restore or scavenge...?

"C.J.Patten" writes:

I find it a bit depressing that I can't afford all the tools and materials I
need to do a nice restoration. (Oxalic acid for removing rust etc... ) Soon
though.

What's oxalic acid ?? You can do a darned good job of removing rust
with ANY acid that attacks rust faster than it attacks steel or
chrome. A $5 jar of naval jelley is a very good tool for removing
rust on a QR skewer. However, you also need elbow grease to make it
work well :

1. strip all the rust with a $20 chinese dremel from kmart (hurry,
china is about to revalue the yuan) using the wire brush
(replacement brushes & polishing parts available at Sears.)

2. douse in naval jelly for 5 mins at most. Use goggles and gloves.
GOGGLES VERY IMPORTANT.

3. remove, rinse with H2_0 to deactivate acid, and go back to step #1
as many times as necessary (usually once.) GOGGLES VERY IMPORTANT.
Total time = ~30 mins.

4. Protect the part with butcher's wax or get a $30 brush plating set
from www.caswellplating.com and replate the rusty areas (note : I
find that brush plating sets are just that - you MUST brush with
them (not dunk) to get them to work, despite what the instructions
say.) After brush plating, you should still wax it to fill any
left over pinholes.

======

Larged chromed areas (cranks, hubs, rims) belong at a chrome shop.
Chrome shops can do a better job with hexavalent chrome (impossible to
do at home) but you don't want to mess with benzene and/or other
carcinogens or the EPA in the hexavalent chroming process. Brush
plating sets are actually Nickel / Cobalt so they are not as cancerous
or dangerous.

The only rims I'd replate would be on a pre-1960 reynolds-531 10-speed
bike, or a high zoot bike like Schwinn Black Phantom. Generally, i
prefer to work on aluminum bikes.

- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA

The Wogster wrote:
wrote:
you can fiind for free or cheap. Note, I am not talking about finding
old Cinelli bikes and other high quality bikes, just department store
junk bikes.

I think that applies to anything, which would you rather spend your time
fixing up, an '96 Honda Accord, or a '63 Porsche?

It is obvious you did not actualy read or understand what I wrote. If
you reread the last sentence of my post, I think it covers your comment
above. An old Cinelli is comparable to your quoted 1963 Porsche. Both
worth fixing/restoring. A 1996 Honda would be comparable to the higher
quality bikes I mention in prior sentences. Worth overhauling and
riding. If you had mentioned a 1975 Pinto, or 1973 Gremlin, or 1979
Chevette, or 1985 K car, then these would be comparable to department
store junk bikes not worth the time fixing or overhauling or hardly
driving.



I have an interesting dilemma right now, keep my '95 Chrysler Intrepid,
which seems to have joined the $300-repair-a-month club, or go "car
free" for a while, and maybe pickup a commuter bike for summer and take
the bus in the Winter...... My wife changed universities so, she will
be commuting downtown this year. I can drive to work in 10 minutes, bus
it in 40 and probably bike it in about 25...... The bike commute has
the hill to/from hell, so that might be interesting.....

W

catzz66 wrote:
wrote:



Recently I found a 1983 Fuji Absolute 12 speed bike in the garbage pile
in front of a house. It looked just fine. It had sat in the garage
unused for 20 years. It was a big 25" frame. I took it home and
overhauled it. No new parts. $5.30 total cost. I rode it around the
parking lot to make sure it worked when I was done. I then gave it to
my Mom to give to a place that needs usable bikes. I guess it was
worth it.



My first road bike was a 12 speed Fuji Supreme. I was going to mess
with it and either upgrade it or make it into a fixed gear, but it looks
and rides so good in near original condition that I am still alternating
it with my better bike. These old bikes can be nice, reliable rides
even if they aren't the "latest thing."

I find old bikes just not that great. I've had a couple of OK-quality
bikes from the 80's, including a 12-speed Fuji Supreme. The wheels
aren't good enough on a lot of these old bikes for serious mileage. I
prefer index shifting, sealed bottom brackets and better brakes
(especially than the single side pulls). The only thing I kept from the
Fuji (now a fixed gear) was the frame, front derailer and crank (moved
to another beater).

Mechanicals have improved so much from those days (including the price).
I'm not one to put much importance in frames, but those have improved a
lot, too.

Thu, 21 Jul 2005 12:53:51 -0400, ,
"C.J.Patten" wrote:

I find it a bit depressing that I can't afford all the tools and materials I
need to do a nice restoration. (Oxalic acid for removing rust etc... ) Soon
though.

