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Old 10-01-10 | 02:56 PM
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southpawboston
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From: Somerville, MA and Catskill Mtns
all good tips.

agitation of the OA bath is a good idea and makes the process more efficient... a recirculating peristaltic pump would be ideal, but short of that, simply stirring up the water and lifting the frame out and dipping it back in periodically will also so the trick. and as wrk101 mentioned, don't plug up the vent holes! keeping them open is the only way to ensure that the acid can flow inside the tubing. and similarly, keeping them open will help the frame dry later. i try to position the frame at different angles during the drying process to assure that all the tubes have drained properly. they will dry much faster if they are fully drained first. the down tube, head tube and seat tube will drain the most easily and thoroughly. the top tube may not drain completely because the ends are flanged by the seat tube and head tube, and typically only have small vent holes at the ends. in that case, i will position the frame so that the top tube is perfectly vertical, to maximize drainage.

i like to use a toothbrush to brush the really scaly areas (such as inside the BB shell, typically) every few hours.

for neutralizing, don't neutralize the bath (again agreeing with wrk101). the acid is reusable. rather, transfer the frame from the OA bath to the baking soda bath... you really only need to neutralize the residual acid stuck to the frame.

for drying, you can use compressed air if you wish, but honestly, just letting the frame sit in the sun (or if in winter, above or next to your furnace or radiator) for a few hours is usually adequate.

Last edited by southpawboston; 10-01-10 at 03:01 PM.
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