Restoring Nuts & Bolts - Geomet Coating ?

[noakira]

I've got a big tray of nuts and bolts that I would like to get cleaned and re-coated.

Going on from the idea of trying to get my restoration project bike "even better than when it left the factory" using modern processes.

Seen Geomet coatings which are a nice matt silver and with very high corrosion resistance.

Q: Is there anywhere in the UK who would handle a small batch, sub 200 nuts and bolts ?

[groovylee]

no idea i'm afraid mate, will ask about down this way

[McF]

I wouldn't go down the route of spending money having nuts and bolts cleaned up and recoated
Just buy new stainless fasteners which is what I do
and generally replace the smaller Hex head bolts with allen heads

Even cleaned up and recoated (if that is possible), you will still have soft metal to round the heads off

When at home, there is an excellent distributor on outskirts of Middlesbrough - Hawk Fasteners.
I usually take them a list of number, type, thread and length and then collect a day or two later.

Bound to be one in your part of the world

[pikey]

Jun 6, 2012 20:46:29 GMT 1 noakira said:

I've got a big tray of nuts and bolts that I would like to get cleaned and re-coated.

Going on from the idea of trying to get my restoration project bike "even better than when it left the factory" using modern processes.

Seen Geomet coatings which are a nice matt silver and with very high corrosion resistance.

Q: Is there anywhere in the UK who would handle a small batch, sub 200 nuts and bolts ?

It`s nothing special:

www.geomet.net/coatings.php

Simply track down your local BZP platers (bright zinc plate), BZP is cheap and carried out all over the country.
Look in the back pages of something like classic bike magazine.

[sear]

Does it make a better finish/better corrosion protection than stainless fasterners though?

[pikey]

No of course not, BZP is simply a fastener industry standard, like cadmium plating and chemical blacking (phosphating).
Stainless IS the way to go but you do need high tensile fasteners in some applications.
I tend to use a great deal of anodised alloy fasteners in non stress load areas, saves on weight too.
Stainless fasteners can also be manufactured to suit special applications such as long engine bolts etc, the classic bike scene has a plethora of firms that will make up specials nowadays.
Mr Middleton being one who is particularly well known.

www.stainlessmiddleton.co.uk/

Oh and of course Steve, great bloke:

www.stevesstainless.co.uk/

[noakira]

Its just I like the look of the matt silver of the geomet / dacromet coatings. However I understand what your saying in that it wont change the strength of the mild steel nuts and bolts.

Also I was trying to save time, leg work by just getting the whole lot coated in one go (being lazy).

There seems to be roughly 3 categories of nuts and bolts....

1. Shiny Zinc plated Bolts, eg Foot Rest hangers - These will buff up nicely perhaps in a tumbler.
2. Black anodised bolts, eg Front disc studs, various
3. Mild Steel, grubby & rusty (bulk of the nuts & bolts)

I did muck about with cleaning some mild steel bolts, heating them till they were red hot and dipping them in old engine oil (carbon black) but it didn't protect them from rusting, if anything they seemed to rust quicker !

It seems its gonna have to be all of the above Clean / Anodise (coat) / replace with stainless where available.

About 2 years back I bought the main engine bolts from Honda. Wont be doing that again, still paying them back

[pikey]

You could go the home brew route :

www.gaterosplating.co.uk/Zinc-Plating-kit.php

Caswells have been supplying kits for years too:

www.caswelleurope.co.uk/cadzinc.htm

[deedee]

Here's the company I've been using for nuts & bolts.
(Unfortunately they're based to the West of London.)

www.orbitalfasteners.co.uk/

(But may be of use to members down this way...)
I've always found them to be most helpful!