I picked up an 85? DB Ascent frame/fork recently. It is cleaning up nicely. I should have taken before photos. There is some thicker rust on the chrome near the BB that ill be working on next. Im hoping to give that area a oxalic bath to see if i can loosen it and clean that area up...otherwise i am out of ideas here. Thoughts? I have tried the alumium foil trick and that worked great everywhere else.

The decals have yellowed and are quite scraped up. I can see pinhole rust comming through the chrome underneath the decals as well if i look really close. I am on the fence about removing the decals entirely. I dont imagine ill ever find a proper replacement set.

Im hoping to make a neat commuter out of it. It is as heavy as a school bus. Also the rear spacing appears to be 126mm? Im on the look out now for a decent sliver/eyeleted 26in rim brake wheelset from the late 80-mid 90s (perhaps Mavic). Its one of those early MTBs so it has a longer goofy wheelbase. I cant wait to get wheels on it.

Oxalic + time = no more rust.

I just did a set of wheels on an old Austrian Sears bike I gave to an employee of mine. Super rusty. Had to let it sit in the bath for an hour, scrub it with a toothbrush, then let it sit another half hour, scrub, rotate to the next section...

It all came off, though, and the chrome underneath is mostly still there. Showed her how to wax the wheels to keep the rust from coming back.

thanks for the reply. Ill give it a shot. I have had that stuff discolor or leave a white/yellowish film in the past. IM hoping that doesnt happen. I dont recall how long i had let my item sit in it.

I fixed up a chrome Mongoose in similar conditition. I got rid of the decals and never looked back. To me the cool part of your bike is that it is all chrome, not that it is a Diamondback.

ill probably go that route as well...eventually.

Brass wheel in a drill chuck.