We just use a bench grinder with a wire wheel if just doing a few. However if we have a dozen or more they get glass beaded in our booth. Also note that a nice thick Sharpie permanent marker works great on the heads instead of painting.

 

I have a tumbler that is really for cleaning the brass from firearms .I Put some media from the media blaster in it and let them tumble for a few hours if they are just surface rusted and overnight if they are rusted badly.Then I wash and paint them.
Have done both the wire wheel and the media cabinet and this is by far easier on the fingers.

 

Use vise grips[tm] to hold the bolts if using a bench grinder/wire wheel. Safety first! Use goggles!

Take a piece of thin cardboard and push the bolts through to make painting the heads easier.

 

this is great advice guys. how much does a media blasting setup cost? something that could handle these types of jobs...

 

I let them soak for several days in gasoline, dry, then soak for an hour or so in phosphorous acid, then wire wheel the threads and put a drop of 3-in-1 oil on top of the bolt head.

 

Well, I spent about $800 for an 80 gallon two-stage compressor and another ~$200 for a cabinet and various fittings.
Harbor Freight Tools FTW!

The problem with media blasting is you really need at least 12-15CFM @90+ PSI.
Otherwise it takes forever and ever to clean anything and your compressor runs constantly.

As far as bolts & body fasteners I was thinking I was going clean up my stuff but after going over the amount
of time it would take I just decided to get new ones. I spent ~$180 for a compete set of body assembly fasteners.
Include new nuts, bolts, clips etc. to attach fenders, front rear valences, grill etc.
All the new stuff is cad plated or phosphated.

 

The easiest way for nuts and bolts is a vibratory abrasive parts cleaner. You just drop them in, and come back a little later and the parts are clean. Harbor freight as them for $60. If you have a lot to do the I'd lea toward this. If you only have a few then the wire wheel works good too. Here is what the harbor freight machine looks like.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=93252

 

The idea of soaking and then wire wheeling is so redundant.Just wire wheel them.No need for both.