Raleigh Lenton..best treatment?
 

Hi All
Lacquer or not lacquer?
Just picked up a 50's Raleigh Lenton. Structurally fine but the frame and forks look like they've been in a sandstorm...plenty of "patina"!
I've stripped the whole bike down and set to cleaning/polishing up the frame and forks with metal polish..it's come up a treat. Next up is a internal wash with phosphoric acid to feature any oxidation and an external wipe with diluted phosphoric.
Then what do folk recommend..should I lacquer or just wipe with an oily rage?....or anyone else got better ideas?
Thanks

My take... oily rag.

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...I personally think you're better off on the internal treatment with some sort of oil based corrosion inhibitor product. Not certain how you plan to neutralize the phosphoric, and even after you do, the spots treated are still open to oxidation.

Something like framesaver or this stuff. Rust-Oleum 224284 Stops Rust Rust Inhibitor 10.25-Ounce Spray

If you insist on clear coating it, my preference is a clear enamel, not a lacquer. But I do use lacquer paint for touch ups on some frames because it comes in small spray cans in so many convenient colors at the modeling store nearby.

Thanks for the info..think I will go with oily rag..
..thought I'd stick a picture up..everyone likes a photo..hope it's uploaded.
Managed to get all the parts bar the Brooks saddle (last owner bought it for the saddle..canny man)...50's drop bars, John Bull grips, brakes and levers, head stem with the securing mech on the head set..it's all polished up nicely. As to be expected for UK weather, the rims are kind of beyond it. Shame as they're Dunlop 26 x 1 1/4..and had an unusual fixedsprocket/3 speed freewheel flipflop combo going...might 'put them in the cellar for a rebuild' or pass them on to someone who will actually rebuild.

...as for neutralising phosphoric..I might be wrong?? but thought phosphoric acid converted rust to iron phosphate, leaving it blackened but denatured..(used to concentrated it leaves a residue but hey ho..on the inside of the frame)..and didn't keep 'eating 'clean steel as sulphuric etc does. So thought I'd rinse it out, stick it in the airing cupboard and forget about it for a week or two then blast some WD40 down all holes...Couldn't see Rustoleum rust inhibitor on ebay over here..must have a non compliant chemical or two.

I was about to make the " no pic, no happen call! Looks absolute stunning! Right good project to sink your teeth into.

I would hold onto those wheels. That is one set of maybe 2 that many owners used for the same bike. Could be even 3 if the owner was truly serious about his riding.

Have you gone far in looking at the particular model, year of production?

Pls keep everything visual for us Raleigh fans!

Do this and post pics

I have a '51 Lenton Sports with the same finish. Bombproof Raleigh black undercoat, with this beautiful green over it; but the green paint is in terrible shape, leaving the black shining through. Oddly, the paint on the fork has held up pretty well; but the frame, not so much.

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6220/...5e1602c2_b.jpg

Rust isn't really a problem. I mean, sure, there's some rust, but the problem is that the green paint was fragile and is now in terrible shape.

So one of the things I've considered, for this bike: take a polishing compound to the paint, remove all the green, and take it all down to the tough shiny black. I'd probably do that if I were committed to keeping the bike; but I'm not. I'll be moving it along, let the next owner deal with it.

...you're right..that black undercoat on the old Raleigh .. pure alchemy.
I'll be building it slowly because.. I've gone and done it! the wife's going to kill me (aka Greg Mitchell the sandy coloured Labrador)..just bought 5 frames and they are beauties..a Parkes, a MacLeans (magpie I think), a 50's Humber and two Carltons..I think a Criterium and a truweld over the top tube type..haven't picked them up yet but for £50 of this earth's pounds!! ($65 ish)..I was only looking for parts for the Raleigh..ebay searched Rudge Pathfinder then Humber Clipper...aah!

You realize that we need pics of all of these right? : )

Ohh, Rudge Pathfinder!

I would like to see pictures of that rear hub.

this.

I'll get the rear wheel out of the attic after I've been to Wales..then up north (check with my folks and it's still grim) for the 5 frame medley..and take photos of all.. but in the meantime..
Arranged akin to oversized Airfix/Revell/Tamiya format...
Looks great to me 'as is'..might just hang it on the wall.
Took my OH's hairdryer to the john bull grips at full throttle, then lots of grip and twist/blood and grimacing.
..and a picture of the serial number to date it..job's good.
Then remembered the original mudguards..only damage was a 2.5 inch bit I had to cut/profile and re rivet the bottom stay on the front one..rear one intact..still has a half decent/ intact reflector.

Interesting that you've got the Clubman chainset with herons. Most Lenton Sports have the plain rings.

Back from the north and have sourced a pair of alloy 26 x1 3/8's running a single speed freewheel on the back..not period correct but half the weight and no rust....time to rebuild the above Raleigh along with a ladies step-through Raleigh Lenton (kept that quiet)..same look Saharan dust storm meets maroon for the step-through but the decals are there and the bomb proof primer...also got a set of alloy 26 x 1 3/8 with a Sturmey Archer three speed hub for the step-through..again not period but thinking, at some point, I might have a go at rebuilding the original hubs onto the alloy rims.
I'll post them both up together when the reassembled...but meanwhile I've started on one of the 5 frames I picked up...a Parkes lightweight..awful paint job..black paint applied with a brush..had to take all the paint off bar carefully keeping the original Parkes decal on the down tube and the alloy headbadge, The decal has had white paint sort of carefully pained around it. I could get a new decal. (available from Lloyds) but seems a shame not to have some indication of original provenance
Just about to start a new thread...