The painted parts are back
My friendly painter rang to tell me he had a car load of gloss black two pack bike parts for me - and do they look different! I carefully picked them up and took them home and began the task of rebuilding.

Someone once told me that it was the detail which mattered most in a restoration. Fasteners are easy to overlook. I try, where possible, to use the original fasteners but often they are too damaged and replacements must be found. More often the original fasteners are rusted or have multiple layers of paint. I've begun using a home zinc plating kit with great results. It improves the appearance of old fasteners and fittings and ensures they will last for many years to come.

Zinc plating
Here is a close-up shot of the zinc plating on some bolts and spacers. Not perfect but not bad either. The state of the original parts determines the finished result and these were all very badly rusted.