Also if you are not going to remove them at all, use some of that zinc paint
after fitting particularly, on the end of the bolt where the nut tightens.
An old trick from reusing old aerial parts. However it seldom looks pretty.
Brian

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This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from...
The Sofa of Brian Gaff...

Blind user, so no pictures please!
"Rod Speed" wrote in message
...
wrote

I am restoring a bench where all the metal fixings had rusted. Some
joints have large barrel nuts and bolts and others bolts and inset nuts.

I was thinking of putting something on them before
refitting to try and protect them. I had a few thoughts...
- use something like vasaline but guess the oil would ingress into the
wood.

and wouldn't last that long.

- paint them before they go in.

Likely the paint will get damaged installing them.

- given they are all M8 the rust is probably superficial anyway so only
need
to deal with the thread to tighten if necessary at some other point.

Anyone have any ideas on how to prolong the life of this?

Why not use stainless steel bolts ?