The Dangers of Hidden Rust: De-Rusting Part 3

Well, I couldn't leave it alone.  I just knew that the Evap-O-Rust wasn't getting all of the rust.  So, armed with drill bits and small punches, I set about removing the bar from the bottom of the park light housing.  Here is the whole housing before de-rusting in the Evap-O-Rust:

Admittedly, it was pretty rusty and gnarly.  Now, here it is after the initial soak in the Evap-O-Rust and polishing with the Dremel and a light abrasive wheel:

Even after the soak and polishing, you can see the pits are still dark colored (probably rusty) and I was convinced that there was rust between the bar and the main housing.  They say a picture is worth a thousand words so here goes with a pic after drilling and punching the rivets out:

And there you have it:  RUST!  Hidden from view and survived a 24 hour soak in the Evap-O-Rust. Right now, it is back in for another soak.  When it comes out, I'll polish it again and see how the pits are and if the bar is salvageable.  If it is, I'll look into getting replacement bolts.  If not, I'll try my hand at making a replacement strap.  It's hard to see, but there is a subtle bend on each end to accommodate the bolts, which are specialty bolts.  In a quick search online, it appears that these bolts are called "elevator bolts".  They fit the description of elevator bolts, anyway.  If I end up making a new bar, I may make the bend a little more pronounced to accommodate regular carriage bolts, which have a slightly thicker head.  No matter which way I go, I'll pop rivet them back onto the housing.  So far, it looks like I should be able to salvage these housings.  I'll keep you posted on the progress.