Go Back  Bike Forums > Bike Forums > Classic & Vintage
Reload this Page >

"Oily rag" restoration

Notices
Classic & Vintage This forum is to discuss the many aspects of classic and vintage bicycles, including musclebikes, lightweights, middleweights, hi-wheelers, bone-shakers, safety bikes and much more.

"Oily rag" restoration

Old 04-08-16, 01:16 PM
  #1  
jonwvara 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
jonwvara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Washington County, Vermont, USA
Posts: 3,787

Bikes: 1966 Dawes Double Blue, 1976 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1975 Raleigh Sprite 27, 1980 Univega Viva Sport, 1971 Gitane Tour de France, 1984 Lotus Classique, 1976 Motobecane Grand Record

Mentioned: 77 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 758 Post(s)
Liked 647 Times in 343 Posts
"Oily rag" restoration

My brother, who is an old car guy, just pointed me to this site:

Philosophy | Oily Rag

I'm not sure how active the site is, but I like their pro-patina philosophy. Like everyone else in the world, I tend to feel that people who agree with me obviously know what they're talking about.

They cover motorcycles, which are of course a highly specialized type of bicycles. No mention of bicycles in general, though.
__________________
www.redclovercomponents.com

"Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."
--Ogden Nash
jonwvara is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 01:29 PM
  #2  
Barrettscv 
Have bike, will travel
 
Barrettscv's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Lake Geneva, WI
Posts: 12,392

Bikes: Ridley Helium SLX, Canyon Endurance SL, De Rosa Professional, Eddy Merckx Corsa Extra, Schwinn Paramount (1 painted, 1 chrome), Peugeot PX10, Serotta Nova X, Simoncini Cyclocross Special, Raleigh Roker, Pedal Force CG2 and CX2

Mentioned: 46 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 910 Post(s)
Liked 288 Times in 158 Posts
As-is, cleaned, cleaned and regreased, light maintenance, full maintenance, lightly repaired, fully repaired, paint-touch-up, partially repainted, fully repainted.

It's a long continuum. My bikes are very good models, but not unusually rare or historic. I try to get the bike in better than new condition.
__________________
When I ride my bike I feel free and happy and strong. I'm liberated from the usual nonsense of day to day life. Solid, dependable, silent, my bike is my horse, my fighter jet, my island, my friend. Together we will conquer that hill and thereafter the world.

Last edited by Barrettscv; 04-08-16 at 04:12 PM.
Barrettscv is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 02:40 PM
  #3  
jonwvara 
Senior Member
Thread Starter
 
jonwvara's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Washington County, Vermont, USA
Posts: 3,787

Bikes: 1966 Dawes Double Blue, 1976 Raleigh Gran Sport, 1975 Raleigh Sprite 27, 1980 Univega Viva Sport, 1971 Gitane Tour de France, 1984 Lotus Classique, 1976 Motobecane Grand Record

Mentioned: 77 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 758 Post(s)
Liked 647 Times in 343 Posts
Originally Posted by Barrettscv
As-is, cleaned, cleaned and regreased, light maintenance, full maintenance, lightly repaired, fully repaired, paint-touch-up, partially repainted, fully repainted.

It's a long continuum. My bikes are very good models, but not that rare or historic. I try to get the bike in better than new condition.
True enough--life is lived on the slippery slope. Not sure what the oily rag rules are, or if there are rules. I have a nice Gitane TdF frame I'm getting ready to work on that has seriously worn and faded paint and bad decals. No problem there, but can I give it a phosphoric acid bath to remove the small amounts of surface rust and some minor freckling of the chrome? Or is that rust part of the deal?

Darned if I know. But I'm all in favor of any philosophy that makes my life easier.
__________________
www.redclovercomponents.com

"Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."
--Ogden Nash
jonwvara is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 02:56 PM
  #4  
mparker326
Senior Member
 
mparker326's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Knoxville, TN
Posts: 1,978

Bikes: Schwinn Paramount P15, Fisher Montare, Proteus, Rivendell Quickbeam

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 12 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 4 Times in 4 Posts
Originally Posted by jonwvara
is that rust part of the deal?

Darned if I know. But I'm all in favor of any philosophy that makes my life easier.
I have started taking the leave the rust philosophy on bikes I pick up for myself now. I figure if they haven't failed in the 40 years before me, what are the chances they fail on me? Besides if they do fail on me, I can brag that my great cycling power broke a frame.
mparker326 is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 03:22 PM
  #5  
SJX426 
Senior Member
 
SJX426's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fredericksburg, Va
Posts: 9,580

Bikes: '65 Frejus TDF, '73 Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, '83 Colnago Superissimo, '84 Trek 610, '84 Trek 760, '88 Pinarello Veneto, '88 De Rosa Pro, '89 Pinarello Montello, '94 Burley Duet, 97 Specialized RockHopper, 2010 Langster, Tern Link D8

Mentioned: 73 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1601 Post(s)
Liked 2,187 Times in 1,092 Posts
I just can't accept the rust preservation approach. It is too active an element to the whole patina thing. I think it is better to at least stop it, if not remove it. JMHO.
__________________
Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
SJX426 is online now  
Old 04-08-16, 07:01 PM
  #6  
sailorbenjamin
Senior Member
 
sailorbenjamin's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Rhode Island (an obscure suburb of Connecticut)
Posts: 5,703

Bikes: one of each

Mentioned: 5 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 8 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times in 12 Posts
This dude abides.
sailorbenjamin is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 07:01 PM
  #7  
gugie 
Bike Butcher of Portland
 
gugie's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 11,641

Bikes: It's complicated.

