belacqua

Hi everyone,

I have some novice questions about rust. I just picked up a 1985 Trek 560 (Reynolds 501 main tubes, True Temper stays, I think) on CL. It looks to be in great shape, few chips in the paint, had to cold-set a bent derailleur hanger, but really excellent condition otherwise. (Stock components except Shim. 600 RD and 105 brake levers, 100$, for those curious about such things. Fair price?).

Now that I'm really going over it closely, I see tiny spots of rust at the juncture between lug and tube. They are too small for my photography skills. There is no visible damage to the paint, yet there is a tiny rust spot. My instinct tells me it must be coming up from under the paint, but how? There are a couple on the head lug and a couple at the base of the down tube. (BTW I looked into the seat tube and there is zero rust visible inside).

What can I do about these rust spots? Should I do anything about them? I bought the bike to ride it.

Also: can anyone explain what is most likely to have caused this issue?

One other question: There is no other rust whatsoever on the bike except for this weird raised accumulation of grime under the cutout for the seatpost clamp. It seems to have rust as one of its ingredients, but as I laboriously (and without total success) scrub it off, I get clean paint underneath. Any thoughts about that? There were similar accumulations on the chainstays (as if deposited by spray from the tire), but they were gray without any rusty color. These accumulations are very hard and difficult to scrape off. More like plaque than dirt.

Thank you, I am really enjoying this forum. I did search around for rust info before posting but the oxalic acid baths etc. seem like overkill given my situation.

vins0010

Hi, it looks like you never got a response to the post. I was looking for some rust info so thought I'd chime in. For where I am, you got a very good price on a bike that sounds like it only has very minor rust. Most bikes this old have a little (and usually more) and it usually isn't a big deal.

I can't say if it is a big issue if there is rust at the lug or if it means there is a big issue. If everything else looks okay, my guess is just that this is a knick that got a spot of rust.

If it were me, I'd just ride it and pay attention to it or soak some paper towels in vinegar, wrap around just that spot, wrap in saran wrap, tape edges with electrical/duck tape, wait a day/overnight, remove, then use some scrunched up aluminum foil to make sure all the rust is removed. If it isn't much, it should mostly be gone or will come of easy. If it isn't that bad, you could also dilute the vinegar a bit. I once left such a wrap on too long and it left a bit of whitish residue that I had to buff out; however, in a more modest concentration (half water, half vinegar), no issue. You could also buy a commercial rust remover product (e.g., naval jelly) at the hardware store. I've never used it, but I think you'd want to use just on the precise spot. I don't think it is friendly with paint. After I got the rust off, I'd cover the chip in a couple of coats/dabs of clear fingernail polish, which should protect it. Then, if the spot returns (which you could see through the nail polish but clean it very well to begin with), I might begin to worry about something more sinister and do the following (you could also start here, but I wouldn't).

I'd either take some sandpaper or a wire brush on a dremel tool and remove both the rust chip and the immediate surrounding paint, to see if there is rust hiding under the paint or if it is on there deeper. If not, I'd coat with the nail polish, or if it a bigger spot, I'd consider sort of primer on there and try to match the paint (or just use clearcoat of some sort). I've never been too picky about the appearance of my riders. If you want it to look nicer (and if it is otherwise very nice I could see why you would), I'd consider getting a matching enamel paint from a hobby shop...people seem to have luck with that. Of course, the clear allows you to better monitor the spot for rust return.

My guess is that if you have a really serious rust issue there, it is going to make itself noticable with lots of bubbling paint, cracking, and/or weird bends and bulges before anything serious. I had a rusted out steel frame once (from the rust prone relatively unknown Reynolds 4XX line that include magneisum, I think). It looked horrible (a theft repellent) and it never just failed on me, I just retired it when I noticed it finally got a small crack. It had rust everywhere! I think the consensus is that steel rarely fails catastrophically; it'll change its shape a bit first. My guess is that the frame, here, just got nicked and (possibly) is a good spot to get a little sweat or the like on it and rusted just a little bit. If the spots can barely be picked up in a picture, I don't think I'd worry about it. On my bikes, I do like to take care of these spots just because I don't want them to get worse. But I see tons of bikes with a lot worse rust than you describe that seem to be fine - and are ridden for many decades without any attention to these issues.

If you wipe the apparent rust away and there is paint underneath that is in good shape. Then, it may have just been grime or something else that came from elsewhere. I wouldn't worry abou it.

Hope this helps...maybe the bump will also help you get some other opinions. Maybe someone else has more experience with this sort of thing.

Chris_in_Miami

Good advice vins0010, that just about covers it. It sounds like minor surface rust, but my level of concern goes up a bit to see it at a lug/tube junction. In the event that belacqua returns to this thread, some photos of the areas in question would be very useful.

Velognome 

I'll try but without pictures, I'm guessing:

1. I doubt it's rusting from the inside out, perhaps it's just where moisture was allowed to accumulate

2. Dab the are with OA, or use a small tooth brush and Barkeepers to remove the spot and touch up with paint

3. Better idea, unless #2 makes you feel better

4. Then thats what you should do. The frame will most likely out live you anyway

5. a lethal combination of moisture, oxygen and steel

6 since the seat post is free from the tube, I'd think a mixture of road grime and rust hardened over time


IMHO, just clean it, lube it and ride it. Many happy miles and welome to C&V