Painting bolts

[F18hornetM]

Anybody have any ideas on best way to paint bolts/other fasteners? We've started painting our M35 and was thinking of different ways to paint the bolts. Many items were removed and painted off the truck, which means fasteners were not painted, could always put through holes in a box or hang up by mechanics wire,and paint the heads, except wrench will then most likely knock off paint, even thought about installing then painting bolt heads with a brush. Just wondering what everybody else did.

 

[ralbelt]

I will paint when off, then using a good socket cover the bolt or nut with a piece of wax paper or plastic to protect it, sometimes the socket won't fit. Either way touch up is often required.

 

[zout]

if they are washers and of the type - hand them on a wire in a strand and lightly spray them. Bolts - use a think piece of cardboard and poke them through with the heads at the surface so the threads are not painted.

make sure to spray these lightly as well or you will chipping the paint when you put your wrench to them. A very light piece of cloth in the socket head helps if you do not torque the daylights out of them.

I use my pint HVLP gun for this stuff and it is sort of like airbrushing them.

 

[F18hornetM]

Your right I think, a light coat would not chip as easy. None of these are critical fasteners, so super tight is not required.
Gonna work on painting the cab this weekend, so will put some through cardboard and try it, good use for left over paint in the gun as well.
Thanks for ideas.

 

[papercu]

Wax paper, cloth for a MV? LOL
Back in the days, Motor Pool Sarge would take "Volunteers" for Sat. duty, one bucket of paint and many brushes and you painted anything that didn't have paint on it. Except the wrecker, that was his and Off limit unless he was watching you.
Color a little off (or a lot) didn't matter, back then everything was OD. Wayne

 

[clinto]

On all my Mopars I painted, I assembled the body and had it shot that way so I wouldn't have to try and touch up a bolt. I felt like with base/clear paint jobs, it would never look right.

But I did encounter this on suspension components and the only answer I ever found was strip and paint the fastener and once it was assembled touch it up, either by taping off and spraying or with a detail brush. That way, you don't get the rust on tie rod, strut rods, ball joint threads, etc.

 

[F18hornetM]

Wax paper, cloth for a MV? LOL
Back in the days, Motor Pool Sarge would take "Volunteers" for Sat. duty, one bucket of paint and many brushes and you painted anything that didn't have paint on it. Except the wrecker, that was his and Off limit unless he was watching you.
Color a little off (or a lot) didn't matter, back then everything was OD. Wayne

We did the same thing, painted all our trucks with brushs.
This paint job is not ment to be "show" quality, but somewhere between that and a motor pool job, minus the paint brushes. We've sanded the whole bed, cleaned up any rust spots, none through on the bed, just paint gone in some places. and primed and painted 383.
It did have 2 rust holes, one in each fender, which we cut out the metal, welded in new, and filled. Also repaired a pushed in place on the cowl, where it looks like mirror was struck, and pushed in. They filled about an 3/4" deep dent with filler. i ground that out, pulled out metal and refilled. Maybe not crack now. Gonna do all the top side sheet metal now, and will tackle underneath later. Some parts, lwas easier to remove and prep, and paint seperate

 

[roady]

Looking good. I guess you are getting it all ready for Jeep week... Them pictures sure dont look like there in OC. I dont see know traffic or high rise hotels..

 

[rchalmers3]

I gave up on painting hardware. It is impossible to produce a reliable finish that endures the fastener installation and tightening. I have searched online and have discovered some processes that can be performed in your own garage using inexpensive tools. My buddy is currently using these processes on his Econoline truck restoration:

First he cleans rusty hardware using electrolysis. Then he uses a galvanic process and re-plates the hardware, adding color to the plating as desired. Finally he assembles major components and assemblies and paints them as a whole, thus duplicating the factory methods of coating protection. He claims fantastic results and with minimal time. He says this method is better than hiring it out due to the fact he can control quality and he has less loss from before when he left hardware with an outside vendor.

I intend to copy his methods when I next need to do a large project. In the meantime I will purchase and maintain vehicles that are operable!!!

Rick

 

[mdmorganwife]

The way we have always done it, is sand blast them 1st. Then clean with alcohol and then like Zout said poke them through cardboard. Then paint

 

[steelandcanvas]

The way we have always done it, is sand blast them 1st. Then clean with alcohol and then like Zout said poke them through cardboard. Then paint

 

[F18hornetM]

Looking good. I guess you are getting it all ready for Jeep week... Them pictures sure dont look like there in OC. I dont see know traffic or high rise hotels..

Ha Ha, nope don't live "in" OC..rather near OC..That would raise some eye brows, working on a duece and half on a side street in OC...I can see it now, asking the neighbors to move thier cars so you could paint it on the street.

 

[F18hornetM]

I intend to copy his methods when I next need to do a large project. In the meantime I will purchase and maintain vehicles that are operable!!!

Rick

Good grief thats one heck of a process he uses. Got to keep in mind this is a 1970 duece and half. I doubt if any branch of the service used a galvanic process to plate their bolts when they went to repaint it. But still interesting idea.
did just what most on here said, glassbeaded, or used new bolts, poked through cardboard and painted...didnt use impact on them and paint seemed to stay on...easy enough to touch up later if needed. Where we could we installed the parts and then painted so bolts would be painted with the part it holds

Oh, and this is maintaining an operable vehicle.

thanks for all the ideas

 

[Tinwoodsman]

I clean the fastener with a wire wheel or bead blaster and then prime with a thin coat of self etching primer. Final coat of finish color and let cure for at least 48 hours. They hold up surprisingly well.

 

[dittle]

Another way of doing it is painting the parts that are covered when the vehicle is assembled, then assemble the cab and paint the unpainted sections and bolts in one shot then.

 

[Recovry4x4]

I'm kicking around the idea of parking some of my parts. Dunno why, guess the gun side of me coming out. I can CLP the junk.

 

[F18hornetM]

Update: on bolt painting.

used all new bolts, the stirofoam that comes in the gallon boxes from rapco worked great for sticking rows of bolts in. Lghtly primed and painted. Let dry for a couple days, and had none chip off so far. Of course no impact used and were careful to not let bolt turn on washer,
Also, noticed that the spray can of 383 from rapco, matches the gallon of 383 perfect. found a couple places we had missed, side of a plate or hinge, masked off body and sprayed with can, once dry, cant tell the difference. So looks like it will work great for touch up.

 

[Gunfreak25]

Your best is to do it by hand with a tiny brush and a small bottle of hobby/model acrylic paint. Sit down, crack a bud and start painting. I am doing mine in black so they stick out just a little bit over the dark OD. Matter of fact, i'll probably do that this evening.

 

[F18hornetM]

Has anybody just tried a little brush and the paint right out of the gallon from rapco? may try that on a couple bolts/washers, see if it works. If all goes as planned will do the brown and black this weekend.

 

[rpollitt01]

Thats what I'm foing Gunfreak...kill two birds w/ one stone!