Zinc Plating vs Powder coated or Something Else?

[Jim]

Thanks Jim! How are the roller pins removed? Do you buy new roller pins (assuming they're available for sale)?

Is the bottle stack shoe that Signguy mentioned the same part as the bottle gate? What do you do with the arms? Powder coat, re-zinc (if needed), polish up, etc?

They can be carefully hammered out using the correct size punch. The rollers themselves can be cleaned as they are stainless steel.
Uncertain what John is calling a "bottle stack shoe"...

[Zerbie]

I got all the roller pins out utilizing an 1/8" drive pin punch. It fit perfectly in the gate & in the roller pin and didn't mushroom or damage the "pins" that hold the roller pins in the bottle gate. I then documented how the springs would go back on and down the bottle gate with attached arm are stripped down.

What is the proper way to restore whats left of this assembly? (2nd pic)

Thx!

[Jim]

What is the proper way to restore whats left of this assembly? (2nd pic)

Thx!

That could be an open-ended question...
One restorer's position is to carefully drill out the shoulder rivet to separate the two components, technically three if you wish to count the swivel at the other end.
Include the block bar and attached block bar link in with other parts to be zinc plated. The bottle gate can be wire wheel cleaned/polished and buffed to nearly chrome finish and left as is to naturally color age back to gray Or clear coat to retain the nice polished finish.
Hopefully helpful...

[Zerbie]

Very helpful - thanks Jim!! 

[Zerbie]

Jim,

I was able to find replacement bottle gate shoulder rivets from Soda Jerk works....but they or Funtronics did not have the rivet for the other end of the arm. If I disconnected the bottle gate from the arm, would it be feasible to take the arm and keep the swivel piece attached on the other end of the arm all as one piece to get zinc plated and/powder coated?

 

[Jim]

Yes, leave the "swivel piece", the block bar link, attached for zinc plating. The goal is to remove the bottle gates as they are made from different metal and will not survive the zinc plating process.

[Zerbie]

Thank you once again!