[SOLVED] Rusty thumbscrews

[gamerbrehdy]

Here is I, owner of a Thermaltake View 27. For the ones that do not know, this case comes with 6 black thumbscrews that make removal of the transparent side-top cover and cable management plate easier.
Due to my sweaty hands, and exposure to the humid air (I leave them out, because then I can acces my hardware easier when needed), they are extremely rusty.
Whats the easiest and safest way to remove the rust from them?


I know some good rust removers like vinegar, lemon juice, and even ketchup (yes, that actually removes dust decently well). But I'm scared that the Black color will dissappear after use. Thats the reason why im not using something like HCl (hydrochloric acid). That will definetly get rid of the black color.

 

[DMAN999]

I would soak them in whatever rust remover you can get easily then paint them with Black Rust-oleum paint.

 

[scout_03]

this for vinegar and others https://www.google.ca/search?source.........0....1..gws-wiz.......0i131.IhHfJz_II1k

 

[Willdobbo]

This might sound odd but look at rust neutralisers which you can use on cars

 

[Azzyasi]

Soak them in whatever rust remover you like or have. (even electrolysis if you fancy that)
Don't bother about the black on the screws.. it can be easily painted or blued or japaned.
Or get a dremel with wirebrush and clean everything. (hold the screw with some pliers, wear safety glasses.. those bristles fly everyhere time to time)

To make them black again you either:
1. paint them from a spary can. (easy)

2. use gun blue (for black-ox matt finish) expensive just for a few screws if you need to buy a bottle of gunblue (5-30$ + shipping). But you have it it's the easiest.. just dunk them in and wipe them with a cloth. For such tiny screws it's dead easy. It's hard to blue large surfaces evenly (like a long gun barrel) but here is not the case.

3. japann it (heat the screws 300+ degrees Celsius almost red , and dunk them in BLO - boiled linseed oil, repeat until you are happy with the black (this is what cast iron cooking pans have.. heat in the oven, apply oil, heat some more, etc.. as you cook more with oil they remain black for long time)

4. Use oxide colors - heat cherry red (some wire with borax gel helps with the cleaning after), dunk in water to quench. Clean with wirebrush all surfaces. Carefully heat ( in a pan with copper chips to spread the heat evenly) and stop at whatever color you like (yellow, blue, violet)

The list goes on but it's more about industrial processes that are not easily done at home without knowledge.
So just take into options buying new screws in whatever fashion and color you like, they are pretty cheap. (extreme cheap if you reach a suplier that sells in bulk.. it's like a penny for such case screw but you need to buy 5000+ of those)