Stopping rust while painting

[Thehairs1970]

I am doing up an old Dawes Galaxy including a respray. How do I stop it rusting while preparing it?

[simonineaston]

Thinking back to the days when I restored a couple of motorcycles (Matchless & Sunbeam), I would give the bare metal components a last quick rub down and dry off with a tack cloth immediately before starting to spray the first coat of primer / filler. Once that's on, the item is unlikely to rust, unless any part of it is rubbed back to bare metal again, in which case, repeat the above. However, bare metal's unlikely to start to rust unless the item's in a damp atmosphere...

[Tompsk]

I am doing up an old Dawes Galaxy including a respray. How do I stop it rusting while preparing it?

I've painted bare metal with Kurust (commercial name for a simple chemical who's name escapes me for now). Seemed to do the trick of priming and keeping any rust at bay. I've only tried it on things like garden gates and floor panels of a car and not on a cycle frame. As ever you could try a small area first and sand back to bare metal if not ok. A small bottle goes a long way, but I found it best to decant what you need and not to put back in the bottle.

[Valbrona]

I mean, why bother?

The cost of painting might be about 50% of a new bike, then there's all the prep work, and a Dawes Galaxy is by today's standards old technology.

[hamster]

A powdercoat is around £70, even getting a pro respray is around £150.
That's a lot less than a new frame.

And just because it's old doesn't make it suddenly worse at doing its job.

It is worth getting a pro respray - they will blast and paint immediately, which prevents the corrosion problem. Rattle cans are really difficult to get to reach all the nooks and crannies. Car paint is soft and chips easily, whereas a stove enamel will last.

[Jdsk]

I am doing up an old Dawes Galaxy including a respray. How do I stop it rusting while preparing it?

I've painted bare metal with Kurust (commercial name for a simple chemical who's name escapes me for now). Seemed to do the trick of priming and keeping any rust at bay. I've only tried it on things like garden gates and floor panels of a car and not on a cycle frame. As ever you could try a small area first and sand back to bare metal if not ok. A small bottle goes a long way, but I found it best to decant what you need and not to put back in the bottle.

It's a rust stabiliser/ rust converter: forms a compound that doesn't expand as rust does.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rust_converter
https://www.hammerite.co.uk/product/kurust/

Very useful on surfaces that are already rusted.

But I don't use it as either a protector or a primer on surfaces that aren't already rusted.

Jonathan

[pete75]

A powdercoat is around £70, even getting a pro respray is around £150.
That's a lot less than a new frame.

And just because it's old doesn't make it suddenly worse at doing its job.

It is worth getting a pro respray - they will blast and paint immediately, which prevents the corrosion problem. Rattle cans are really difficult to get to reach all the nooks and crannies. Car paint is soft and chips easily, whereas a stove enamel will last.

£45 for frame and fork blast cleaning and powder coating and they do a superb job. Have had two frames done there and several other people I know have used them with similar good results. Worth using if you're within reasonable travel distance.

https://www.kdsltdpeterborough.co.uk/

[Thehairs1970]

I mean, why bother?

The cost of painting might be about 50% of a new bike, then there's all the prep work, and a Dawes Galaxy is by today's standards old technology.

I suppose you could say this about many things. 50% of a new bike?! Either you buy really cheap bikes or expensive paint!

I have done an ali frame before and really enjoyed the whole process. I’ve included a pic. Btw yes I know the rear pannier rack is ‘wrong’.

[jb]

I mean, why bother?

The cost of painting might be about 50% of a new bike, then there's all the prep work, and a Dawes Galaxy is by today's standards old technology.

There are many reasons to do up an old frame it's not all about money.

[RobC]

Before

I am doing up an old Dawes Galaxy including a respray. How do I stop it rusting while preparing it?

Just in case it helps to assuage your worries about rust, aged 14 I completely stripped a steel tandem frame and then left it forgotten for 25 years in a damp shed. In that time it developed a nice 0.5mm covering of surface rust, but when I finally got round to sorting it out, a quick sandblast and respray and all was fine.
This is obviously an extreme example, but hopefully the point comes across that a bit of rust isn’t a terminal problem and if between stripping and painting a small amount of rust appears, a quick rubdown and treatment with suitable primer will be all required.

[mumbojumbo]

You don' t see many Felicity H Grubb frames around.

[cycle tramp]

I mean, why bother?

The cost of painting might be about 50% of a new bike, then there's all the prep work, and a Dawes Galaxy is by today's standards old technology.

Probably because the build quality and ride of the older frame is higher than alot of modern stuff

(er... light blue touch paper, stand well back, and always dispose of fireworks safely)