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Can I preserve this frame without repainting?

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Can I preserve this frame without repainting?

Old 06-23-20, 09:04 AM
  #1  
Gillparis
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Can I preserve this frame without repainting?

Hi all

I am in the process of cleaning up this bike and I would like your advice on the frame. The whole bike was rusty in places but it has cleaned up OK. I have a couple of spare wheels I can put on and a freewheel I can make do with for now. I want to clean up the rust on the frame but I can't repaint it at the moment (or ever as I have no idea how!). Is there a way to protect it once I clean it up?

I will at some point sort out the wheels and freewheel properly so I could maybe do something ore substantial at a later date. I do love the bike and I actually like the colour so I want to stop it deteriorating any more.

Thank you as always for any help.
Gill


The rust is spotted all over but especially under the top tube.

Some parts are relatively rust free
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Old 06-23-20, 09:16 AM
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Op,
Google oxalic acid bath, Bikeforums and see what others have done to clean the rust from their bicycles. After cleaning if you want you could then use a clear coat spray to seal the frame and protect the paint...of course you may want to treat the interior of the tubes etc.

In my estimation, it may not be worth all of the effort...I might just use a good paste wax on the exterior and enjoy riding the bike, the tubing on this frame is thick enough to outlast the owner.

JM2C's, Ben
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Old 06-23-20, 10:09 AM
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Originally Posted by xiaoman1
Op,
In my estimation, it may not be worth all of the effort...I might just use a good paste wax on the exterior and enjoy riding the bike, the tubing on this frame is thick enough to outlast the owner.

JM2C's, Ben
😊 It is on the heavy side! I don't think it will be rusting away any time soon. It can withstand life in a city. I can't really soak it in anything so I was planning on just getting the worst off and stopping it getting any worse. I also don't want to touch the brakes and cables as they are relatively new and work! Good to know that a wax would be enough - made my day.

Thank you!
Gill
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Old 06-23-20, 12:00 PM
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I think it is looking pretty good and nice to preserve the originality and patina !
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Old 06-23-20, 03:08 PM
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I would use a rustconverter on the rust spots (Rust-Oleum or here in Europe Brunox is well-known). It seals the surface and chemically reacts with the rust to make the rust primed and ready to paint over.

​​​​​​First remove all loose paint, chips and loose rust and degrease the area, apply rust converter for 2 layers, then use a touch up pencil in the closest matching colour you can find. If it's a metallic paint then it's best to seal with a clear coat (also available in touch up pencils). You can always wet sand the first layer of paint with 800 or 1000 grit to get a better finish.

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Old 06-23-20, 03:23 PM
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I've been meaning to give Ospho a try to stop the rust, and then paste wax over the converted rust.
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Old 06-23-20, 04:20 PM
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Some of us who collect and ride vintage road bicycles have come to appreciate a bicycle's patina of age. Sure, it is just great to have a freshly painted steed and that is great if the frame chrome and components match the freshness. So, option one is to forget paint, touch up any bare metal on the frame with paint or nail polish and then ride the bike. If you wish, you can paint it anytime but first, it is wise to ride the bike and make sure that no frame work is required.

I painted this old Peugeot with Rustoleum and a paint brush, believe it or not...


And this old Legnano, though sorely in need of paint, has been with me for a long time. I have come to appreciate the appearance and it is not deteriorating in any way, as nearly as I can tell. I might paint it someday but not today...
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Old 06-23-20, 04:25 PM
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Nice bike. I like the racks, fenders, lights and cantilever calipers. Thanks for the pictures Gillparis . A lot of our members use nail polish to touch up the chipped spot. The best method would be to remove the surface rust first, then apply the nail polish. I use paint that is intended for models, Testors brand to be specific. I have to mix several colors together to get to the right color. Some attempts are better than others with this method, but a color match that is close, looks better than rust spots.

The other suggestion is to just wax it with an auto wax. It will keep it looking better than it does now and prevent it from getting worse.

Keep the pictures coming as you progress though the paint and wheels.
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Old 06-23-20, 05:06 PM
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+1 on oxalic acid bath and wax. If you don't care to completely disassemble the bike and give the entire frame a 2-day bath in OA, then just clean it up and wax it.
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Old 06-23-20, 06:21 PM
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If you have access to a product like Evaporust here in the US, it is a very good slow rust remover. Search for some of the threads on how to use Evaporust like products and how to build a temporary shallow "pool" that uses the minimum of fluid while getting the most frame exposure. After that, a good rinse and cleaning, followed by some framesaver if needed.
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Old 06-23-20, 06:32 PM
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I recently did some work on an old 80's Peugeot and used Krud Kutter rust removal on the small rust spots and then filled in with Testors paint. The colours weren't an exact match but not noticeable unless you look closely.
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Old 06-24-20, 03:59 AM
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I rehabilitated an 84 Fuji TS III last winter. Many rust spots but all surface stuff from wear n tear. I used an OA bath for most of it and navel jelly on the seat tube and HT. I then applied boiled linseed oil (aka BLO) to the whole thing, numerous thin coats on the larger areas of open steel (ex: rear dropouts where wheel removal had scratched away the paint). It's a "clear coat" but may add a wee bit of yellow/amber tint. I cannot see it. I'm a fair weather rider so this bike has not seen rain yet but I've seen BLO protect hand tools and garden tools well.

It used to be a common treatment of steel prior to advancements in petroleum based paints. Still useful for old farts on their black smith vices, pry bars, sledge hammers and obsolete steel safety bicycles.
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Old 06-24-20, 04:25 AM
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Thank you all. Whilst I would love to soak it I live in a flat with a small child and I don't have the room on the balcony (plus I already stained the tiles once so that will be a nice fine when we move!). So I will work my way over it cleaning it as best I can then use some rust converter for the rest. The chrome is all in good condition. I will post photos as I go but it may be some time as I can only do bits at a time - it just took me three weeks to do the rest of it .

I am impressed by the painting jobs on show here 😊.
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Old 06-24-20, 12:54 PM
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I have had good luck with “Navel Jelly” which is stronger and nastier than evapo-rust but you can dab it on with a cotton swap, wait an hour, and wipe it off. You can do a little at a time, and it’s effective. I would use it on that balcony, you don’t want to breath it in.

Once you’ve spot cleaned the rust, you can paint a little clear nail varnish on the metal, and coat with a good paste wax.
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Old 06-24-20, 02:12 PM
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Thanks all! Tomorrow is my day to do this so I will let you know how I get on.
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Old 06-26-20, 11:12 AM
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Originally Posted by Prowler
I used an OA bath for most of it and navel jelly on the seat tube and HT. I then applied boiled linseed oil (aka BLO) to the whole thing, numerous thin coats on the larger areas of open steel (ex: rear dropouts where wheel removal had scratched away the paint). It's a "clear coat" but may add a wee bit of yellow/amber tint. I cannot see it.
So I used what I had, which was oxalic acid and a sponge. I wasn't brave enough to use the naval jelly. It took a lot of time but most of the rust came off fine. And the only thing the hardware store had on offer was in fact the linseed varnish (apparently official varnish of the French Navy..). I just did the patches but to be honest I should have done the whole frame. I sort of regret not putting some rust stop on the two larger patches as I know I missed some but the one I have is black and I liked the lighter grey colour of the steel. I suppose I could sand it off and treat these parts. I only put one coat so far. Or just keep an eye on it.

Anyway it looks much better and has to be in a better situation than it was! It is still in pieces but I will put a photo when it is back together.

Thank you!
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