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DeDuva 10-31-05 10:27 AM

Cleaning Tubes
 
I have a much loved Ciocc that I'd like to preserve. I have noticed some rust in my bottom bracket and the bottom of my seat post. I know about Weigle's frame preserver but I thought there might be a ramrod/brush combination made for some size shotgun that would work to clean up the seat tube before spraying in the coating. Has anyone done something like this? I was thinking a cleaning kit for a 12 guage might work.. If someone has done this can you guide me on the size of the brush? Likewise, if this is a bad idea I'd appreciate hearing about it.

Thanks in advance.

HillRider 10-31-05 12:12 PM

A 12 ga or 10 ga rod and bronze brush should work. If your tubes are too large for a good tight fit, wrap some fine steel wool around the brush until the fit is snug.

I've used the shotgun brush technique to clean various frame tubes and fork steerers. They work well.

BostonFixed 10-31-05 01:51 PM

Saw the bike in half. Clean thouroughly, then weld back together.

neil0502 10-31-05 03:44 PM


Originally Posted by BostonFixed
Saw the bike in half. Clean thouroughly, then weld back together.

Excellent! The simple, inelegant solution is quite often the best. Don't overthink it....

BostonFixed 10-31-05 08:39 PM

I think I misspelled thoroughly.

San Rensho 10-31-05 09:19 PM

Ciocc. Nice bike. Is the bottom bracket cut out? if not, that may be whats causing the rust. Cutting out the bottom bracket ventilates the tubes in the frame and lets out water and condensation. I've always done it to my bikes by just drilling a couple of 1/4 in. holes in the bottom of the bottom bracket. Not very elegant but effective. If the paint is still in really great shape, take it to a frame builder to do a star or clover shaped cut-out. If you're good with a dremel tool, try it yourself.

DeDuva 11-02-05 12:05 PM


Originally Posted by San Rensho
Ciocc. Nice bike. Is the bottom bracket cut out? if not, that may be whats causing the rust. Cutting out the bottom bracket ventilates the tubes in the frame and lets out water and condensation. I've always done it to my bikes by just drilling a couple of 1/4 in. holes in the bottom of the bottom bracket. Not very elegant but effective. If the paint is still in really great shape, take it to a frame builder to do a star or clover shaped cut-out. If you're good with a dremel tool, try it yourself.

I do have a cut out, but the only place I have to store it is unheated and the condensation is the problem I think. Now that you mention it I hang it upside down too so maybe I'll remove the seat and post before hanging it. I appreciate the help.

DeDuva 11-02-05 12:07 PM


Originally Posted by HillRider
A 12 ga or 10 ga rod and bronze brush should work. If your tubes are too large for a good tight fit, wrap some fine steel wool around the brush until the fit is snug.

I've used the shotgun brush technique to clean various frame tubes and fork steerers. They work well.

I think I'll give it a try. The steel wool is a good tip too, thanks.

shane45 11-03-05 06:10 AM


Originally Posted by DeDuva
The steel wool is a good tip too

Yeah, if you want to ENCOURAGE rust. :rolleyes:

Steel wool leaves small and microscopic particles of metal everywhere. They imbed themselves into the grain of the metal you're working on, and get into every possible crack and crevice you can imagine. If you don't have rust now, you will after using steel wool.

Road Fan 01-01-06 09:08 AM


Originally Posted by BostonFixed
Saw the bike in half. Clean thouroughly, then weld back together.

Love it!

Reminds me of a safe method of replacing the shingles on a house: Cut all around the roof of a house, just below the eaves and gables. Lift the roof off of the house with a crane and lower to the ground. Replace parts of roof as needed. Lift roof and replace on house. Reattach roof to house.

This was attributed to an anonymous theoretical physicist.

Cutting roofs in Ann Arbor,

Ken

GreyGoat 01-01-06 10:17 AM

After spraying WD40 into my tubes, I decided to use a frame saver type product(called IronClad by Zep) so I had to find a way to get all the wd40 out of the tubes.. I did this using spray gumout carb cleaner and a portion of a sock fixed to the end of a 3 foot section of 12 gauge wire. I just twisted the end of the wire around the section of sock rag etc.. this worked pretty good and was a cheap readily available solution... I used two strands of wire and a bigger piece of sock rag for the bigger tubes, and a single strand and a smaller section of sock for the chain stays..


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