I researched general automotive and VW factory nut, bolt and hardware finishes for some time before deciding exactly how I was going to move forward sealing and finishing the hardware. Originally, the VW factory used a caustic soda bath and an oil bath to finish and seal the metal. The soda gave the surface of the hardware a phosphoric black coating and the hot oil would inhibit future rust by filling into the pores of the metal. The hardware would have a black finish with a dull shine. This was cost effective, simple, effective and practical, a prefect fit for a Volkswagen.
In modern times, newer methods of giving metal a phosphoric coating were developed (cold bluing) to accomplish the same thing without the use of boiling tubs of hazardous chemicals. Using a bluing solution and a hot oil bath was how I decided to move forward.
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