Delboy's Garage, Simple Skills, "Rust Proofing Bolts"

[@Good-Enuff-Garage]

by far the best video on this process, thank you so much for taking the time to properly explain the heating stages

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you for your kind words sir, Glad it was helpful!

[@texasranger1964]

Thanks so much for this tip on rusty bolts for the bike. Helps keep a lot of originals which is desirable.

[@mickuk9700]

that's brilliant iv been a welder for 40 years and never came across that before first class video you have a engineering gift

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks mate, I believe it's an old blacksmith trick, I love that sort of thing... good to hear from you, many thanks!

[@ThePlanBPill]

Love you man. Simple google search trying to find the best way to prevent rust on my bike's bolts and it brings me back to you.

[@geneva760]

Glad you 'warned' about the overheating. Another caution is to ensure not to damage the threads whilst holding it in vice grips - I use a bit of carboard or tape to protect the thread works well. CHEERS from AUSTRALIA.

[@chefhugob]

I have just seen this, as a chef been doing this to cast iron pans for years never thought of it for bolts.....excellent!

[@stephenlatchford9850]

Fantastic, I've just bought a Yamaha fazer600 and the fasteners all started off a dark finish but are all rusty now. This process means I can keep all the original nuts and bolts, and just clean them up and get them black again, cheers for a great and informative video.

[@Moonfleet41]

Good luck with it Stephen, just take care to to overheat them aye..!

[@gilesbristow123]

Remember my metalwork teacher teaching me that, probably about the same number of years ago ! Forget all about these useful things though so great video- thanks

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right buddy, it's the sort of thing you forget cos the later part of your school years is a flurry of stress about exams and results, and you forget the practical skills you learn along the way, and it's so ironic that those are ones you will be using 35yrs later !

[@daveshegedin2576]

Hi Del and Penny, I made a G clamp from 1/2'' flat in 1977 as a High School metalwork project...lots of marking out, hacksaw, file and emery tape skills practice. Our teacher Mr Derek Ward (from Rugby, Warks) used Oxy-Acetylene and waste oil to finish our projects. Only one immersion from memory but the clamp is still 90% rust free. Best wishes, Dave, Opunake New Zealand. PS Bonnie rear brake pads to do later today ...another one of your excellent videos will be watched! Thank you so much.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Dave, thanks for your kind words, loved the story and I remember my metalwork classes like they were yesterday!... making enamel ornaments from glass powder and copper, making tools like yours, learning centuries old hand skills, what a shame the kids today don't get a look in! Thank you for your input and good luck with the Triumph project, hope the job goes well for you mate! All the very best, D&Px

[@mickeyduke1910]

Much Love from Mickey - Dukey Dukes Cycles New York. Living and building/riding bikes on the Island, the air is saturated with salt water and rusts EVERYTHING. Great tip, great video, great Man. First time viewer now a long time supporter. Cheers, Mickey

[@Moonfleet41]

hey Mickey, Thank you for your very kind words sir, its great to hear from you, and what a beautiful place you live.. Thank you for your kind support and welcome aboard..

[@formidable38]

The most useful video I've seen for months!!! Thanks!!

[@sydneytamashiro5876]

Del, Beautiful, Gorgeous Bolts. Ha! Ha! Ha! Another outstanding video. Been around bikes over 40 years & never heard of this process, will definitely use it in the near future. Thanks again. ALoha from Hawaii. Your friend, Syd

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Sydney, It just goes to show how much of mans skills are being forgotten... this is as old as the Iron Age itself..! Take care.. Del.

[@mysticalhero7094]

Bloody hell mate I watched this video and I was inspired to use this technique and it literally took me all day to cover all my nuts and bolts, It was bloody hard work mate haha, Thanks for the help.

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad it helped, most welcome mate.

[@theeuglyduckling9476]

Thanks man! I'm a welding apprentice and want to get into knife making as well. Although I know about heat treating processes etc. I just want to say that this video covers this process the best compared to all the other ones I've seen. It even has a great vibe to it👊

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy.. glad you enjoyed it.. great to hear you're getting into it.

[@naturallywellca]

Well done... A skill my grandfather taught me as a young lad... he was a millwright and had many DIY skills I wish I'd paid more attention to. This was a great reminder. Thanks.

[@Moonfleet41]

Absolutely agree, we all learn these things at school, especially if we are over 45, but the problem is we generally tended to learn these things in the middle path of our school time, and remember the end of your school time is a horrible mess of stress and exams... and these little bread and butter day to day things become unimportant in the grand scheme of getting all your results in.... so it's little wonder we don't remember them cos right at the time we should have been suing them the most, they were thrown to the backs of our minds and at the most mixed up time of our youth too !

[@naturallywellca]

We are likely not far apart in age (seem to remember that conversation). Being at the half century mark, I've likely forgotten many skills, or they are in the back of the mind as you say. Just need to connect the right plugs (old telephone switch board of a brain). A related skill possibly for another simple skills is brazing, and/or lead filling of joints. Those are lost arts that I've dabbled in from time to time. Cheers to old school solid skills.

