squirtdad

I have torpado frame that is about to to get the Oxalic acid bath.

Has anybody done a quick clearcoat after OA? just to seal everything up and add some gloss? (understand this is not perfect painting technique)

or am I overthinking/working and just put some good carwax on?

thanks

brian3069

Wax it. If the clear coat doesn't come out right, it has the potential to look worse.

ColonelJLloyd 

Scratch X then wax. That's what I'd do.

gaucho777 

^+1. After the OA bath, the ScratchX will take off any OA residue you may have on the frame. I am by no means an expert bike painter, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think you would have to really prep the frame well before applying a layer of new clear coat to old paint. This may entail a very light sanding to the original paint in order to get the clear to adhere. If not, you run the risk that the clear will come out like orange peel, or start to flake off. At that point, you may not be able to salvage what's underneath. Doesn't seem worth the risk of ruining the original paint when ScratchX & wax will likely do the trick.

wrk101

Just be sure to neutralize with baking soda. I just make a pitcher up of baking soda, pour it through the tubes a few times, then with a rag, wipe down the outside of the frame.

For small stuff, I keep a small container of baking soda solution, run them through there after taking them out of the bath. YMMV.

XLR99

+2
I shoot some linseed oil in the tubes first (wear old clothes), then do the Scratch-X wax on the outside.

mkeller234

I've done this a number of times and it works great. The paint will shine up and look nice.

Paramount1973 

You would be better off using WD40. From my antique tools experience I can say that linseed oil is a poor rust preventative on high carbon steel. The cured linseed oil finish has poor resistance to moisture penetration. Brownells did a comparison test of rust preventatives and WD40 fared quite well.

RobHalligan

I'm trying to figure out how to keep parts that I've de-rusted with oaxalic acid (oxalic?) from re-rusting. (Oaxalic dipped parts seem to re-rust very quickly.) I'm good with waxing frames, but that is much easier than waxing complex mechanical parts. I'm considering clear lacquering them. Any thoughts on coating parts (bits in Brit-speak) after dipping and polishing? Thanks in advance.

simmonsgc

I can't tell you one way or the other, since I have no experience with it. But, funny you should ask this today...just yesterday I had some free time and was poking around youtube and stumbled across this (see 2:54 into the video):
The guy pulls a Claud Butler out of the bath and appears to do just that. Problem is we can't see what it looked like a week later. Whatever you decide, I hope your frame comes out looking cool!

RobHalligan

Inspirational, thanks. They made it look too easy. I wish the videographer showed what it was they used to clear coat, and they didn't show how they treated the parts. Rubbing wax on a frame seems easy compared to trying to rub wax on complex parts. It's the little pieces like chain guard brackets and cable guides that I'm wondering about spraying with something like lacquer.

RobHalligan

A friend of mine (maybe everybody, for all I know) lacquers his silver to keep it from tarnishing. (Only the pieces people don't eat off of...candle sticks, etc.) Another thought I have is to wax the bike parts with a polishing wheel on a Dremel tool.

capnjonny 

I have clear coated over the existing paint a number of times. Try on a small spot that doesn't show first . The steer tube where it is inside the frame is often painted and would be a good place to check for compatibility. Generally don't put lacquer over enamel.

Rustoleum has a clear lacquer in a spray can that I have used successfully. I called the company and checked. They said it is acrylic lacquer and is o/k for exterior use. I heat the can in a sink full of hot water before spraying. That increases the pressure in the can and gives a finer mist . before painting make sure to completely clean the frame, wear rubber gloves when handling to keep the oil on your hands off the paint. Sand lightly with 1000 grit paper to slightly rough up the paint being very careful around decals. wipe with a tack cloth just before spraying. Prop the frame up so you can spray it upside down first then turn right side up and spray again. That way any over spray will be on the bottom side and won't show. Be careful to keep the spray moving and don't use heavy coats or you will get runs. Lacquer dries fast. You should be able to recoat in 1/2 hour and put on 2-3 double coats in a day.
If you get over spray, sand one last time before the final coat

Kontact

You could always immerse the parts in melted wax. People used to lube chains that way.

shelbyfv

Boeshield in a spray would be easy. It leaves a wax film.

Murray Missile 

Didn't OA this one just gave it a thorough cleaning, hit a couple sketchy spots with some 3M Micro Polish and then 2 light coats of Krylon clear enamel to preserve what was left a little over a year ago. Very happy with the outcome, the clearcoat really brought back the color on the graphics, they were looking kind of sad. It has some pretty big scratches down to bare metal and it is stored in an unheated building that can get fairly damp in the Spring and Fall, so far no signs of rust.

RobHalligan

Thanks for your help capnjonny, Kontact, shelbyfv, and Murray Missile. Absent further input, I'm leaning towards spraying my parts (and frame) with lacquer as I'm thinking lacquer would be more durable than wax-based treatments.