Project - Removing Rust from Bike Frame

[jimster99]

Hi all,

I noticed that my decrepit Dutch city rider style bike has a nasty patch of rust where the kick stand meets the frame (presumably acelerated by galvanic corrosion). See pictures. It looks more than just surface rust but the frame itself is holding together (for now). Should I be concerned about structural safety here?

If not, I plan to remove it by doing the following:

1. Sandpaper the rust and a bit of the paint away until I have clean metal.
2. Clean it with denatured alcohol (or vinegar? something else?).
3. Apply several layers of clear and then red nail polish (which I enjoyed buying from poundland today due to the till person's look of confusion)

Note the pedal crank also has rust but the pedals turn very smoothly so I think they're fine. I might take the crank (is that the right term?) out to check it's OK also.

Does that seem like a good plan? I don't care if the bike looks bad so long as I stop the rust before it snaps my bike in half as I'm cycling on it

[Jdsk]

No comment on the structural safety.

After removing rust:

Any degreaser that's convenient. In my workshop that would probably be isopropyl alcohol.

And then a rust converter or other appropriate primer before nail polish or paint.

Jonathan

[jimster99]

Thanks Jonathan. By "no comment" do you mean you think it's possibly a risk? It's a steel frame so hopefully it'd bend rather than give way catastrophically....or would it just snap??

[Jdsk]

Yes, possibly a risk.

Jonathan

[dragonrider]

Clean off most of rust with sandpaper. Paint with one or two coats of Hammerite. Lasts years.

[Paulatic]

It wil possibly crack a bit like this one. Another casualty of the dreaded stand.

[jimster99]

Thanks all! Having looked at toolstation's site, I see they have a couple of things that sound interesting:

- Rustin's rust remover £2.50 for 150mls - is that going to do a better job than sandpapering it?
- Rustin's rust converter - £8 for 250mls (a poster above kindly recommended using this)

Is Rustins the best brand or is there something else cheaper & better? If it's the best option I'll probably get a bottle of each and bash away with sandpaper first, then the rust remover, then the converter, then a bit of hammerite

[jimster99]

And once the rust is gone, I'll also apply a rubber tube of some kind between the kick stand and the frame to try and reduce corrosion.

[Steve O'C]

And once the rust is gone, I'll also apply a rubber tube of some kind between the kick stand and the frame to try and reduce corrosion.

I would remove the kickstand altogether. Why add additional stress to the one part of the frame that is already compromised?

[rogerzilla]

If it's a Dutch bike, it's probably very heavy snd made from old battleship metal, so the rust probably hasn't got too far through it. A Reynolds 753 frame would have fallen apart years ago.

[jimster99]

And once the rust is gone, I'll also apply a rubber tube of some kind between the kick stand and the frame to try and reduce corrosion.

I would remove the kickstand altogether. Why add additional stress to the one part of the frame that is already compromised?

I don't think the kickstand adds much stress to the frame (does it?), the real stresses come when you hit a pothole!

[Steve O'C]

Some discussion about kickstands here
viewtopic.php?t=120018

[richardfm]

I would use a wire brush, preferably an attachment in an angle grinder or electric drill, rather than sand paper, to get back to bare metal. Then treat with rust killer before painting.
It is possible that after removing the rust you will have little good steel left and the strength of the frame will be compromised.

I know, from personal experience, that corroded steel frames can crack and fail catastrophically.

[jimster99]

Thanks Richard, absolutely. I am cycling my son to nursery on this bike so don't want to take any risks.

I have acquired a cheapo Dremel-like tool (from Lidls @ the amazing bargain price of £16.99!) and a variety of tools (including fleece flap wheels, wire brushes (steel & brass), sanding rolls (£10 for the lot) and a bottle of Rustins Rust converter @ £10 (meaning I've now spent 200%+ of the cost of the bike on tools to repair it ). Any ideas what's the best tool from this lot to use? Probably the brass brush? Or the steel one? I do also have a cordless power drill but I don't have any wire brushes that'd fit it and I think the Dremel will be gentler and (slightly) less likely to rip off my fingers, plus it's a lot less heavy.

If the steel looks buggered once I have scraped it back, I won't use it any more.

[Jdsk]

I would use a steel wire brush on the Dremel.

Jonathan