[@Moonfleet41]

We must have a phone party line - I know the feeling buddy!

[@danielrus7117]

In my country, Venezuela, everything is extremely expensive, except burnt motor oil and a flame!!! Yeah!!! I finally found what I was looking for! Thanks!

[@raytokens2291]

such an easy fix to prevent rusting bolt heads. Del you are a genius now all I have to do is remove my old ones and with the excellent video library you have put together I can do that to. You have given me another bible to work from as well as my Haynes manual I am becoming a fixerupper of the finest standard. Happy new year to you and the pixie penny pitstop and keep those new chapters of the Bible coming we wish you all the best for 2017.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, you are very kind, but no genius here in this one... this trick is as old as the Iron Age, it's just a testament to how we've all become so reliant on 'products'.. yuo can do this to any metal, even sheet metal... how do you think Roman armour didn't go rusty... they used Olive Oil, or Rape Seed Oil, sometimes beeswax, or even pork fat... this is a typical example of the de-skilling of mankind... I do hope that in the distant future, we don't all become helpless button pushers reliant on a big brother to lead our lives for us... but don't get me ranting lol .... good luck with your projects, and drop us a line if ever we can help, all the best, Happy New Year , all the best, D&P!

[@dh1474]

Wish I'd seen this years ago! The amount I've spent on new bolts over the years for aesthetics!!

[@leroywulf]

Happy new year Del and Penny. Glad to see you are keeping the "old ways" alive and kicking. I wish they still had metal and wood work classes for kids, you never know when you need some simple skills to get stuff done.

[@Moonfleet41]

Totally agree Roy, killing the metalwork shop classes over here about 30yrs ago, was an absolute tragedy... but hey we can always pass them on through things like You Tube, after all, more kids watch it than grown ups aye! Ride safe, and Happy New Year!

[@garyconstant4234]

I know this video is older now but I’m always impressed with dell’s attention to detail and how well he explains things 👍so now I’ll start on them rusty bolts 😊

[@AdamBlindDivide]

When I rebuilt one of my bikes last year I searched around to find out if I could rust proof some old bolts I'd cleaned up but couldn't find anything, a year on the bike looks brand new apart from the bolts I reinstalled, thanks Del I'll be using this one quite a lot!

[@Moonfleet41]

Good one mate, if it's a pile of bolts you need to do, don't faff about doing them one at a time, chuck them all in an old roasting tin, heat them up till they all change colour a bit with a blow lamp, then pour over half a cupful of sump oil, don't make puddles, just coat the bolts up, shake 'em around so all coated, then set fire to the oil, keep it burning for about 10mins, keeping adding oil as it burns off, you could do 100 bolts in one go this way... then when they have cooled down and all the oil has burned off, just roll them in a big cloth to buff them off - job done all in one go!

[@AdamBlindDivide]

That's even better! Thanks a lot Del, couldn't help but have a go with a few already and looking good so far!

[@alightvlogging]

happy new year. I got the same tip from my school metal work teacher back in the early 80's as well and he then went on to explain case hardening, through hardening etc. Thanks for bringing back the memories.

[@Moonfleet41]

We're clearly the ssame age fellah, or they abouts! Case hardening, annealing, brazing, all proper old skills, the difference between this and hardening is how hot you get the metal.. the temper of the steel won't be affected at 4-500 degrees, but you know that lol !

[@mrjsutphenEDU]

Amazingly simple. I knew rust-proofing metal screws shouldn’t be as complicated or as expensive as everyone was making it out to be

[@edgeofvamp]

I wish that they taught things like this in school here in the states, I doubt even the secondary(Trade) schools would teach things like this. Most schools here are too focused on producing test takers and not much more. I am sure I will catch flak for that statement, but the truth hurts. Thank you very much for sharing this.

[@kimthechan]

AWESOME! I've been restoring my old 1940's table saw and wondered how I could protect the old steel bolts (not replaceable!!) without using paint. Gonna get right to it. Cheers mate!

[@Schlum99]

Great video, I was going back and forth between oil quenching, bluing or Parkerizing, but based on simplicity and corrosion resistance I will be performing this oil quench process. Best thing is no chemicals involved, and I have loads of used oil.

[@Moonfleet41]

Yeah, good plan, and if you want the item a blacker finish you can carry out the process a few times until you're happy with it.!

[@chriscs9080]

@@Moonfleet41 if you dont want to have black finish what you have to do? Any alternative?

[@CaptainCrankyMotovlogger]

What a great tip mate, thanks as always. When Keith (Wyvern Biker) came visiting at the end of last year, we took BigKev and him to the largest collection of steam locomotives in the world. It's been trying to be a museum for over 30 years, facing stupid opposition from local council. They have over 120 loco's sitting in a paddock, all caked in thick, black sump oil, which has baked on in the sun. I think it's a similar principal. Apparently they are beautiful underneath (all the brass has been stored, but the original colours are said to be amazing) and thew sump oil is just keeping the rust at bay. The owner was good enough to show us around - I called ahead of time to set that up, I knew Keith would like it and BigKev used to be a train driver :) All the best mate.

