How do you clean your rust bolts?

[J-Mech]

My time is worth too much money to take the time to clean a bolt that can be replaced for such small cost. I understand that some people want the IH headed bolt, but so far.... I have never seen a case where it made a difference on the value of the machine, or won more trophy's for having the original hardware. (On a Cub Cadet) If you know of a case where it did matter, I'll bow out of that statement.

[j4c11]

You can pull the rust off using an electrolysis bath, all you need is a plastic container and a power source. Instructions on setting one up are plentiful online. In your case, you can put all the bolts in a metal tray , wire up the tray and do them all at once. Just don't wire it backwards, it will have the opposite effect of rusting them more(and quickly may I add).

[olds45512]

I've used a tumbler for cleaning gun brass, I just filled it with sandblasting sand and it worked pretty good. I'm with j mech though, I just use new bolts on my cubs that way if I ever have to work on it I don't have to worry about hurting the bolts.

[cc_bob]

Not quick but very cheap and EASY, just mix up some molasses and water and let them sit for a week. It won't remove the plating or grease but it will remove all of the rust.

Details here..
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=26163

[Hand_108]

Originally Posted by cc_bob

Not quick but very cheap and EASY, just mix up some molasses and water and let them sit for a week. It won't remove the plating or grease but it will remove all of the rust.

Details here..
http://www.onlycubcadets.net/forum/s...ad.php?t=26163

Molasses works AWESOME!!!! But it does take a long time. I used a 50gal plastic trash can and did a bunch of stuff to test it. My "tank" sat out side about 6+ months, froze, thawed, froze, thawed. Started it in Oct and pulled stuff out April-May. Was AMAZED!!!! And I would do it again in a second!!!

[cc_bob]

Originally Posted by Hand_108

Molasses works AWESOME!!!! But it does take a long time. I used a 50gal plastic trash can and did a bunch of stuff to test it. My "tank" sat out side about 6+ months, froze, thawed, froze, thawed. Started it in Oct and pulled stuff out April-May. Was AMAZED!!!! And I would do it again in a second!!!

Glad to hear someone else has tried this.
The warmer it is outside the better it works. I usually leave stuff in for a week, take it out and pressure wash it, and put it in for another week. After the second week it's usually completely rust free. I haven't tried it in the winter, afraid my tank would split if it froze.

[Hand_108]

Originally Posted by cc_bob

Glad to hear someone else has tried this.
The warmer it is outside the better it works. I usually leave stuff in for a week, take it out and pressure wash it, and put it in for another week. After the second week it's usually completely rust free. I haven't tried it in the winter, afraid my tank would split if it froze.

Yes, I hear it works better when warmer. I was not thinking about that when I did it. I just wanted to do it. I kind of forgot about it and then next thing I knew it was winter and it was frozen solid. I wasnt worried about it splitting as it was sitting outside by my garage. If it did, it would have been no worse than when I dumped it out. What I want to get is one of those BIG 250 gallon totes on a pallet with the wire around it with a drain on the bottom and try even bigger parts. And a 2nd one for an electrolis tank. But if I do, it will be started early March and not pulled untill Oct. The wheels I did were BAD and they came out looking really good. Longer they sit, better/cleaner/rust removed they will be. Most of my projects are never "gotta get it done now" projects, so sitting for 6+ months to soak/derust is no biggie to me.

Glad to hear im not the only crazy one out there...heheheheeh

John

[drglinski]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

My time is worth too much money to take the time to clean a bolt that can be replaced for such small cost. I understand that some people want the IH headed bolt, but so far.... I have never seen a case where it made a difference on the value of the machine, or won more trophy's for having the original hardware. (On a Cub Cadet) If you know of a case where it did matter, I'll bow out of that statement.

You mean when I repainted my blade last summer and replaced the carriage bolts on the wear strip with Home Depot specials it lessened the value of it? this is awful news.......

[J-Mech]

Originally Posted by drglinski

You mean when I repainted my blade last summer and replaced the carriage bolts on the wear strip with Home Depot specials it lessened the value of it? this is awful news.......

LOL! Yes Daniel, your blade is now worth exactly $7.38 less that it was before.

[drglinski]

Originally Posted by J-Mech

LOL! Yes Daniel, your blade is now worth exactly $7.38 less that it was before.

haha