Dug this old Schwinn Le tour frame out of my parents basement, started off prettyyy rusty, and sanded it down (should've maybe used some chemicals in retrospect?)

Wondering if that spot of rust on the top tube is bad for structural integrity. Just don't want to build this thing and have it impale me haha
Or is there anything I can do to treat it? My brother said por15.





It does feel pretty solid despite this

Safer than this!

I think both of those are pretty far gone. Take a small center punch or ice pick and small hammer and test to see if you can punch a hole through into the tube in the rusted areas. Even if not rusted through, cleaning and painting those areas would be a challenge, and rust would likely get going again under the paint. Treat yourself to a better frame.

I've got an 83 Stump Jumper that has rust dsmage like that on one of the chainstays. Ive pondered some dort of full chemical rust removal and then brazeing over a scab of bronze. I'm not sure it add much strength, but it won't hurt anything.

lol nice

well I don't think I want to punch through it, if it's fine, idk about after that. But the question is, will it impale me? I mean, I'm not really doing anything to the frame itself as long as the bottom bracket is fine so I'd like to ride a little bit at least

My view is that the frame is scrap. The strength of that top tube has been highly compromised and could potentially fail when you least expect it too.

The erosion on that top tube looks quite deep in some spots, looking like close to perforating through at those deep divots.
I agree that its pretty much too far gone to be a safe rider.​

Thanks, was looking for a definitive answer, appreciate it. Going to look for another frame. Sucks because finding something above 58cm is tough. The thought of taking it to get the bottom bracket done and getting laughed out of the store was seeming like a possibility though haha

OP bike looks okay to me. But then I'm not the one riding it.

Bondo over it, hit it with a coat of krylon, and sell it to some chump on Ebay.
Note: That's a joke, don't actually do that.

*remembers seeing some Bondo in the basement 🤔*

Haha jk

slyman, wise decision, even if you believe the likelihood of a catastrophic failure is low the consequence of that failure could be very serious.

The point is, if you could poke a hole through it, it's way too far gone to be ridden. If you can't poke a hole through it with a pick, that means you still have solid steel there.

I would definitely ride that if there is sentimental value there. The top tube area is not super high stressed like the bottom bracket area, or fragile like the seat stay/seat tube junction. I doubt anything bad is going to happen. Just ride it.


^ don't do that though

For the OP bike - Inspecting the inside of the frame will be a critical factor. Find out what's inside. I had a bike similar to this that was stored next to the coast. Someone had treated the inside of the frame with linseed oil so the inside was spared. If the pits on the outside are small and not to deep the frame should be OK. It's a steel bike. They are tough.

For the paint job I would use "Wrinkel Paint" or even "Truck Bed Liner Paint" or even brush on undercoating. I did the bondo thing on my bike that was similar to this and it was not worth the trouble. You could always...

Run it through the blasting cabinet. If'n it don't blow no holes through the tubes....prime immediately/putty the pits/sand/re-prime/topcoat your choice.

Would that chip further away at the metal though?

My picture of bike art joke aside...really have to get a look inside the frame. It might also be rustying inside out as well...the Trek was easy to see, another frame I looked at was decent on the outside but a complete mess inside...must have been "bondo-ed" and painted smooth. It would have been my first Raleigh. Hopefully it became no one's Raleigh...

I like the ice pick test for testing the rusted areas. If the pitting doesn't exceed 30% ( pulled that # out of my butt ) and you're a beanpole, tall but skinny, I wouldn't be afraid to do some casual riding on it. NO loaded touring or anything like that LOL. I'd just clear coat it as is to slow any further corrosion and show off the "patina", put it together to ride and keep a CLOSE eye on the top tube for any signs of deformation while you shop for a better frame.

And duct tape...plenty of duct tape...

Duct tape is for rookies, you split a piece of black pipe painted to match the bike down the center and clamp it over the top tube at each end and the middle with U-bolts. If you paint the U-bolts with chrome paint they blend in really well because they look just like really large cable guides from about 200 feet away.

Glass beads, especially when new, produce a nice surface with out excessive cutting.

interesting...I wonder if anyone uses recycled tires as a medium...

Just remember "Rust never sleeps"!

"It's better to burn out then it is to rust"

honestly, I think this is what is gonna happen until I find a new frame. Funnily, clear coat was the plan from the start as well haha

Also, cleaned it up a bit more

Low-end tubing on an entry-level Schwinn so the tubing is probably thicker than one might think.

Still, I wouldn't bother with it. Pretty far gone, and unless you fill it up with brass or silver, it'll only get worse.

-Kurt

+1 .. perfectly ok to take a small punch (2mm or so) and give it a small hammer to see if it goes through. That's a fairly standard test in determining how far gone a frame is. But heck, just by eyeballing that damage I'd '86 it - it's gone.