Rusty Screws

Discussion in 'Transformers Toy Discussion' started by Fuzz, Feb 28, 2012.

  1. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    This is probably a common problem for anyone who likes to make G1 Transformers look nice and pretty again.

    Here's my problem. My son has a couple of junker Powermaster Primes his uncle gave him. He wants me to take the best parts from each and frankenstein together one good figure. I've already ordered replacement decals from Repro, but a majority of the screws are completely rusted.

    Does anyone know of a good chemical I can buy from Home Depot, Lowes, etc. that will eat the rust off? Or better yet, where to find replacement screws?

    I had this same problem with a G1 Scorponok I just restored, but I was lucky enough to have a broken remote-control WALL-E toy that had the exact same size screws.
     
  2. Fishdirt

    Fishdirt Tin Toy Transformer

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    veggie oil, wd40..basically any kind of oil...oh and elbow grease.

    I let the screws soak in a bit of veggie oil then wipe hard with a paper towel.

    It'll also ensure they won't rust for a good long time.
     
  3. Big Dawg

    Big Dawg Well-Known Member

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    white vinegar takes rust out pretty good from my experience
     
  4. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    Soaking them in Coke seems to work.
     
  5. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    Tried that with the Scorponok screws. Didn't work very well.
     
  6. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    How long did you soak them in for? It's a semi-popular method for rust removal. Not the best, but it does work.
     
  7. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    About a day. Didn't see any noticeable change.


    I'll try a screw with each method mentioned above, including Coke again, and see which yields the best results.

    Thanks everyone for the suggestions so far!


    Just had another thought. After soaking, how about filing the heads of the screws down a little with a dremel? Or will that chew them up too much?
     
  8. Maetel

    Maetel Well-Known Member

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    i thought myth buster proved coke is really just due to the weak acid and water doesn't work any better than other cleaners, might as well just use vinegar
     
  9. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    I wouldn't do it. You might risk stripping the screws.
     
  10. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    I meant just on the surface of the screw head, not inside where the screwdriver goes.
     
  11. Chump

    Chump Well-Known Member

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    I would try the oil/wd40 method. It has worked for me in the past.
     
  12. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    I think a file would work better. Maybe even some tougher grit sand paper.
     
  13. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    I have small sandpaper bits for my dremel. Maybe I should've explained better. All I want to do is grind enough off to where the screw looks silver again.

    I'm gonna try a soak/sand method on a test screw. See how it goes. Thanks everyone for the input!
     
  14. Satomiblood

    Satomiblood City Hunter

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    I suppose that'll work. LIke I said, just be careful not to strip them. They're older screws after all.
     
  15. oxidative

    oxidative last chance to evacuate

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    I've used Isopropol Alcohol and some q-tips with some success. Also, when done, I've coated the exposed screws, carefully, with clear nail polish. You can't tell there was ever an issue.

    Just be careful with the alcohol. If it gets on stickers or paint it will harm them. Might be better to just use WD-40. Taco Bell hot sauce maybe? That works well for cleaning up coins that I've found in the heating vents of my house.
     
  16. Slip►Stream

    Slip►Stream Seeker Clone

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    I haven't tried any rust remover personally but I remember someone at Shoryuken.com being able to restore an old and badly rusted arcade joystick control panel using a green gel rust remover (I believe it was Bull Frog Rust Remover)
    There's also Evapo-Rust and Rust Release SuperGel but again I haven't tried any of these personally (but I guess you can google these products to gather some feedback)
     
  17. PikaManiac

    PikaManiac Well-Known Member

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    Baking Soda is the way to go.

    I tried WD-40, that stuff does not work too well. It helps to prevent rust, but to remove rust, it takes a lot of rubbing, and I mean A LOT. I also tried soaking screws in Coca Cola, but they turned black.

    Baking Soda is the way to go. The way it works is like sandpaper, just that it is a lot milder than sandpaper that it would not deform your screw, or scratch your plastic in case you can't unscrew it.
     
  18. MidnightBliss

    MidnightBliss Well-Known Member

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    I am also interested in replacing screws. Anyone know of a kit or some way to get the most used sizes?
     
  19. Fishdirt

    Fishdirt Tin Toy Transformer

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    Any update on this?


    Midnight bliss, try hobby screws on ebay or maybe buying KO cheap toys at a local big lots?
     
  20. Fuzz

    Fuzz Garbage Pail Kid

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    I've got a test screws soaking now. Gonna pull them out tonight.