Sand in seat stays: any ideas?
05-09-13, 10:08 AM
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Sand in seat stays: any ideas?
I've had some steel frames in my hands the last couple of years and they all seem have a sandish rattle in the seat stays. So I'm guessing there is sand and other small stuff, maybe even some rust going on in there. It probably came in through those tiny holes most seat stays have.
My question: did you ever notice this in your frame(s) and do you (try to) get it out of the stays. If so, how do you do it?
My question: did you ever notice this in your frame(s) and do you (try to) get it out of the stays. If so, how do you do it?
05-09-13, 10:18 AM
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Bicycle Repair Man !!!
The small holes are for out gassing during building... without these the heated air in the tubes will force air out where the final joint is being brazed / welded and compromise that joint.
A little fine grit might be introduced during sandblasting or a little metal burr might be floating around... like the kind you get when you drill that breather hole.
The only time one notices this is when you are hanging a bike or turning it over, it causes no problems.
If there is a suspicion of internal corrosion then frame treatments can be used to arrest and prevent this... the seat and chain stays are most often sealed against any ingress of moisture save for those breather holes... many builders close these after the frame is completed.
A little fine grit might be introduced during sandblasting or a little metal burr might be floating around... like the kind you get when you drill that breather hole.
The only time one notices this is when you are hanging a bike or turning it over, it causes no problems.
If there is a suspicion of internal corrosion then frame treatments can be used to arrest and prevent this... the seat and chain stays are most often sealed against any ingress of moisture save for those breather holes... many builders close these after the frame is completed.
05-09-13, 10:18 AM
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I've heard similar rattles in the stays of brand new frames. In those cases, I assume it came from the welding/brazing process and I don't worry about it. Maybe a bit of slag or flux has come loose from the joint. On the other hand, when I hear that rattle on a frame with some visible surface rust, I fear the worst:
05-09-13, 10:56 AM
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An application of frame-saver will tend to lock down some of that finer stuff; I had a fork blasted and powder-coated that required some to settle things down a bit.
05-09-13, 12:18 PM
#5
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Don,
A very convenient oily rust prevention product available in NL is FluidFilm AS-R. It comes with a nozzle that fits through the vent holes. For 1 euro extra you get a 40cm nozzle.
A very convenient oily rust prevention product available in NL is FluidFilm AS-R. It comes with a nozzle that fits through the vent holes. For 1 euro extra you get a 40cm nozzle.
05-10-13, 09:00 AM
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Thanks for enlightening me guys!
Melvin, I'll be taking that advice, already ordered the stuff, so my worries will decrease very much so.
Melvin, I'll be taking that advice, already ordered the stuff, so my worries will decrease very much so.
05-10-13, 09:27 AM
#7
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I noticed after having a couple of frames media blasted and powder coated that there were little bits of sand left in some of the frame tubes. You can try blowing compressed air in through one of the vent holes (provided there are at least two vent holes per tube). You can use one of those compressed air cans used for cleaning dust out of electronics, if you're lucky the wand will fit in the vent hole.
Or as others have said, spraying in a little corrosion preventative like Boesheild or FrameSaver will also help immobilize some small particles.
Or as others have said, spraying in a little corrosion preventative like Boesheild or FrameSaver will also help immobilize some small particles.
05-10-13, 10:19 AM
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OMG The Sandy Flood bikes are hitting the market!!! 
Aaron
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Webshots is bailing out, if you find any of my posts with corrupt picture files and want to see them corrected please let me know. :(
ISO: A late 1980's Giant Iguana MTB frameset (or complete bike) 23" Red with yellow graphics.
"Cycling should be a way of life, not a hobby.
RIDE, YOU FOOL, RIDE!"_Nicodemus
"Steel: nearly a thousand years of metallurgical development
Aluminum: barely a hundred
Which one would you rather have under your butt at 30mph?"_krazygluon
05-10-13, 10:30 AM
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Before immobilizing the material with frame-saver/Boeshied/linseed oil/etc., you may try holding a magnet up to the drain hole and tilting the frame to get the pieces out. Obviously, this will work only if it is brazing material not sand, and small enough to fit through a drain hole. I was able to pull some brazing material out of a frame this way. My Look has some brazing material in the fork. It's been there since new. It makes some noise when I lift the bike onto the back wheel, but I never hear it when riding.
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05-10-13, 10:41 AM
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Before immobilizing the material with frame-saver/Boeshied/linseed oil/etc., you may try holding a magnet up to the drain hole and tilting the frame to get the pieces out. Obviously, this will work only if it is brazing material not sand, and small enough to fit through a drain hole. I was able to pull some brazing material out of a frame this way. My Look has some brazing material in the fork. It's been there since new. It makes some noise when I lift the bike onto the back wheel, but I never hear it when riding.
05-11-13, 11:12 AM
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I was also going to suggest a (strong) magnet, but gaucho beat me to it. I have used some really powerful tiny rare earth magnets, but have also magnetized a steel wire (with a magnetizer) that sometimes gets into places and grabs stuff that won't conveniently drop thru a hole.
This won't work on any "braze material", nor on sand, since that's all non-ferrous, but certainly will grab rust.
Once I dripped a little super glue (Cyanoacrylic, or CA glue) into a tube when all else had failed, shook it around until the maraca-effect ended...it's extreme but it worked.
This won't work on any "braze material", nor on sand, since that's all non-ferrous, but certainly will grab rust.
Once I dripped a little super glue (Cyanoacrylic, or CA glue) into a tube when all else had failed, shook it around until the maraca-effect ended...it's extreme but it worked.
