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Re: fasteners - purists only need apply

To: Richard Bittmann <edmyed@harbornet.com>
Subject: Re: fasteners - purists only need apply
From: Mike MacLean <macleans@earthlink.net>
Date: Fri, 22 Oct 2004 11:45:26 -0700
Richard,
     We have a shop down here in Southern California that will passive 
zinc plate your fasteners wired separtately on a rack as long as they 
are cleaned first.  All the fasteners for your car will cost around 
$50.  I restored a Bugeye a couple of years ago and these people did the 
zinc plating and they still look great. I spent many hours on the wire 
wheel.  I now own a sand blast cabinet and next time will be much 
faster. Try calling Active Plating at (714) 547-0356.  They are in Santa 
Ana.
Mike MacLean
56 BN2
60 Sprite

Richard Bittmann wrote:

>Listers:
>
>This is in response to recent inquiries about fasteners for our beloved cars.
>Following is my experience with restoring the original fasteners for my BJ7
>(50%+/- completed).  I first removed and bagged all fasteners & components
>from the car.  After cleaning and degreasing, I glass bead blasted them, zinc
>plated them with Caswell's CopyCad plating system ($130), re-bagged and let
>"age", (as some composit parts have a tendancy to rust because the zinc
>plating doesn't do well between closely spaced composite pieces) and then I
>"buffed" them with #600 steel wool the remove any oxidation (inevitable) from
>the surface to yield an originally specularly ordinary surface - just like
>new!
>
>Cadmium plating will yield a more weather resistant porduct but won't look as
>"original" as re-plating in zinc.  The one exception is the fluid lines (brake
>& fuel) which are too big to zinc plate at home if you don't own a plating
>shop.
>
>I'd appreciate any input on this subject from the list as this is my first
>shot at restoration of a classic.
>
>Richard Bittmann BJ7 Tacoma, WA

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