[@alantraherne]

Happy new year. I'm a similar age to you and my metalwork teacher taught me the exact same process with used engine oil. He called it Japanning. Thanks for bringing back some great memories!

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right buddy, it is, indeed, called Japanning, at least that is it's proper Sunday name, but you know what it's like these days, things get re-named and re-branded and people forget the old terms... look up Japanning and you get all sorts of weird rubbish, look up oil blackening and this is what you find! My metalwork teacher was a Blacksmith by trade, so this was the core of his teaching, and he taught us that this is one of the oldest skills known to man, it was carried out as far back as the Iron Age for tools and weapons, long before they had motor oil, they used pork fat and later in Roman times, they used Olive Oil, or Rape Seed Oil.. and blackened it with soot from the fire... nowt new under the sun aye brother?!

[@johndelaney5889]

One of the first things I learned in 1986 when I started my engineering yts / apprenticeship. Blackening steel. thanks for reminding me how old I am ;-) cheers. PS I remember the trainee fitters, (I was a machinist) had to rebuild a 2 stroke engine and them hiding surplus bits in a draw, lol.

[@Moonfleet41]

Cheers John, I think we are all getting a little older, good to remember the simple skills aye!

[@SteveCardiff]

So now you've given me lots of work to do on my winter hack. Fed up of rusty bolt heads on brake hose fittings, caliper bolts etc Gonna clean all the rust off em on my wire wheel and give em the Del Boy rust treatment :) I suppose I could do it with my rear sprocket nuts too, pretty sure they're not nyloc nuts :)

[@AusBoy-k6z]

The best I've seen. Done very well. Keep up the good work. Thanks.

[@davypig571]

No one wonders why this channel is so popular but also loved! Great job as usual, I like learning and being entertained so win/win for all of us!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank you buddy, you are really kind, it keeps us motivated to know that the videos are so welcomed and enjoyed... have a great 2017 , all the best, D&P!

[@bradleycrewe1754]

Happy New Year!! Big year ahead for the channel , looking forward to the vids. You reminded me that my Dad showed me this same process, when I was a young man . He used a particular dirty old can of the worst looking oil you can imagine, that he kept for just this procedure. Thanks for that memory.

[@armmorro2980]

You're a diamond geezer !!! Thanks a million ! Cheers !

[@funkphreek]

Brilliant - exactly what I need right now rebuilding my old VFR - cheers !

[@Vlogbiker]

OMG you took me back to my old metal work days at school (also 36 years ago) I remember the method and soon as I saw the torch and oil I thought Oh yeah I remember this... (oh and happy new year to you all)

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi buddy... yeah, simple stuff aye, how easy we forget over the years aye.. thanks for watching.. Del.

[@DylanGSXR]

Wow ,I was wondering what to do on my old RF 900 rebuild , I tuck all the bolts out of the brake caliper and any that where exposed ,wire brushed them and the look fantastic all silver but when I put the back on Bike they started to rust after only a couple of days , I was putting wd40 on them to stop it but now after seeing this it's a game changer 😁 . I'll be removing them again to put them through this process . Cheers again mate my skills are improving from watching your videos .

[@Moonfleet41]

Nice one Dylan, just make sure you pay close attention to the heating process, don't overheat them or you can make them weak... all the info's in the video and I hope it works out well for you!

[@MrSenorPun]

Dude! Thanks for tip! I'm going to do this to my rusty bolts on my 1200gsa. I just completed a metallurgy course, and this process would fall into carburizing. Normally, carburizing is for surface hardening the metal, but now its handy to know it's also good for rust prevention.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi there, for surface hardening you do need much more heat and a fast quenching oil, this is done at a much lower heat, and you 'cook' the oil on to the surface, a slightly different process to hardening....! Glad you enjoyed the video...

[@mjhodges5903]

Brilliant mate...love it..👍👍 The company that you put me on to for the extended brake pipes... again brilliant mate ...sorted..thanks Del.

[@jontierney705]

Great top tip first video for 2017 . Now all I need to do is take my fairing off and rust proof the old engineering bolts I used to secure the wing mirrors!

[@Moonfleet41]

Good idea mate, they will look nice and shiney and stay clean !

[@sevpha1259]

You didn't make this during the times of covid-19, but this is amazing and exactly what I've been looking for! I have a engine bay full of partially rusted bolts and I've been thinking about buying new bolts and incomplete kits start off in the hundreds of dollars. Now's a good time as any to restore bits and pieces of my engine bay to it's former glory.

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, glad it can help you, have fun with it!

[@victorunbea8451]

It's a type of polymerization. The same process is used to make cast iron skillets non-stick. Under the effect of high heat the normally short oil molecules bind together to form a polymer film (plastic layer). You need about 350-400 deg C for the oil to do that and like it was mentioned in the video, that's the hard part: to heat the part enough without damaging the heat treatment.

