I can pretty much guarantee that your attempt to paint fasteners will be a failure. Yes, you will be able to paint them, but as soon as you install them to whatever it is that you are using them for, the paint will not hold up.

A wonderful alternative is plating. Have you considered getting all of the fasteners Cad plated? Many people on the list have done this with great results. Another option is to use new stainless hardware.

Here is why the paint option won't work well. First remember my rule of damage repair: poorly repaired damage looks worse than damage itself. While you didn't mention damage, I think that the same rules apply here. This is what I mean:

Let's imagine that you will be painting and installing a Phillips head bolt. Painting will be straight forward, and may appear successful. The paint, however, will be damaged as soon as you install the bolt. The screw driver is sure to scrape paint off as you tighten the bolt.

In the case of the painted washers you mentioned, the washers are sure to move around a bit as the fastener they are used with is tightened. The result will be that paint will be scraped off the washer and it will show.

If you are talking about a hex head bolt, or a nut, the same things will happen. When you put a wrench or a socket on the hex head and apply force you WILL take paint off.

One final option, and I believe that it is a very poor one, but it would look better, would be to apply a light coating of paint after the fastener is installed. I know that this is a bad idea, but if you must have painted fasteners it is an option.

If you paint your fasteners and then install them, the paint will be damaged. This damaged paint WILL look bad.

There is a reason why it is pretty much unheard of to paint fasteners before installation. Nobody does it because it will result in a look that gives your finished project a very half-a$$#* look.

Please consider another option.

Cheers, Bruce motorbruce

>From: roger sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM> >Reply-To: roger sisler <rogersisler2000@YAHOO.COM> >To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM >Subject: How do you paint lots of bolts,efficently? >Date: Mon, 10 Jul 2006 09:20:12 -0700 > >Hello. I need to paint lots of nuts,bolts,and washers.Does anyone have a >good way to do this? I Poke holes in a cardboard box and stick the bolts >in.and I spray paint them. Anyb better way? How bout washers and nuts? > >--------------------------------- >How low will we go? Check out Yahoo! Messenger’s low PC-to-Phone call >rates.