# Oxalic Acid



## biker (Oct 22, 2015)

Will an oxalic acid dip damage decals on the frame of a prewar bike?


----------



## the tinker (Oct 22, 2015)

ronbug said:


> Will an oxalic acid dip damage decals on the frame of a prewar bike?




You betcha. It will soften them and they will scrape off when you remove the O.X. residue  It will damage your paint if your stuff is in there too long. And if there is rust that is hidden under the paint it will follow the rust and the paint above will lift. I have noticed that any area that is covered with grease isn't affected by it as it is water based.... just saying....I have been experimenting with it with old fenders , etc. Fool around with it yourself before you take the final plunge


----------



## Pantmaker (Oct 22, 2015)

OA is too tricky for me. It has the potential to damage anything it contacts so like the tinker said...fool around with it before you use it on anything you value.


----------



## SirMike1983 (Oct 26, 2015)

Yes, it can damage a number of things, but often it does not do any damage. I suppose this is the hazard of using chemical cleaning methods on any bicycle. Beyond what has already been mentioned about decals and rust under paint/plating, remember that certain makers also used primers and paints containing rust/oxide compounds. This was often true of red and brown paints and primers. If the paint or primer has enough of an oxide component, the acid may lift or distort the color of the paint/primer. However, some of the reds/browns don't contain enough oxide for the OA to harm them, while others are either removed or their color badly distorted. 

Test the OA on a part of the bike that will not be obvious before treating the whole thing.


----------



## the tinker (Oct 27, 2015)

By all means before one uses any type of acid on your bike test it on something first.
If you have a reaction like this it may be too strong of a mix.


----------



## Kickstand3 (Nov 14, 2015)

not a good idea .


----------



## syclesavage (Nov 15, 2015)

To those who use OX bath do you throw it out after your done? Brother in law gave me a 5 gallon extra bottle and cap he had he works for Polan Springs water company I store it for future use.


----------



## jimsbeercans (Nov 19, 2015)

I use it to clean my beer cans. But, Don't throw it down the drain if you have a septic tank. This kills some of the good bacteria that the septic uses.
Will cause issues down the road.


----------