[@kevenc]

You can't. Any heat even near this temperature will damage the heat treatment. It may become more brittle or even lose temper, depending on the steel. This isn't the best way to rust proof a critical bolt. It's fine if you want a bolt to hold up a sign or something, but I wouldn't use it on a car unless it's just holding on a fender.

[@markwalls8754]

remember this in my shop class years ago! Thanks for reminding me mate!

[@Frank-Thoresen]

Watched this on February 23rd 2021. This video is still going strong 👍

[@mufinman1987]

Cheers for this mate. I've been struggling to find black fastners for my bike and this will do the trick.

[@Moonfleet41]

No worries, make sure you don't buy zinc plated bolts as it won't work on them, just get plain un-treated steel bolts, and if you use sump oil they will go proper black!

[@mufinman1987]

Excellent, I've got a few litres of that hanging around the garage.

[@HoldSimp]

Loving the video's as always delboy. I will still be a devoted watcher but as of tomorrow I will no longer be a motorcycle owner. Due to other commitments withing my family and the lack of time being able to be out riding I have no other choice but to find another home for it. Ride safe and stay well.

[@Moonfleet41]

Sorry to hear that Ian, I guess home and family come first aye... Thank you for your kind support and friendship mate, keep in touch aye.. all the best.. Del.

[@faridaliz]

Few years in and still relevant, thanks mate 👍🏽

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad to help mate!

[@sharkbaitsurfer]

Well done Del, well done Penny - great work all round!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thank You!

[@martindavies8326]

Good tip it really works just done 7 fasteners on my Honda used old black Engine oil and they all look good ⚙️🔩🔧👍

[@zubirhusein]

Same I soaked all the rusty weather exposed body fasteners with evaporust then quenched them all in used oil

[@JVerschueren]

Unrelated, Derek, but I use a piece of medical lifting equipment for taking care of my mum, and the fixing for a safety strap on that kept coming undone. It's fixed with two screws into a piece of soft steel, so I couldn't just drill through and use a bolt/locknut arrangement to keep it in place. So I took your advice from an earlier video and ordered a gel stick of Loctite threadlock 248. It hasn't moved since applying it, so, thanks for the recommendation.

[@thecure9538]

now that's something i was shown at school, forgot all about it thanks for the reminder mate. Happy new year buddy.

[@Moonfleet41]

Nice one buddy, it's as old as the iron age, they used to warm weapons and tools in a fire and then rub them with bacon fat... nothing new under the sun mate!

[@filmcamera]

I watched the video when it came out but had not had an opportunity to try it until today - works great and is fascinating to watch the temp colour changes - thanks for the tip - very cool

[@abelbabel8484]

Hey. I know that - it is an exceptionally old process indeed, which allowed me to use it for our 12th century reenactment. Hooks, hinges, nails, all sorts of small ironmongery got that coating with a cheap cooking oil. As far as I know, none of the things I made like that ever rusted.

[@JayZlynZ]

Please tell me, can you use the method of rust proofing a bolt by the oil and torch method on the threads? I cleaned up. eight anchor bolts that go into concrete and stick up a half inch in order to accommodate a ring strap of a pool cover. I cleaned them up on my wire wheel and. they looked like beautiful gold pieces! However, I must have removed some kind of rust proofing coating because they started to rust immediately, before I could even install them back into the concrete. Since they stick up. A half inch, I need to rustproof the threads, not just the head of the bolts.

[@TonyAskew1]

Awesome video! Thanks so much. It looks like you have actually case hardened it. I learned this when I studied Mech Eng at Technikon in South Africa. If one uses old diesel oil which has a high carbon content, you case harden it at the same time... I never realised that the process it rust proofs it also.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi mate, slightly different process, different only in the temperature you heat to, for case hardening you heat to cheery red, roughly 800degrees C, then quench... but this is far cooler, maybe half that temperature and if done right, it should not case harden it, it just impregnates the microscopic surface of the metal with layer of cooked oil, important to know if it's a critical fastener.

[@christopherfassett9973]

michaelcthulhu has done this kind of thing to achieve specific aesthetics (I'm thinking specifically of the Pyramid Head blade from Silent Hill, he did it by drenching it in WD-40 and setting that on fire, I think), if I remember correctly, with the oil you're creating a specific type of oxidation that essentially becomes a very hard, thin layer of black rust that means there's nothing left for the oxygen to react to. Sort of pre-rusting it in a controlled way so that it doesn't run rampant on you later in an uncontrolled way. Awesome tip, I was familiar with it for aesthetics but the practical application is awesome. Hooray for 2 year old videos that are still massively useful!

[@Moonfleet41]

There's a name from the past.. used to watch him back when i had spare time to watch KZbin videos... Legendary Lunatic indeed.... ive done some recent off camera experiments using Pork Tallow.. makes a really nice bronze finish,...and of course awesome as it smells of sausages..!

[@christopherfassett9973]

@@Moonfleet41 right?! It'd been years since I'd thought of him. Maybe you'll have to show us a comparison of different finish results with different oils sometime! It's lovely when style and practicality meet

[@Moonfleet41]

@@christopherfassett9973 It will indeed be video material later once i get to that stage of the bike project, and im really looking forward to it..

