I've been following this thread about various products that block rust. Very interesting and very informative. Here's my dilemma and associated question. I'm restoring a 1959 Raleigh Tourist. It wasn't exactly a well cared for bicycle. There's a lot of rust I'm dealing with. The underside of the front mud guard is the worst. I've sanded it down (by hand) to bare metal, treated it with navel jelly, resanded, resanded, resanded. Getting boring. I'm going to do electrolysis next. There will probably still be pits where the "rust bug" resides. So, do I prime, paint, and then apply these rust inhibitors i.e. Corrosion Block, Frame Saver, Boshield, etc., or do I apply the rust inhibitors first?

TSapp

Prime and paint. You don't apply frame saver over paint or under it.

I'm sorry. If you don't apply it over or under the paint, are you saying don't apply such a product at all or are you saying apply it only over the bare metal and leave it at that?

Problem with anything abrasive is that you will remove good metal with the rust. That's another reason I use OA. Could also consider using one of the rust converter products as a primer. I usually do that on painted parts after an OA treatment and before painting.

Frame saver goes *inside* the tubes, not on the outside.

What about something like POR15 ? I've used it on cars with good results in the rust belt.
edit - Tsapp I see you're also within range of the lake effect goodness we're getting right now...

I have also wondered what people were blocking rust on with all the rust blocker talk. It sure sounds like you're doing a very thorough job. After paint you might just put a coat of wax on it to help protect from salt. I use a rust blocker (Corrosion Block for me), on steel rims, spokes, chromed stuff w/ a not very good chrome job, and various little nuts and bolts that aren't stainless.

First of all, I never got the message that Frame Saver and other such products were used on the inside of the tubes, so I guess I'll have to rule that out. What is OA********** And as for POR15, I'll have to check that out. There is a Sherwin-Williams auto paint store in the area. Maybe I should talk to those guys. Yes. The weather is a bit too much to handle right now and to think that winter is still a week away. What are we in for???

TSapp

OA = oxalic acid. There are many threads here discussing its use and where to obtain it.

EDIT: such as this
https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...ht=oxalic+acid

POR15 is just a brand of rust converter. Some of these can get pretty thick and/or toxic so shop around. If you have already removed most of the rust a lighter weight converter or even just a good rust-oriented primer should be enough. I was skeptical of the stuff for a long time but then I used some on a snow plow mount about 10 years ago and it has been amazingly effective.

Framesaver is put on the inside of the tubes, so it doesn't rust from the inside out, if the frame is completely stripped you put it down the seat tube, and any open tube ends in the BB shell and head tube, it's a once in a life time application. Considering the number of frames that were built before Framesaver was invented that are decades old and have only surface rust, it's requirement is debatable.

For painted surfaces, Navel Jelly or a product like Tremclad or Rustoleum works pretty well. In the case of Navel Jelly it converts iron oxide to ferric phosphate, Oxalic acid does something similar. This can be scraped off or simply primed over then painted. Tremclad or Rustoleum are paints, which can also be used the same way you would a primer, you put them on, allow to dry and then paint with the appropriate colour. One thing with painting though, if you colour does not match 100% you can often get away with it by painting to a natural division, for example if you touching up a chain stay, then paint from the dropout to the lug, it will be harder to tell then if you paint only part of it.

If your paint is a dark colour, then use the black Tremclad as a primer, if your paint is a light colour, then use white, for medium colours use grey.

It's Naval Jelly.

navel jelly



naval jelly

What he said. If rust is gone to the eye just use a rust inhibiting primer. If rust is still present probably use a converter. Many available and they can be painted over (they act as a primer). Framesaver, Boeshield, etc a=go on bare metal, usually inside the tubes. They cannot be painted over. They leave a thick, waxy residue to protect the metal. You can use oxalic acid (deck bleach) or phosphoric acid (Naval Jelly) to remove rust also.