the bolts were orange with rust. We had one rainy spell recently and the garage has moisture in the air and boom -- rusty bolts. But what are the options? The cadmium plating corrodes too over time if the bike sees any weather at all.

I have a good buddy with a Harley who blowdries his bike with the leaf blower if it gets wet. That's probably the best way to prevent corrosion. But if If I ever start doing that just shoot me, please.

BTW my other K75, which has always been garaged and has seen not too much weather, doesn't have any corrosion on the big bolts but the little ones, i.e. the footpeg plates, are orange. Go figure.

V

[bocutter Ed]

We use the Boeshield on the CNC router shafts, so having it there, lubed the scoot's chain with it a couple of days ago. Will see how it holds up to snow.

Has anybody tried 'seasoning' bolts with veggie oil like you do with a cast iron pan?

[Motorhobo]

Are you thinkin' to soak the bolts in veg oil? I'd think that'd wear off faster than Boeshield.

I'll try anything but I want to try the Boeshield bicycle formula first.

[bocutter Ed]

Are you thinkin' to soak the bolts in veg oil? I'd think that'd wear off faster than Boeshield.

'Seasoning' a pan involves baking in the oven at 300F for an hour or so ...

[K75RT Keith]

You could re-clean them and paint them over with clear gloss lacquer.   

[Kyle10]

Consider picking up a can of Gibbs Brand Lubricant. It's an effective rust inhibitor and overall conditioner. Was developed by a Harley builder (although no amount of any kind of spray can improve a Harley). It will work probably better than any other treatment you can find out there.

This stuff is eerily effective, not just on alum and metals but plastics, rubber (trim, hoses), electrical connections. The more you spray it on metal the more the metal will 'drink' it and become that much more rust resistant. You can paint over it too.

A bit of a product-whore, I know, but there's a lot of superb products out there that when found, are treasured.

Company blurb:
"Gibbs Brand Lubricant is the first patented product of its kind designed to lubricate, stop and eliminate corrosion, displace moisture, penetrate, clean and provide long lasting protection."

Sample sites (try Amazon, Ebay, etc.):
http://www.gibbsbrand.net/
http://www.gibbstuff.com/