Hey Joel,  I agree shining up screws is time consuming operation.
It seems that the cosmetics takes as much time as that technical
rebuilding process.

The setup I use for cleaning screws is a double-spindle buffing 3450
rpm motor.  On one side I have a fine brass wire brush wheel for doing
the small round and oval headed screws, and on the other side is a
medium grade for the large flat head and badly rusted screws that you
usually find on the foot pumps.

One problem is, however, that some player actions use plated screws and
the plating will easily come off with any kind of buffing; those should
best be done by hand on extra fine steel wool.

Brian Thornton - Short Mountain Music Works
Woodbury, Tennessee
http://www.shortmountainmusic.com/