Rusty Inards

[Hydra]

Well, I've recently come in to possession of a road frame. The intention, as you'd probably imagine, is to build a full bike out of it. The problem? Well, it seems to be a tad rusty on the inside...

Pics can be found here: Linky McLinkalink

Is this a problem? Will it make my frame die a painful death, with me on it at the time? Can it be fixed?

I've read, vaguely, something about soaking the frame in some sort of acid. Is this necessary?

Obviously I've bitten off more than I can chew with this project, but I never expected it to be easy-peasy. This rusty problem seems to be entirely detrimental, though.

 

[Smokin Joe]

The problem will be in places like the chainstays which are impossible to inspect and under a lot of stress when riding. Once rust takes a hold it is only a matter of time before it eats through, unless it is somewhere easy to get at with rust remover and a wire brush it's there to stay.

 

[Ivan Ardon]

It looks rideable to me, there's plenty of tube thickness left (see the picture of the bottom bracket). So long at there are no scabby lumps under the paint near any of the lugs and the frame doesn't make any unusual noises when you apply some heft to it, then I'd Waxoyl it and build it up.

 

[porteous]

Waxoyl it

 

[fossyant]

Waxoyl / frame saver or good old spray lube. There should be enough holes to get into every tube.

Doesn't look bad - that's just light corrosion.

 

[Hydra]

Ah, cheers guys. That's the kind of confident input I was hoping for. I've ordered some Waxoyl. Seems like a useful thing to have knocking about.

Next step, sourcing the bits to attach to rust-proofed frame

 

[Smokin Joe]

Wax oil does not remove rust, it prevents it forming on clean metal. If rust is already present it will continue to spread underneath the oil, the rust has to be completely removed first. If rust has already formed on the inside of the seat tube due to water getting in you can be your bottom dollar the chainstays will be effected too.

 

[Globalti]

That's light rust, which will have been there from the day the frame was built. I used to work in a bike factory and the tubes were always rusty inside when they were brazed together. Just build it and ride it.

 

[Muddy Ground]

Try some converter from http://www.rust.co.uk/ then use the wax afterwards? Only problem with the wax being that if you add 500g of it, your frame is now that much heavier.....

www.muddyground.blogspot.com

 

[asterix]

As muddy ground says use rust converter. It is phosphoric acid and is what frame builders use to prepare frames for painting.

Rust isn't some disease that metal 'catches', it's simply oxidisation, a chemical process converting the metal to ferrous oxide. Add a different chemical and you can convert the rust into a metal friendly coating without any need to remove it.

 

[Hydra]

I'm not too fussed about the frame being a few grams heavier really. I doubt a bit of wax will be noticeable once I have wheels, handlebars, cranks, etc. The idea of converting the rust is quite tempting, but will it be an easy enough job getting it to every nook and cranny inside the frame?

The Waxoyl options appears to be the easiest, just spray the stuff down every hole, job done...

 

[asterix]

will it be an easy enough job getting it to every nook and cranny inside the frame?

Use the fluid version not the jelly. Jelly is good for overhead stuff, fluid is good for Knooks and Krannies.

Then when it has done its work by all means put the waxoyl in too. IME rust can go on after waxoyl has been applied since the oil is only a coating not a chemical process. As Smokin Joe said.

 

[Hydra]

Well, upon further inspection (thanks to the bright sunshine) there seems to be more rust than I initially realised, and indeed more than the camera can capture. There's quite a bit in the down tube, looks like a rusty church gate in there.

The cost of de-rusting it will surpass the cost of the frame... so that's one project shot dead before it really started

 

[yashicamat]

Well, if it's that bad, at least you spotted it before you built it up! If it was as fragile as it sounds, then you could have found out in a far more unpleasant way . . .

 

[Zoiders]

It's quite plain in the lugs department so it might be plain gauge tubing and not butted, a bit of surface rust inside will not be problem, as others have said all tube stock takes a thin layer of surface rust just sitting on the shelf.

If you are planning to stick with what looks like the hammerite smooth paint job you can strip some of the paint back around the lugs to look for rust penetration that gets into voids in the braze, the lugs rotting out are going to be the first point of failure. A prod with a screwdriver will reveal any real rot, the chain stays near the BB would be the first place to check.