[@antoniomassey8328]

Thank you Delboy and penny for a very good tip .Tony

[@shanearcher8324]

i have a couple of bolts on my Harley that the heads are rusty. Im going to clean them up and use this method on them. Thanks Del!!

[@Moonfleet41]

Good plan buddy, the secret is cleaning them up like brand new first, wire brush and elbow grease!

[@Rustycrawler]

Thank you very much sir!!! They definitely do not teach that in schools anymore.

[@KingsColas]

*Hey Del. Been very busy lately. Catching up now. Thank you for tea hung this to us. It was something I personal find extremely helpful. Its hard to find certain bolts in stainless.* (btw- I wish you were my shop teacher.) He was so brain dead, we all hated the class and could leave and go home and he wouldn't even notice us walking out the garage doors and out through the middle of the parking lot. He was crap. I hardly learned to use the lathe machine. He showed us the basics and we had to figure out the rest. I couldn't tell you how many bits were laying around that were destroyed. Lucky if u could find a crap one and grind it ourselves in attempt to use them. Anyways lol. Thanx Del , cheers m8!

[@Moonfleet41]

Hey buddy, sorry to hear about your teacher, it's a disaster when you get a crap one, cos the result of their neglect rattles down your life like an echo, leaving you without the skills you had a right to learn... sounds like he should have been sent to work in a scrapyard cleaning the toilets and get a proper teacher in, I was so luckym my metalwork teacher was a former blacksmith, and a man of great passion, nobody goofed off in his class, and nobody messaed about cos everyone was just so completely engaged with learning fascinating things.... It's not an exact science burning the oil - I would say at least 3-4 dips in to the oil and then allow that coat to burn off, the more the better, but don't overheat the metal... good luck with it, and like I said, remember to have fun and enjoy it !

[@KingsColas]

Moonfleet41 Hahaha, that's funny, and I completely agree. I think even if he was the janitor he woulda missed streaks inside the toilet he was so lucid sometimes, lmao! I wish I could have grown up somewhere else. Unfortunately my school didn't care. During my time there the school had (and I believe is still top 3) the most drop-outs in the entire state... Anyways tho. Always appreciat the nice words of wisdom. You always have something nice to say and its always nice to hear back from ya. Onto the NEW VIDEO :)

[@dprider02]

A long time ago, I did a "down to the last nut and bolt" resto on a 1970 Bonneville. The bike came out great, but I'll admit to being at a loss for what to do with the rusty nuts and bolts. In the end I just wire wheeled them clean as I reinstalled them, ultimately coating them where I could with clear nail polish. I sold the bike soon after (sigh), so I have no idea how long this treatment lasted. Wish this video had been around 20 years ago!

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, glad you enjoyed, it's a simple skill to keep in the back of your mind for any future projects! Happy New Year, ride safe!

[@teunla9633]

Thanks for doing this, gorgeous bolts indeed!

[@paulwoodburn3735]

I personaly recomend vaseline for this. (petroleum jelly) its cheap as chips and its actually ten times better than any oil.

[@CaptainTripp]

THAT is totally awesome buddy! You were lucky to have a great mentor, nothing like getting a head start in your craft. I have several bolts that are going to receive this process, I live In Galveston, Texas, right smack on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, lotsa salt in the air...sigh... Hope you and yours had a Merry Christmas and a will have an awesome New Year!

[@Moonfleet41]

Hey buddy, good to hear from you, and glad we could help - here's trick for ya - if you have a pile of bolts to do, chuck them in an old roasting tin, pour over half a cup full of sump oil once you have heated the bolts up, then set fire to the oil, and keep it alight until it all burns off, shake them around to get all the oil dried out and let them cool... it will take a faction of the time and you do the threads as well at the same time! Good luck with it, you live in a beautiful place...

[@landonoletymer]

I remember doing this in metal shop , they used dirty engine oil, , I dont remember reheating and dipping , we actually made chisels, then heated it in a furnace , just like you when the color was just right we took it out of the furnace and dropped it in and left it in until cooled. St least thats what my ole brain remembers. Shame these days there is no metal shop in schools..

[@Moonfleet41]

A shame indeed Sir, a generation of people who can't oil a squaky hinge! Thanks for watching and your feedback.

[@affinityroadster3942]

Rebuilding my 1990 Miata, many of the bolts have been exposed for rust for about 30 years. Cannot wait to do this myself.

[@banditBrian]

cheers del thats great, i have a few bolts in my handle bars like that for holding on the hand guards starting to rust up may clean them up and use that new simple skill i have just learned cheers bud... and happy new year to you and penny...

[@Moonfleet41]

Good luck with it Brian, you can do them all at once, drop them in a tin cup, or old metal tray, wet them up with a coating of sump oil , sset light to it with a blow lamp and shake 'em around in the flames... cook them off for about 10mins, or so, then you haven't got to do every one by hand !

