Rusty Bolt Renewal

[Andrew 1973]

After about 8 years, the 8 cs-bolts (seatpost binder bolts) on my Cruzbike Silvio were showing their age. An overall dull appearance with spots of rust, and rust within the sockets made these bits look completely out of place. Unfortunately, I have had trouble finding similar replacement bolts; most have a "key" or tab that interfaces with a slot cut into many bicycle seatpost "ears". The one that isn't keyed is made by Campagnolo, and buying eight of those would surely lighten my wallet. Inspired by Bob's bolt cleaning tutorial I had nothing to lose by refinishing the existing bolts.

After thoroughly cleaning and de-rusting my bolts, I was left with some nice shiny bits with a brushed finish. However, I knew that rust would soon creep in soon unless the metal was protected. Rather than use clear, I decided to paint mine.

With proper surface prep, automotive epoxy spray paint provides a smooth, hard finish. My hex wrenches didn't damage the finish at all. I assumed I would have to do some touch-up after all of the bolts were installed, but nope. The part I am most pleased with is that the bolts look like they have a factory finish and the cost was virtually nothing as I had all of my supplies at hand.

Step-by-Step

Materials: Scotch-Brite pads, assorted emory cloth, paint and surface prep (degreaser), epoxy spray paint, Lock-Tite

1. Clean and strip bolts per Bob.
2. Clamp each bolt into a portable drill and make sanding faster and to provide an evenly scuffed finish.
3. Create a "punch card" to hold the bolts. I used a piece of cardboard and a hole punch to make a hanging card.
4. Mask the threads, but paint the bolt ends.
5. Paint in light, even coats. Don't rush it - it will take a few coats to get into each socket.
6. Cure for an hour in the oven at 225 F
7. Apply LockTite and install.

I also prepped and painted the washers, but that was due more to impatience than frugality. You can buy them from CBO for less that $3 for a bag of $10.

 

[Charles.Plager]

Nice work. Photos of the

Nice work. Photos of the results?

Agreed! Actually, I think you need photos during the process as well...

 

[trplay]

+1  Very nice touch,  I might

+1 Very nice touch, I might have to give white bolts on the Cruz Moose a try.

 

[Andrew 1973]

Photos Forthcoming

I'll do my best to put up some photos tonight. I don't have the best lighting, so my photos probably won't do justice.

 

[ratz]

Nice work

Andrew,

Nice work. Photos of the results?

I think I might do that on the Q1. A nice green finish on the bolts to match the paint job. Thanks for the steps and the idea.

Edit: If you need time between the clean and the painting phase (to spread the work over multiple days); store the bolts in a cup WD-40 which you can buy in bulk at HomeDepost for $4 a gallon. Or coat them in grease and put them in an air tight bag. if you use the grease approach, they will likely ooze residue rust if they were really bad to start with, that's normal as the deep rust is floated to the top.

Nail polish doesn't work as well on painted metal because the pores are filled in; so if you want to further protect the paint you can vanish them after you torque them on the bike; that will protect them when you washing the bike; and from stone stone chips on gravel. Large Metal Equipment is put together that way they paint; bake; assemble and then spray vanish makes them look new for longer. Cheapest way to do that is to buy the vanish in spray paint can form; spray a small puddle in the lid of the can and use a small brush small brush to dab on the bolt. The spray can form has a shelf life of years and you can use it each season to re-protect stuff. The liquid form usually drys up and becomes useless 6 months after you buy it. This way you are out $5 one time. I don't even use brushes; the back side of a Match from a pack of paper matches works great; tear our the match and you have an instant tiny brush good for 6-8 bolts.

What you want is this
Acrylic Enamel Spray Paint Color Family: Clear

A can from Krylon is $6.33

 

[Jim Gerwing]

Rusty Bolt

When I read the title I, at first, thought that, perhaps, Usain had an older (slower) brother.

 

[Andrew 1973]

Picture

Slightly out of focus, but the best I can do with a cell-phone camera. The highlights on the ridges of the hex socket are reflections, not scratches. The epoxy seems quite durable so far.

 

[super slim]

Another GREEN Cruzbike!!!
Is

Another GREEN Cruzbike!!!
Is this the new trend??

VERY nice bright colour!
?Have you got a photo of the whole bike yet?

 

[Rick Youngblood]

?Have you got a photo of the

?Have you got a photo of the whole bike yet?

Okay Andrew, now you got our attention, we need to see the whole bike, cell-phone or not! Stop the teasing!

 

[Andrew 1973]

But look at the bolts!

What was once a dull, rust-stained bolt now looks good as new for a fraction of the cost.

For the record, I have considered using extra long titanium chainring bolts and nuts in their place, but it is cost prohibitive for me to do so at this time. Toronto Cycles has a wide assortment. I would probably use 8 16mm bolts ($26) and 8 15mm nuts ($32) to get about 10mm of thread engagement. Right now, I need to focus on components, and spending $60 on bolts didn't seem very prudent.

Rick and Super Slim - I'll post a picture tonight of the complete frameset . It's going to take a while to build it up as I have no components other than a crankset and bottom bracket after moving across country in July. It's a long story.

After Christmas, I'll likely be on the prowl for a gently used, newer donor bike. Buying components piece by piece isn't an option, but nor is resurrecting my Silvio with a hodge-podge of components. It's got to look good and be of good quality, right?

 

[Andrew 1973]

Moving to a new topic

My Silvio has earned its own thread. http://cruzbike.com/silvio-different-colour