advice-clean surface rust on seat tube near stickers
 

I am cleaning up a C/V bike, I already did the following:

Hand wash with warm water and dish soap
Wipe down with mineral spirits
Flitz Polish
Polishing Compound
Carnuba Wax

The frame is much better, but here is some discoloration and paint is uneven in spots, but I am OK with it EXCEPT for this on the seat tube.

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=350997


What would be the next thing to try, and in what order (i.e. least to most likely to make things worse :-)

Things I have read:
WD-40 and extremely fine scotch-brite (which I have)
OA Bath (found Bar Keepers Friend in a liquid/paste format)
Rubbing compound
Something else?


Before:
http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=350998

Thanks in advance

In those situations, I use a wet a cloth with OA and keep it wet. It's time consuming but it works. Just keep it away from the decals, they will melt way with OA.

Looks like a good candidate for an aluminum foil rub down. Test in a less conspicuous spot first.

I'll wrap the decals with paper then tape the paper in place with blue painters tape. From there I'll do as MA mentioned, wrap the tube in rag soaked with AO.

My OA is Barkeepers Friend liquid, it is like a liquid car wax. Would you put this directly on a rag then zip tie to the frame or would you add water then drop a rag in it then zip tie it to the frame?

Also, how long would you leave it on the frame?

Thanks!

Just soak the rag and maybe wrap plastic around the outside of it so it doesn't dry out to quick, I wouldn't dilute it. When I did my frames I spot checked every few hours.

Well, long story short, the BKP/oxalic acid stripped the paint, which sucks. It's my fault for experimenting, but I have heard on these forums that oxalic acid is safe on paint, but it wasn't for me. Off to try and find nail polish or tester paint. I should have left it alone instead of trying to make it "better"…I think I should have just rubbed it on/off instead of letting it sit...

I am very sad :-(

Sorry for your poor experience. I have used OA on close to 100 bikes, and a lot of parts. I pretty much have a small OA bath going continuously, I've got it going right now. I have never had it lift paint. It didn't even hurt the very fragile decals on my Katakura Silk.

As always, I recommend using OA in extremely dilute form (like 0.25% or so). I have not used Bar Keepers Friend on a bike. Not sure what else is in it besides OA. Bar Keepers Friend is listed as 5 to 10% OA. That leaves another 90 to 95% something else. I prefer to use just OA and water.

Hopefully someone else will learn from my mistake.

It stripped the paint because there was rust underneath it.