Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Polypedates]

I just got a Frost 15lb vibratory tumbler for Christmas. Blimey it's a big heavy thing!

Has anyone had any experience with these? I am thinking that it might be just the thing for preparing nuts and bolts prior to plating as at the moment I am wire brushing them individually which takes an age. Problem is that I have no idea what media to use or where to get it (most suppliers seem to be in the USA and charge £40+ postage) so any advice would be welcome.

Frost sell some media but the website is not very helpful in explaining what does what. At a guess I need something to strip rust from the bolts etc. without damaging the threads and then use the walnut media for final polishing?

Thanks

[goneps]

Just in case you're not aware, high tensile fasteners when electroplated suffer from hydrogen gas embrittlement and will no longer be fit for purpose unless they're subjected to a relieving heat treatment process immediately following the plating process. Many retail plating shops do not offer the relief process, so you might have to locate a commercial plating shop that can treat your fasteners appropriately. Don't risk a potentially fatal structural failure for the sake of appearance!

Richard

[Bitumen Boy]

Or, of course, you could just buy new fasteners from a specialist supplier - they're not some really weird thread are they? To my mind life is far too short to faff around cleaning up old fasteners, if the old ones are fit to use as is then do so, otherwise replace them.

[Special When Lit]

I restore pinball machines, & use a tumbler quite a lot. You can get media from most gun shops, put your parts in with a couple of squirts of autosol & tumble overnight.