Some "muscle bike" restorers clued me to a neat way for removing the
pitting on paint and chrome. Aluminium foil and WD-40.

It removes (well, levels it anyway) the surface rust without hacking
up the paint. Requires a bit of elbow grease but works slick.

Try it. Scrunch up the foil, lube with WD-40 and rub like crazy.
--
zk

In article ,
Peter Cole writes:

I find old bikes just not that great.

They're do-fers. And there's some enjoyment in the
refurbishing process itself, for those who are so inclined.
But I'm leery about aged handlebars.


cheers,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca

Peter Cole wrote:
catzz66 wrote:

wrote:



Recently I found a 1983 Fuji Absolute 12 speed bike in the garbage pile
in front of a house. It looked just fine. It had sat in the garage
unused for 20 years. It was a big 25" frame. I took it home and
overhauled it. No new parts. $5.30 total cost. I rode it around the
parking lot to make sure it worked when I was done. I then gave it to
my Mom to give to a place that needs usable bikes. I guess it was
worth it.



My first road bike was a 12 speed Fuji Supreme. I was going to mess
with it and either upgrade it or make it into a fixed gear, but it
looks and rides so good in near original condition that I am still
alternating it with my better bike. These old bikes can be nice,
reliable rides even if they aren't the "latest thing."


I find old bikes just not that great. I've had a couple of OK-quality
bikes from the 80's, including a 12-speed Fuji Supreme. The wheels
aren't good enough on a lot of these old bikes for serious mileage. I
prefer index shifting, sealed bottom brackets and better brakes
(especially than the single side pulls). The only thing I kept from the
Fuji (now a fixed gear) was the frame, front derailer and crank (moved
to another beater).

Mechanicals have improved so much from those days (including the price).
I'm not one to put much importance in frames, but those have improved a
lot, too.


Yes, indeedy. It is a comfortable riding bike, though.

C.J.Patten wrote:
-snip-
I found a folding bike in rough shape; nothing bent or missing but
everything rusty. Here are some pics of it and of the local bike guy's
operation:
http://ca.geocities.com/af895/bikes/
The folder was "made in Poland" for Canadian Tire - our equivalent of
Pro-Hardware or ACE if that helps. Also: it has a 3-speed, Shimano
internally geared hub.
Is it worth keeping the hub or is it junk?
Same question for the bike - worth fixing or should I just donate it and
hope Mr.Fixit can give it to someone?

"A Muzi" wrote in message
...
Made by Tyler.
Not bad and you might like riding it. Very similar to my own Bianchi
Aquiletta.

C.J.Patten wrote:
Googled that one...
http://www.mopedarmy.com/photos/brand/144/2588/
Damn.
That's a NICE bike!

Not quite.
Aquilett_a_ is a folding _bicycle_:

http://www.yellowjersey.org/aq.html

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

According to C.J.Patten :

I find it a bit depressing that I can't afford all the tools and materials I
need to do a nice restoration. (Oxalic acid for removing rust etc... ) Soon
though.

Has Wood Bleach been made illegal?

http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles...ood_bleach.htm

----
Lars Lehtonen

Lars Lehtonen wrote:
According to C.J.Patten :

I find it a bit depressing that I can't afford all the tools and materials I
need to do a nice restoration. (Oxalic acid for removing rust etc... ) Soon
though.

Has Wood Bleach been made illegal?

http://antiquerestorers.com/Articles...ood_bleach.htm

----
Lars Lehtonen.

..

Or Bar Keepers Friend...about a buck per pound in supermarkets.

catzz66 wrote:
Peter Cole wrote:

I find old bikes just not that great. I've had a couple of OK-quality
bikes from the 80's, including a 12-speed Fuji Supreme. The wheels
aren't good enough on a lot of these old bikes for serious mileage. I
prefer index shifting, sealed bottom brackets and better brakes
(especially than the single side pulls). The only thing I kept from
the Fuji (now a fixed gear) was the frame, front derailer and crank
(moved to another beater).

Mechanicals have improved so much from those days (including the
price). I'm not one to put much importance in frames, but those have
improved a lot, too.



Yes, indeedy. It is a comfortable riding bike, though.

It's as "comfortable" as any others I have (I don't feel any difference
between it and a new-ish Cannondale, other than the Cannondale feels
more stable at high speed -- less flex, I guess).

The fair comparison is between that old salvaged frame and a brand new
Fuji frame/fork I got on Ebay for $70. Quality was comparable, old frame
was lugged, new one welded.