Bicycle Mechanics - Rust on my steel frame!

Hi Gang,

In need of some advise here...I've acquired a bike with a steel frame, but there are patches of rust on it..doesn't look like anything too severe, but I was wondering if there is anything I can use to clean it up and prevent it happening again.

Cheers

Rich

Servus!

If the frame is not heavily pitted from oxidization, I suggest using a polishing paste in combination with a fine grade of steel wool (000 or higher). Once that has taken off the heavy stuff, polish with a cloth as opposed to the steel wool.

Er, most people protect steel from rust by PAINTING it. If you really want to keep the "natural" finish, there are clear coats (in both matte and gloss) you can apply to protect your steel.

Mike is a restorer of ancient bikes and could probably give much better advice than I can about refinishing. The paste/steel wool is what I use to remove contact rust from my armor which is highly polished.

Thanks Ranger,

I'll give that a go mate.

Rich :thumbup:

I repainted a utility bike using a spray undercoat (Finnegans no. 9) and bright yucky green outer coat. It took 2 days to do, and is best done on a warm dry, (but not dusty) day.
If you are stripping the existing paint, consider leaving the undercoat on, and touching that up, before you apply a top coat.

Hammerite paint can be painted directly over rust spots, and seems to work fine for touch up jobs.

You can never get a pro-finish, but it keeps the rust at bay.

Perfectionist bike restorers will not use steel wool for removing rust. They insist on using brass wool. It is believed by many that the steel wool is minutely left on the bike and these pieces are prone to rust.

If you have really bad rust, a brass wire wheel on a hand drill acts as a good rust eraser.

Whether you use steel wool (only use very fine wool) or brass wool, I recommend using kerosene along with the steel/brass wool. Just dip your wool into the kerosene and then do your buffing.

You can use rubbing compound as Ranger recommended, but I haven't had much luck with it on real rust.

I recently heard about mixing rubbing compound with vinegar and using this special paste along with brass wool to remove rust. I never tried it, but it does make sense.

I have also used muratic acid which I got at the auto parts store for cleaning rust. It works well, but is very aggressive. You get rid of the rust and then some. You can get post-acid metal conditioner to go with it.

Ranger is also correct in his suggestion that you must coat the bare metal. You have to do this within a day or so of rust removal or your piece will rust again. Clear coat seems to work well on paint, but it does not work well on chrome. Clear coat will look good on chrome for about nine months to a year, but with exposure to the elements, it will start to turn milky in color.


I have also used muratic acid which I got at the auto parts store for cleaning rust. It works well, but is very agressive. You get rid of the rust and then some. You can get post-acid metal conditioner to go with it.

Ranger is also correct in his suggestion that you must coat the bare metal. You have to do this within a day or so of rust removal or your piece will rust again. Clear coat seems to work well on paint, but it does not work well on chrome. Clear coat will look good on chrome for about nine months to a year, but with exposure to the elements, it will start to turn milky in color.

Good luck.

Servus!

Wow, wish I could get brass wool here! You are correct in stating that the steel wool imparts bits of itself to the metal. I spray my armor down with Tri-Flow or WD-40 after I polish, so this is not much of an issue for me. As much as I would LOVE to use a wire wheel to remove the really nasty stuff, I have my stuff polished to about a 220 finish and the wheel would reverse all of my hard work :cry:

Muratic acid is some brutal stuff. I have used it to etch steel when I didn't have any more PCB etchant. Would like to get some of that post-acid conditioner that you mentioned.

Rich, best of luck to you. Post some pictures of the frame when you are done, I'd love to see it.

Thanks for the advice guys..

I don't think the rust is too severe, so I've bought some fine steel wool (couldn't get the brass variety :() and will get some clear coat for protection. The bike itself is actually chrome plated steel, so it'll be interesting to see how long it lasts in the British weather.

I'll post some before and after shots of the rust to see what you think.

Once again, thanks for the advice...I'm pretty clueless when it comes to this sort of thing, and it's nice to get some feedback from people in the know :thumbup:

Rich

Did what you guys suggested and it turned out ok here's a photo of before...

And after...

The Steel wool worked really well, and I was able to get off alot of the rust in between the gaps.

I painted it with silver car touch up paint (no clear was available unfortunately)...not a fantastic finish, but hopefully it'll keep the rust at bay

Rich

Originally posted by Rich
And after...


Good grief, Rich, it looks wonderful! When I ride over to visit you one day, I will ask you to paint my bike. I'm sure it will need lots of steel wool and silver paint after the trans-Atlantic experience....

Congratulations!

Thanks Jon,

Let me know when you're coming over and I'll pop the kettle on!!!

Rich :thumbup:

I know it has been ages since you all posted these things, but I was reading through the threads trying to learn a bit. I am totally new to bike resortation and I had a question. What do you mean "clear coat?" It's a clear paint? What kind of paint is used on bikes and where (in what type of store) would I get it?

Any imformation will help me.

Clear coat is a paint,the very last coat, Parts stores have it. You ought to sort-out if you're using a laquer or enamel as a paint before moving on to the clear coat. Nowadays ALL companies use clearcoat. Hardware and homewares also sell it.