[@barnabywild2215]

I use this process for bluing the hammers, triggers, and small screws on black powder revolvers. Old engine oil is the best (as mentioned). It's worth giving a wipe over with lanolin for added protection - it helps seals the metal should it get a slight scratch in the treated surface (as when you apply a tool to undo it later on).

[@Moonfleet41]

Good point well made my friend, I'd not thought of the lanolin !

[@TheReaper1oo]

Looks to my eye to be very similar to the rustproofing modern blacksmiths seem to like: Bees wax. Either way, steel seems to like both methods for not rusting. Thank you & a happy New Year Del & Penny!

[@Moonfleet41]

It is exactly that, beeswax, linseed oil, go back far enough, even bacon fat... it's been around since the Iron Age !

[@owlteachereducation]

Brilliant. Thanks Mr Wilson!

[@cormacredmond12345]

At last...a video that isn't about beating/burning/drilling the crap out of a petrol tank! Been a while. :D

[@paulmcmahon3522]

Great video Del. Some of the bolts clamping the exhaust on my 2013 Fatboy are rusting - perfect remedy. Happy New Year to you and Penny.

[@Moonfleet41]

Mine too buddy, they use straight forward engineering bolts with a very thin Japan coating, and it burns off immediately... the studs that come out of the head are the worst I've found!

[@semsingh7967]

Thank you for your demonstration...

[@dazdncnfusd6447]

P Heya Del. I actually had bolts like that on my shocks, but swapped them back to OEM (which I have since painted the heads black....) because the heads were rusting out. I'll definitely be filing this little trick away for future use. Thanks!!!

[@Moonfleet41]

Ayup buddy, yeah, paint is one way, but it always chips off... great idea, stick it in the save box for another time - all the best, D&P!

[@asurridge6979]

Thoroughly enjoy your vids keep them coming

[@Moonfleet41]

Glad you like them, that you for your support.

[@suzukietc1373]

good for bolts underneath. will use this trick on my bandit build

[@KarlTheDingbat]

I have a little mild steel clamp I made in metalwork over 40 yeas ago, it was treated in the same way and has not got much rust on it now. Good tip :)

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right buddy, this was the only method that was ever used long before stainless was available, it's as old as the Iron Age... !

[@riffcover9000]

St Andrews College in New Zealand teach metalwork for the last three years of high school. I think they're one of the last ones in the world. But thanks for keeping this cool trick alive

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks Nick, it's great to hear there are some schools that still value hand skills...

[@Fosgen]

Neat idea. Carbon is more inert than platinium.

[@americanotakuinc.9637]

Man that's cool as hell! I never learned anything like that in metal shop class back in high school. Guess the class that I had was garbage right off the rip. Thanks for the info, Del!

[@Moonfleet41]

Dont be so hard on your school shop, to get qualifications in this takes years of apprenticeship doing it 5 days a week, and college release.... what can they hope to do but give you the barest skim over in a once a week, one hour lesson..! At least you had a metal shop class.. many kinds now havent even heard if it.!

[@spydaonline]

Exactly what I needed. I was having a problem with rusty bolts on my 89 Softail

[@squareyes1981]

I had literally no idea that this was possible... another knowledge-gap filled. Thanks folks :)

[@Moonfleet41]

Simple stuff aye Ian, glad you enjoyed it !

[@dangerdavefreestyle]

this is amazing for a kickstand bolt on a bike ridden in the rain eh. I like to wire wheel and buff all my bolts with the clay, and, they do rust, perhaps a clear nail polish

[@MacBegbie]

Top tip! I've got a boat load of these annoying bolts! They're getting treated today!

[@srrider6956]

Love it, I used to zinc plate but it's not worth doing tbh but this works lol great video del n penny happy New year! Hope your well over the holidays

[@Moonfleet41]

Thanks buddy, have a great New Year yourself, thanks for all you kind support, D&P!

[@passinthru4328]

You've got me wondering whether to do this on the factory bolts and nuts exposed to road splash on my new motorcycle. I bet they aren't stainless steel but that's a lot of bolts.

[@stevensteel8617]

Well, I had to replace my front caliper bolts because the old ones had stretched, and because they are supposed to be torqued to 30Nm I ordered some high tensile ones. Like yours they had the engineering finish so they had to be treated first. I tried this twice using old oil to get them even blacker. They looked great at first but within a few days had rusted. Now I have tried leaving the removed rusty ones in strong vinegar for several days to remove all the rust and stuff and treating them with clean olive oil, thinking that the carbon in the used oil might be soaking up the rain perhaps. We'll see if this works, but if not I'll just have to buy some titanium bolts.

[@byronand5]

Cool! I like the Simple Skills tips! As you know Del, I'm a musician, graphics/computer geek, and avid bike RIDER, but I'm not interested in being a bike mechanic or fabricator. I'm just interested in knowing a little about how things work, as well as good maintenance and riding habits.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Byron, Yes ive always been in awe of musical talent, but we have what we have, and make the best of it, i was captivated by metalworking skills at school and its the only thing that engaged me fully with that part of my education... these days in a time of computers and IT taking first place before anything manual in a childs education, im proud now, that i have skills today, that some will never know, or want.. as Jesse James said, "People who can make things with their hands can run the world"... We have some cool new simple skills coming up, old school iron mongery like this, and also...(just as a spoiler), ive finally managed to persuade Penny to show the world her skills in Jewellery making.. so a whole new linked channel, and some videos showing her talents too.. still working on the pilot video at the moment, not sure if it will go anywhere, but we wanted to bring something new for 2017.. so wish us luck..!

