The best way to reproduce the original slotted round head wood screws
look I have found is to buy regular slotted head round screws then
go to Kmart or Wal-Mart and buy a bottle of _gun bluing solution._
I order my screws in bulk from www.mcmaster.com  They will have _all_
the sizes you would need.

Take the screw head and put it up to a wire wheel to remove any dirt,
oils or plating.  After the screws are wire wheeled I put them in a
plastic cup and pour a _small_ amount of the bluing solution over them
and twirl and shake cup around to cover all screws.  You will see the
screws darken in color almost instantly (let them soak for one minute).
Then I toss them into a fine wire strainer used for cooking and shake
them around under the water faucet then onto a towel.  There you have
it.

Being that you wired the heads of the screws they should turn almost
black in color, if not you could re-treat them for a darker color.
This technique works _great._  It's fast and is almost a perfect match
for old restorations.  You can whip up a couple in just a minute or
two.

Another thing I would suggest if you are working on a project is to
finish the screws first and put them in a Ziploc bag and put just a
"couple of drops" of synthetic motor oil over them and shake the bag
around.  The screws will suck up the oil and keep the heads from
rusting.  I use synthetic oil because of the properties of the oil.
The molecules get into the metal and stay there.  If they are still wet
from the oil when you go to use them just wipe it off. Doing this will
not hurt or discolor your wood.

When you get better at it you will find you'll need to add very little
oil.  When they sit the oil will coat them.  Then again you could just
take a rag and coat the heads.  Hope this helps.  You won't be
disappointed.

Musically,
Robert Loeffler - Roberts Musical Restorations
Deland, Florida
www.robertsmusicalrestorations.com