Mentioned: 1299 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 4670 Post(s)
Liked 5,769 Times in 2,272 Posts
Originally Posted by Barrettscv
As-is, cleaned, cleaned and regreased, light maintenance, full maintenance, lightly repaired, fully repaired, paint-touch-up, partially repainted, fully repainted.

It's a long continuum. My bikes are very good models, but not unusually rare or historic. I try to get the bike in better than new condition.
After repainted, add full complement of braze-ons and repainted.

Heck, in for a penny, in for a pound.
__________________
If someone tells you that you have enough bicycles and you don't need any more, stop talking to them. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life.
gugie is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 07:20 PM
  #8  
Dave Cutter
Senior Member
 
Dave Cutter's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Location: D'uh... I am a Cutter
Posts: 6,159

Bikes: '17 Access Old Turnpike Gravel bike, '14 Trek 1.1, '13 Cannondale CAAD 10, '98 CAD 2, R300

Mentioned: 62 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1571 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 12 Times in 9 Posts
Originally Posted by jonwvara
Philosophy | Oily Rag .... I like their pro-patina philosophy.
I like the original finish, parts, and such. But I don't mind polishing off the surface rust. But I also I think whatever the bike owner does with his/her bike... is OK with me. The "proper" way to preserve historical bicycles isn't likely to remain static. And plenty of bikes have made it into private collections and Bicycle Museums.
Dave Cutter is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 07:34 PM
  #9  
MeadMan2
Junior Member
 
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: St Louis Park MN
Posts: 174

Bikes: Mead Ranger '24- Armstrong 3sp '64 Follis 172 '74 Centurian Accordo 80's Mercian '85 Mark Zeh road '86 Kona Explosif '93 Merkx Ti AX '97 Santana Arriva tandem '99 Bike Friday tandem

Mentioned: 0 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 39 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 30 Times in 22 Posts
In the past I was a regular on the CABE forum. Their philosophy is that it is only original once. So if the paint is decent, leave it alone. If the paint is basically gone, then paint it. On my 1924 Mead Ranger the paint was quite good so I left it. However, to me dirt & rust were not original so I went over it with WD-40 & 0000 steel wool & then wax & Evapo-Rust (sp?) on the small bits.
MeadMan2 is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 08:11 PM
  #10  
Fenway
Senior Member
 
Fenway's Avatar
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 425

Bikes: 1983 Peugeot UO14, KHS Green-Heavily modified, 1972 Raleigh Sprite 27" (work in progress)

Mentioned: 1 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 3 Post(s)
Likes: 0
Liked 0 Times in 0 Posts
Rust is a cancer. If it isn't removed or neutralized it will continue to degrade the integrity of the afflicted surface.
Fenway is offline  
Old 04-08-16, 10:19 PM
  #11  
Bikerider007
Senior Member
 
Bikerider007's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: AZ/WA
Posts: 2,462

Bikes: Yes

Mentioned: 36 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 460 Post(s)
Liked 54 Times in 30 Posts
I pretty much agree with this, shoot I am having a hard time deciding whether to paint the bike I have that has lost all its decals and paint is shot. That one and the Raleigh Clubman that I obtained repainted are the only two I am ever considering. I have not painted anything vintage to this date.
Bikerider007 is offline  
Old 04-09-16, 05:38 AM
  #12  
SJX426 
Senior Member
 
SJX426's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2008
Location: Fredericksburg, Va
Posts: 9,580

Bikes: '65 Frejus TDF, '73 Bottecchia Giro d'Italia, '83 Colnago Superissimo, '84 Trek 610, '84 Trek 760, '88 Pinarello Veneto, '88 De Rosa Pro, '89 Pinarello Montello, '94 Burley Duet, 97 Specialized RockHopper, 2010 Langster, Tern Link D8

Mentioned: 73 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 1601 Post(s)
Liked 2,187 Times in 1,092 Posts
Often the paint looks like crap until it is polished. Always test it before stripping. There are exceptions:
[IMG]P1000916, on Flickr[/IMG]
__________________
Bikes don't stand alone. They are two tired.
SJX426 is online now  
Old 04-09-16, 08:57 AM
  #13  
due ruote 
Senior Member
 
due ruote's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2006
Posts: 7,707
Mentioned: 30 Post(s)
Tagged: 0 Thread(s)
Quoted: 903 Post(s)
Liked 524 Times in 318 Posts
I don't have anything close to a museum bike and never will, but I like the museum mentality of preservation. Making an old bike look new isn't my usual approach, but I do like to forestall future damage from rust.
due ruote is offline  
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
davidz32z
Bicycle Mechanics
10
08-06-21 01:32 PM
velothree
Classic & Vintage
2
05-26-18 07:07 AM
LouB
Classic & Vintage
13
08-22-16 06:01 PM
RaleighSport
Classic & Vintage
3
08-30-11 08:16 PM
dashuaigeh
Classic & Vintage
27
05-14-10 09:17 PM

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off


Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.