[@byronand5]

Yes, I heard you allude to Jesse James before. Frankly, I disagree with that attitude. It seems elitist to me. It seems like the same crap I get from many Harley dealerships. I.e., if you're not a "mechanic" you're not a biker. F-that! I'm not an airplane pilot either, but I'll fly in an airplane now and then... I'm not a Doctor, but I'll see one occasionally. I can do some things FAR better than most, and other things I can't do at all. No one does everything well! Peace-out.

[@Moonfleet41]

Oh i do hope i haven offended you Byron, it wasn't intended to be elitist, Ive NEVER said "if you're not a mechanic, you're not a biker"..thats rubbish... i just believe there is more to owning a bike than just riding it, there is pleasure in taking care of your bike surely?, even if its just checking over the safety items before you ride..... i was just making the point that many young people dont do so well academically, and they should be proud of some hand skills that can earn them a crust... we can't all be IT savvy, to this day it is my biggest challenge to get my head round the tech, and make video worth watching.. Truly sorry if i offended you sir, it was the last thing i intended.. Sorry. Del.

[@TheGamersRace]

If you let it cool down to a certain temperature first then dump it in normal room temp water you'll harden the bolt, this will give it more shearing resistance if you're using it on engine mount bolts. If you let it cool naturally itll be softer and could, possibly, sheer off under stress. Just a tip.

[@Moonfleet41]

You don't get it hot enough in this process to anneal the bolt which I think is what you're alluding to, annealing you must get the bolt cherry-red and cool slowly, preferably in sand, this process doesn't change the strength or structure, of the bolt in any way... it simply blanches the surface and the oil burns in to the microscopic texture or the steel surface and protects it from the elements.

[@TheGamersRace]

@@Moonfleet41 I guess if you already purchased a tempered or hardened bolt you wouldn't need to. If you have a bolt or something already on a bike you're working on and it doesnt seem to be hardened, I would harden it first before treating it like you did. Great instructional video! Will definitely want to try this out on some mild steel and see how it holds up in the weather.

[@petefroud5308]

{p} Hi Del. Very nice tip . That has jogged my memory we had the same lesson on that process . Not on a bolt but a screw thread project we did 1980 or 81 . Showing my age now . Cheers Pete.

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right mate, things like this were taught in school back in our day, now it's more about IT, media studies and event management! Tomorrow's adults will be great at laying on a wedding, as long as the car doesn't break down on the way... happy new year!

[@petefroud5308]

Your not wrong Del . My sister is a teacher at a secondary school , they had a superb machine shop and car workshop , The gear they had was all top stuff ,about three years back they shut it down , due to lack of take up . All the tools etc was flogged off cheap such a shame. My best mate teaches HNC bike and car at East Berks college in Slough , even they struggle for numbers now. Oh yes happy new year.

[@Moonfleet41]

What a terrible sign of the times, but you know what it is, Peter, it's the 'degree culture', these days Harley Davidson no longer call their guys mechanics, they are 'Harley Davidson Master Technicians'...! children are sold the belief, from an early age, that without a degree they will be nobody in life, and only ever fit to drive a bus... but hey, I guess their futures are bright, cos when they get their degree in Forensic Entomology they will have a great career waiting for them at McDonalds! I worked in the bike trade for 10yrs, and every teenager that approached us had nothing but contempt for the sales side of the business, they all wanted to be technicians, and travel the world with a race team, spoilt little brats these days, I'm afraid.... very few good 'uns amongst them... spoilt, lazy and hopelessly over aspired...!

[@petefroud5308]

Hi Del . Your so right . I worked in a garage for nearly twenty five years . Not on the tools , but i did training at college to try to better myself. As you say the young fellas all want to be well trained in the ways of fixing cars . But its all changed . All they do is just change parts now. Some of my old friends from work are dead good , can strip boxes down rebuild engines . A good friend of mine i used to work with used to do a lot private work at home i used to help him on a saturday at his place . He was what i call a bearings and bolts man. He taught me a lot of tricks just like my grandad did . He was a lorry and car man in the day , worked on planes during his national service 1950 to 1953 . It is a sad state of affairs as the young fellas get taught rubbish now . Sorry to rant on . Regards Pete.

[@BobPapadopoulos]

This method reminds me a lot of oiling a cast iron skillet. Get it hot as hell, oil it, get it hot again, oil it.

[@StReeTz166]

Black oxide is the name of the coating. Cool tip!

[@stevensteel8617]

Thanks for this video. I just bought some nice new high tensile steel bolts for my calipers, installed them and within a week they are rusty, so I'll be getting hold of a blow torch and trying out this technique for sure.

