Rust prevention

I'm building up a bike using a rather nice vintage steel frame. There is
more rust inside the tubes than I would like. It all seems to be surface
rust, since a little steel wool removes it.

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to
coat the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even
remove some of what is there now?


--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.

"Bob Wheeler" wrote in message
...
I'm building up a bike using a rather nice vintage steel frame. There is
more rust inside the tubes than I would like. It all seems to be surface
rust, since a little steel wool removes it.

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to coat
the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even remove
some of what is there now?


--
Bob Wheeler --- http://www.bobwheeler.com/
ECHIP, Inc. ---
Randomness comes in bunches.


Weigle's FrameSaver

On Sun, 05 Jun 2005 16:40:13 -0400 Bob Wheeler
wrote:

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to
coat the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even
remove some of what is there now?

I like LPS-3 for this. Don't confuse it with the more commonly
available LPS-1, which has no real staying power for rust prevention.

Don't worry about the rust that's already there, that's history. but
preventing future rust is a smart thing to do.

-
-----------------------------------------------
Jim Adney
Madison, WI 53711 USA
-----------------------------------------------

Bob Wheeler wrote:

I'm building up a bike using a rather nice vintage steel frame. There is
more rust inside the tubes than I would like. It all seems to be surface
rust, since a little steel wool removes it.

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to
coat the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even
remove some of what is there now?

LPS products:

http://www.lpslabs.com/Products/Lubr...Penetrants.asp

or http://snipurl.com/fdtj

FrameSaver available lots of places (ex:
http://www.branfordbike.com/bikecare/bcare1.html#item3 )

Quoting from http://www.vintage-trek.com/refurbish.htm :

INTERNAL RUSTPROOFING OF A FRAME
Unlike some other frame materials, a steel frame does not degrade
through normal use or simply through age. However, if a steel bike is
ridden in the rain or is kept outdoors, rust in the inside surfaces of
the frame tubing can be a problem. A way to check if your frame has
been damaged by rust is to remove the bottom bracket and look at the
bottom bracket shell and the tubes. Some rust is normal, but lots of
rust or significant pitting can be a problem.

To prevent, or significantly reduce, internal rusting, people spray
the inside of the tubes with a rust preventative. Two excellent
products are "Frame Saver" by J. Peter Weigle and "Boeshield T-9"
developed by Boeing. Frame Saver is available at most pro bike shops
and over the web. Which to use? Peter Weigle is a custom frame maker
(support a fellow bike guy). Boeing makes lots of great things, but I
believe bikes are not included . . .

A poor-man's solution is to spray the insides with WD-40 penetrating
oil. It dries to a thin, varnish-like coating that protects the metal.
Not as good as the two products above, but much better than nothing at
all. (BTW - because of this drying characteristic, WD-40 should not be
used as a long-term lubricant.)

Neil Brooks wrote:

Bob Wheeler wrote:

I'm building up a bike using a rather nice vintage steel frame. There is
more rust inside the tubes than I would like. It all seems to be surface
rust, since a little steel wool removes it.

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to
coat the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even
remove some of what is there now?

LPS products:

http://www.lpslabs.com/Products/Lubr...Penetrants.asp

Better link for the LPS-3:

http://www.lpslabs.com/Products/CorrosionInh/Lps3.asp

hhmmmmm!
the stuff mentioned is no better than rusto's mail box saver.
the stuff is a temporary fix while you getb your act together to take
the frame to a professional metal guy and have the tubes stripped clean
with caustic and boiling water
then immediatedly painted with a pro primer.
the mail box saver is a phosphate treatment (for steel boats where
using the dremel and hand pick tends to be inconvieneint) that produces
a skim of non rust over the rust then adds latex as an impermeable
vapor barrier (like alkyd but without the oil based layer) but ponder
latex is waterborn-gives rust with O2)
the rusto works but its temporary. i ssume the weigle is similar.
linseed oil thinned then covered with white farm rusto thinned works
better than the rusto mail box saver. phosphate straight then rinsed
with boiling water... its gets complicated.
a pro knows!!

for the linseed-need to do this on a hot day allowing the frame to cook
water out.
gotta let the linseed dry before appllying the farm rusto. farm rusto
is better than consumer no patience rusto. the manure spreader gets
paint then is allowed to sit under the sun to dry
until august

ima talking to muhself agin.
the deal with the quick fix is do you trust or believe whyjell's intent
to sell the stuuf YOU NEED IN A CAN????
or to make a profit selling stuff to you in a can.
like what in tarnation could wyejell put in a can that yawl can't pour
in urself?
like i wuz looking for very finely ground zinc powder to ix into the
thinned linseed.
you name it.

wrote:

ima talking to muhself agin.

Please don't misconstrue the silence.

Our reverence leaves us speechless.

Preach, Gene, PREACH!

"Bob Wheeler" wrote in message
...
I'm building up a bike using a rather nice vintage steel frame. There is
more rust inside the tubes than I would like. It all seems to be surface
rust, since a little steel wool removes it.

Is there an oil or some rust prevention compound that I could use to coat
the inside of the tubes to prevent further deterioration, or even remove
some of what is there now?

Two broad categories for removal: physical, chemical.
If you can find a way to get the inside scrubbed - perhaps a Scotch brite
pad on a stick - that would do it. There are also various chemicals that
will remove rust but I've always scrubbed.

Prevention: same thing. Physical barriers to moisture and air or chemical
catylists that will alter the surface of the metal to make it in-oxidizable.

I don't know what kind of steel your frame is but Chrom-Moly Steel is fairly
rust resistant on it's own so it may require less protection (if any) than
other steels. My last CrMo frame lasted 14 years with no protection - in
horrible riding conditions, being put away wet - and it only had mild
surface rust (like a powder) on the unpainted tube interior, which didn't
affect anything.

I decided to protect my new frame innards and went with Linseed Oil, which
acts as a moisture & air barrier.

Bought at a hardware store in the wood finishing section - 1quart for about
$5, labeled "boiled linseed oil." Applied with a pump sprayer used to mist
plants. Left in bright sun to dry. Net result: inside of tubes have a
coating with a consistency somewhere between hard plastic and parmesan
cheese.

I looked for "Frame Saver" but it's unheard of within 500 miles of my home
and there's been some debate about whether or not FrameSaver IS in fact
Boiled Linseed Oil! I took the risk on a natural product. My apartment
smelled of linseeds for a week - not unenjoyable at all.

Highly recommended. Be sure to rotate the frame once the oil's in there to
ensure it all gets coated.

C.