Need some opinions...

[marching_out]

So I picked this up last weekend and I'm not sure what to do with it. There are some good areas of paint along with really heavy areas of rust and don't know if a OA bath would do any good. I've never used an OA bath on anything. The rims are also in question. One option is to tear down and give it a bath the other is to just wash it and leave it alone. If I wash it and leave it, do I put on some protective layer or just leave it??? Opinions welcomed!

 

[2jakes]

So I picked this up last weekend and I'm not sure what to do with it. There are some good areas of paint along with really heavy areas of rust and don't know if a OA bath would do any good. I've never used an OA bath on anything. The rims are also in question. One option is to tear down and give it a bath the other is to just wash it and leave it alone. If I wash it and leave it, do I put on some protective layer or just leave it??? Opinions welcomed!

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I would leave it alone for now and just clean it up with a rag and lubrication on the rusty parts until
you learn how to apply the OA bath with good results.

If I was in the market for this bike, I would prefer a bike in this condition instead
of one that has been restored or repainted.
Don't misunderstand, I have purchased restored bicycles.
But please know that restoring a bike if done poorly may lower the value.
Good luck!

 

[bairdco]

Wash it, spray it down with an entire can of WD40, let it soak while you get new pedals, tires and tubes, wipe it off, and ride it.

 

[Pantmaker]

I agree with the general direction of the above comments. I have grown very fond of going over bikes of this flavor with Johnson's Paste Wax. I typically avoid hitting graphics and I always avoid hitting the badge. Johnson's will breath life back into the pigments in the paint and will visually integrate all of the beautiful patina and corrosion into the overall look of the bike. OA baths are tricky and risky and I avoid them now.

 

[bricycle]

if it were mine, would just wash, stainless brillo chrome gently WD-40 all steel stuff. OA does not work well on RED!

 

[marching_out]

Thanks for all the feedback guys. I have no intentions of repainting or doing the OA bath unless I tried it on some scrap parts first. I think I'm more interested in leaving the patina and I've got a can of Johnson's. Sound like a good way to go.

 

[Boris]

I agree with what Pantmaker, Brian and Bairdco said, although I prefer 0000 steel wool and WD 40, THEN a paste wax or other automotive wax. If you want to see how OA works, a good starting point would be to try it on some chrome parts first. You ain't gonna hurt nuthin. Plenty of advice on this site for that. Also, I've found that LA's Totally Awesome Orange is a great degreaser. Non-toxic and only $1 at the $1 Store. Look for the large refill size rather than spray bottle, it should be there somewhere.

 

[marching_out]

I like that method of the WD-40, 0000 wool, and then wax. I've used citric acid frequently on chrome only parts and assume OA works similar. I've just never tried it on painted surfaces. Thanks for the cleaner advice. I learned my lesson using Simple Green. Works great but you can't leave certain parts it in too long. If I would have checked the CABE before using it I would have known that!

 

[Boris]

I generally use citric acid on my chrome parts too (less fumes than OA), but if I remember correctly, it did remove original paint, so I never tried it again on any painted parts. Once I get the house paint off of this bike, I do plan to give it an OA bath. I've never done a complete frame before, but have seen some great results on this site. Pretty sure that it can't make my bike look any worse.