[@janamielkamantigue1817]

can i do that on a screw with a little bit of rust ? will it stop the rust and prevent it to come back ?

[@DonaldChapman]

I love the tips videos! Some things I haven't learned yet, and not everybody learns the same things in school or on the job. Thank you for sharing! Prosperous New Year to you, Penny and the garage!

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right my friend, we all pick up different things in our school years, some we appreciate more than others, but it's handy if you ever need it !

[@rickbeckett6138]

Ey up Del. Re ground my bandit bar ends today, just like you showed us and I also fire quenched them in some mucky old engine oil... I had to heat them up outside and couldnt get them to colour beyond the bluey purple phase. It's grim up north... They look better than they did though, they turned out a blacky blue. I think I'll buy another blow torch for extra heat if they ever go rusty, to try and get them to cook to the steely gun metal colour. I had a top time burning the oil into those buggers in my front yard, got some funny looks off passers by though, ha ha. I'm impressed with the direct gloss black to chrome youve just done on those Harley chrome covers. You've got me thinking... I've got chrome airbox covers on me bandit plus I've got 5L of rubbing alcohol, its no good for drinking but I could try it out for de greasing my covers before paint spraying them . If yours turn out alright , that's going to be my next project. Thanks for sharing these top tips with us, much appreciated man!

[@Moonfleet41]

You're most welcome buddy, sounds like you had fun playing with that! I learned from a buddy of mine who does twisted steel ornamental stuff that a blow torch from two directions works brilliantly and heats up to red temperature even if it's 1" thick in just a minute, or two! The paint's dry now, at least to touch, and it's so smooth, I'm quite surprised already! Gonna give them a little extended drying time and then just fit them and see how they do! Good luck with doing yours, hope it goes well... thanks for taking the time to write mate, much appreciated, Happy new Year!

[@rickbeckett6138]

@@Moonfleet41 Happy New Year to you and yours. Thanks for the reply, I'm a silent subscribers for the most part. It's been a right productive day thanks to you both. I've been thinking about doing the quench for about a year, working up the nerve to do it, glad it's done now. Had to use some beefy cable ties to strap my cordless drill to a stool to polish the bandit original bar ends... slightly dodgy I know but I did wear gloves and glasses and Ive still got all my eyes and fingers ha ha. I ghetto fixed the bar end innards by the way... Renthal bars. Improvise, adapt and overcome. Glad to hear the paint job has turned out well on those covers, can't wait to see the end result and can't wait to have a bash at it myself, weather permitting Thumbs up to the Moonfleet crew!

[@rickbeckett6138]

P.S. I'd seen the vid you all did on metal twisting yages ago. That's what sprang into my mind today outside about using 2 torches... Now all I need to do is grow a third arm ha ha. All the best.

[@Moonfleet41]

@@rickbeckett6138 ha ha yeah, we always need a second pair of hands aye... Thanks again for your support Rick.. have a great weekend.. Del.

[@GeordiLaForgery]

Neat skill. This is why I periodically cover the missus in oil *boom tish*.. I'll get my coat.

[@Moonfleet41]

Cue the joke about Popeye dipping in Olive OIl..!

[@GeordiLaForgery]

​@@Moonfleet41 Haha :-)

[@TheBarnaby25]

Love this. Thank you man!

[@savinggracechurch4112]

I've been thinking about this old simple skills video for ages now, Del. Goda get on with doing it as the gs500 is looking more and more like a rat bike, and that wasn't the original idea. All the best, Del and Penny

[@Moonfleet41]

Nothing wrong with a Rat Bike sir.. "Chrome don't get you home"!

[@RenchRanch]

Very cool. Had no idea I could do this. Actually other than rust proofing bolts it will help in the style department to "murder-out" the fasteners on a bike if your going for the all black look. Good stuff and great video as always. Mike & Melly

[@Moonfleet41]

Too right brother, you can do it to sheet metal too, that's how the Roman's stopped their armour going rusty when they invaded England!!??! Hope you two are both well - D&Px

[@TheEnergyball]

I've been saving watching this video til I had a chance and finally got to watch it. Thank you Del. I'm wondering if this technique will work on zinc plated cheapy bolts or even black bolts from my K75 bike that are showing touches of rust from the inside of the hex recession.

[@Moonfleet41]

Hi Ali... yes you can do it to any metal, but it will have limited success on the Zinc because the plating prevents the oil from penetrating into the steel...that's its job after all.. and also be careful heating zinc because it gives off some pretty noxious gas that's really toxic... can you maybe afford to buy some new bolts that are mild steel and do this to them...of maybe even just upgrade to stainless steel bolts.. they aren't as pricey as you may think..?

[@TheEnergyball]

Moonfleet41 Not on account of affordability - more wondering about using what is readily available. Noted @zinc stink poison air. My preference will be to do this to the existing hardware rather than find the size at the hardware, then buy another. My bolts are lightly rusting and are still in great shape. I'm thinking of this as a preventative/restorative project as well as a means to beautify the bike. Thx.