Painting bolt heads

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MrJLR

MrJLR

Built, not bought
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What's the trick to not scratching the paint off bolt heads after they're painted?
Or is there one?
I've never had any good luck with that. ....
 
Touch them up when your done. Spray some paint into the cap of the rattle can and let it set up for a few. When the paint starts thickening up use a brush.

Good luck.
 
momoparman said:
Touch them up when your done. Spray some paint into the cap of the rattle can and let it set up for a few. When the paint starts thickening up use a brush.

Good luck.
Click to expand...

I guess that's about all I can do......
I like it when the bolt heads really "pop" on a freshly painted engine. ....:burnout:
 
You could swing for stainless fasteners if you want to add some cost and get more bling. I did this when assembling my sand rail years ago!
 
on body bolts, I sandblast the heads of the bolts, put them on a cardboard with holes punched in it, and spray them with a light coat of epoxy primer and then just enough paint to cover them and make them a little glossy. Them I tighten them by hand and use a 6 point socket. Then touch up afterwards with a brush, if needed. I also use a socket that I don't use on greasy, grimy parts.
 
I just shoot them with clear engine paint(picture is kinda hard to see I realize). Really dont see the chips unless they get a little rust. Usually good for a couple years..
 

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Prep really well. Very light dust coat etching primer.
2 very light dust coats of color.
Less material= less to scratch/chip
 
There are the plastic lined sockets too
 
cudascott said:
There are the plastic lined sockets too
Click to expand...

On my customers' coated hardware, I suggest using an oversized socket with a layer or two of cured plastic dip on it to protect the finish. When you're done with the installation you can just peel it off your socket. (On screws or Allen heads use an undersized one.)
 
If the bolt is supposed to be bare, I have them Black Phosphate plated. There is a place in Stanta Fe Springs (near Los Angeles) called All Black where I take mine. They have to be media blasted first.

For painted bolts I have had some luck with plastic socket inserts or just wrapping the bolt head with masking tape and using a 6 point socket.

I agree that the thinner the paint the less likely they are to chip.

Some of the bolts on the engine, like head bolts, timing cover bolts, and intake manifold bolts were painted with the engine after assemble. In that case, I media blast them before I assemble the engine and do my best to keep them free of oil or assembly lube so the engine paint will stick.
 
I clean them up good, tighten them up with a clean socket,
then shoot them with paint using a head and stem from a
carb cleaner can.
Good for hard to reach and touch up places.
 
I've always used masking tape on a 6 point socket or wrench with pretty good results.

Some good ideas posted above too :thumbup:
 
You could try baking the hardware in your oven after painting. It stinks to high heaven but does seem to help make the paint more solid.
 
longarm said:
I clean them up good, tighten them up with a clean socket,
then shoot them with paint using a head and stem from a
carb cleaner can.
Good for hard to reach and touch up places.
Click to expand...

Great tip and so simple! After sandblasting, priming/painting I then touch up with a brush.
Ill be trying above tip next time.
 
I used hex head allen stainless on all the front bolts and intake. Looked nice. makes it cleaner to disassemble too as your socket isnt scratching a nice ring around your bolts. Also using a round head allen on your intake bolts makes it much easier to torque down with a long extension over the carb.
 
Or you could do what Chrysler did on the assembly line:

Fenders, hood, and decklid all bolted on with the doors off. Why do you think you see some bolt heads on an original car with just one side painted and the other with just overspray? Or the paint shadow of a bolt on the fender edge?

I know, I know, it's not always an option.
 
Ill throw my hair brained idea out there.

I was thinking of rust blue. Check out rust blue for firearms. Even if they are blued, they can be painted over, and the chips wont look so bad.

Rust blue looks just like a phosphate finish.

This is what I used for a couple of rifles, and they never rusted after being blued.

There are quite a few coatings that would probably work well. And honestly, if you sent a gunsmith some bolts already blasted, it probably wouldn't cost too much. Most of the work with the gunsmiths is in the prep. But prepping bolts would be super easy.


This is what I used for a couple of rifles, and they never rusted after being blued.

http://www.laurelmountainforge.com/barrel_brown_inst.htm

Here is one rifle I did over the kitchen stove:
 
place little piece of foam in the socket, soaked with a little paint....works....


snd yes baking in the oven help enamel.
 
I've doubled over a paper towel, set it over the bolt head, then placed the socket on the bolt head. Works pretty good.
 
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