Rusty Lenton Sports Reg Harris Model

[Windhover]

Glad it's all coming apart nicely

Thanks. So far so good. If only the quill stem will come out the frame should be salvageable.

 

[biggs682]

Thanks. So far so good. If only the quill stem will come out the frame should be salvageable.

If not chop it off and drill / machine the remaining bit out , done it quite a few times no aggro

 

[SkipdiverJohn]

I stripped down a skip salvage MTB where the quill stem took several weeks of sprayings with penetrating fluid and bashing the stem with a big rubber mallet to loosen it. Much of the time I had the frame inverted and sprayed into the underside of the forks. Eventually I got it apart by placing a length of 4 x 2 through the fork blades and wedging that between my legs then twisting the bars both ways combined with liberal use of the mallet. It took quite a bit of brute force but it did come apart. A worthless cheapo hack bike but the frame is exactly my size, which is why I stuck at it.

 

[davidphilips]

Good luck with the rebuild, just remember its what i would call a labour of love, in other words a lot of hard work and you will have a great bike at the finish but it will not be worth the money you have to spend on it.

I have a 53 lenton great bike just a bit heavy by todays standards and brakes a bit weak but great bike that could last a few life times, just consider if you want to build it up as it would have been in the 50s or perhaps build it up alloy 700c wheels and more modern brakes?

 

[Illaveago]

I was wondering if you should use some rust removing solution first to break up some of the oxide and then a penetrating fluid ?

 

[Windhover]

Thanks to everyone for their comments and helpful advice so far.

A good day in the workshop today. Lennie is now down to a bare frame. The stem quill came free after an overnight soaking in paraffin and a bit of leverage with a broom handle alternating with hits from a mallet. The bottom bracket and fork came away without any trauma. There is no rust in the fork tube nor the bottom bracket. All in all it looks unmolested. Next step will be a bath in oxalic acid to see if this removes the surface rust without removing the paint or the transfers.

 

[rogerzilla]

Barkeeper's Friend is oxalic acid. It does remove light rust spots but the metal will rust again - it can't restore chrome that has flaked off. For something that is going to be painted, naval jelly would be better.

Warning - BKF will efficiently strip the black coating from things like sprockets, so don't use it on a rusty Sturmey-Archer sprocket.

 

[Windhover]

Barkeeper's Friend is oxalic acid. It does remove light rust spots but the metal will rust again - it can't restore chrome that has flaked off. For something that is going to be painted, naval jelly would be better.

Warning - BKF will efficiently strip the black coating from things like sprockets, so don't use it on a rusty Sturmey-Archer sprocket.

Thanks for the warning. I was rather relying on oxalic acid to deal with the deep rust on the surface of the frame. It is definitely more than surface rust. Once treated I was going to keep it oiled. Now not sure oxalic acid is going to do the job. The You Tube videos did make it look like a miracle cure for rust treatment.

 

[EltonFrog]

I’ve only used oxalic acid on non painted items, like handle bars,gears pedals etc, I’ll be interested to see what the results are with the frame. I’m not sure but I think @Drago has used it on frame, maybe he’ll be along to tell us.

Very much looking forward to seeing this bike finished.

 

[Windhover]

Oxalic acid is a powerful rust remover. Here are before and after photos of the Brooks saddle frame after 24 hours in a bath of oxalic acid. Needs painting to stop it rusting again but what an easy way to get back to an almost original condition.
It does strip paint though!

 

[EltonFrog]

Oxalic acid is a powerful rust remover. Here are before and after photos of the Brooks saddle frame after 24 hours in a bath of oxalic acid. Needs painting to stop it rusting again but what an easy way to get back to an almost original condition.
It does strip paint though!

WOW! what proportions of water to powder?

 

[Windhover]

WOW! what proportions of water to powder?

I used 250g to 1 litre for these small parts leaving them in for 24 hours but 100g to 1litre for the painted frame dipping it for 12 hours at a time. So far so good as the frame is turning from brown to green but the rust is so deep it will never be a smooth green finish. More pics as it emerges from its dip in the childs swimming pool I am using.

 

[raleighnut]

I used 250g to 1 litre for these small parts leaving them in for 24 hours but 100g to 1litre for the painted frame dipping it for 12 hours at a time. So far so good as the frame is turning from brown to green but the rust is so deep it will never be a smooth green finish. More pics as it emerges from its dip in the childs swimming pool I am using.

Don't forget Oxalic Acid is poisonous.

 

[Drago]

I’ve only used oxalic acid on non painted items, like handle bars,gears pedals etc, I’ll be interested to see what the results are with the frame. I’m not sure but I think @Drago has used it on frame, maybe he’ll be along to tell us.

Very much looking forward to seeing this bike finished.

Well remembered Carlos. Yeah, I used it kn a frame, didn't harm the paint.

 

[Windhover]

Frame has finished its oxalic acid bath. Paint and transfers have survived (Thanks Drago for giving me the confidence to proceed). Results OK given the depth of rusting that I started with. It has certainly got a patina going from shiny green paint to black undercoat to bare metal to deeply pitted rust holes But it is original. Maybe some more coats of clear laquer to finish off.