So, after thinking on my Katakura for a bit, I'm being won over by the idea of an Oxalic Acid (OA) bath rather than the typical vinegar wrap that I do. I have a small apartment, and a bath is not really something I can do easily.

Thrifty Bill's results are impressive, however.

Then, I stumbled across this link: https://bmxmuseum.com/forums/viewtopic.php?id=351132

I never thought to use a under-the-bed plastic box for this application. Has anyone used these boxes, and if so, what did you use? Feel free to post a link to Wal-Mart or Target or another store for the product. Also, if anyone has a crystal preference for the Oxalic acid please post a link.

Pics or it didn't happen, right?

Too small for a road frame. I've seen people take a standard bike frame box, cut off one side, line it with a plastic tarp, and go.

I built a frame sized wood box, got tired of the kiddie pool, as a kiddie pool is 2 to 3X the size needed to fit a bike frame (so lots of wasted materials, takes up more space, etc.)

I've used the under the bed type box before, and it is too small for a whole frame at once. I only had rust on a few places (top tube and seat stays, so I just braced the frame and placed it in that way. You can get most of the frame except seat tube done that way. If i was going to do more bikes in an oa bath, I would make a wooden version of the bike box and seal it up. Seeing as I'm only doing 1-2 a year, its not worth it for me to build.

I used one of these bins for a fork -it worked fine. I got it at a thirft store for .50. Most thrifts have a ton of these in various sizes for very cheap prices.

I am leery of mixing up such a large quantity of toxic liquid for the relatively small surface area of something like a bike frame (or rim, or handlebar).

My idea, that I haven't tried, is to take a cardboard box sized for a bike frame (and who among us doesn't have one of those now and then?) cut the side off and fill it with packing peanuts. Cover it loosely with a plastic sheet, then press the bike frame down into that so it forms a frame-shaped depression, being careful not to puncture the plastic. Fill the depression with the oxalic acid solution.

rhm...that sounds like an interesting idea. I don't de-rust many frames but really hate the waste of the kiddie pool. I search my house for things to de-rust whenever I do this.

I wonder what the solution would do to a bath tub? Lol.

Didnt harm mine at all!

That's all I needed to hear! *runs to turn on tub and grab frame*

Because I don't have a lot of space to spare, and I don't use OA baths very often, I use a window planter box. This allows me to get four sides of the main diamond in the frame as well as the entire fork. The only tube that this setup cannot bathe is the seat tube. However, that is the most accessible of the tubes on the frame in terms of getting into it from the top. It can be cleaned via another method, such as using rags.

Yes, but test those second hand tubs for brittleness. UV attacks the plastic very quickly, my family has placed stuff outside in them for a month or tow and they become very brittle. The opaque ones seem to be a bit more UV resistant, so test, don't guess. Give them a good flex first before using as an acid soak tub.

Without reading about it, I made a wooden frame as wrk101 suggested. I used hinges I had laying in a box for 20 years so I could "fold up" the frame for storage and it allows me to adjust the clearance around the bike frame. I cut twice and it is always too short! The plastic sheets I had had holes, so I wasted about 5 gals. In my youth, I cut trees in eastern Oregon and have the hard hat from those days. I used it to raise the plastic sheet inside the major tubes to reduce the amount of acid solution.

I think supporting contact with the tubes should be avoided to allow the acid to "circulate" around the tubes, so as appealing as the peanut idea is, I would rather waste the acid. It is really dilute anyway and is not like hydrocloric acid!

BTW: Use 2x8 to be able to get the depth for the rear DO spacing.