This is the best saddle I've ever had and Giant doesn't make it anymore. I want to remove the surface rust and repaint the rails. Any tips?
by Penrod_Pooch
This is the best saddle I've ever had and Giant doesn't make it anymore. I want to remove the surface rust and repaint the rails. Any tips?
by Penrod_Pooch
2 Comments
You don’t say which model, but I’ll assume it’s one with hollow rails. If I’m wrong and it has solid rails then go at it with a jackhammer, otherwise…
Brass brush it to knock off any loose material. Lightly sand anywhere that the rust has swollen so much that you have poor clamp engagement (doesn’t appear to be a problem here.)
Use a rust converter like Naval Jelly to convert the rust to a more stable form.
Topcoat with an appropriate exterior enamel.
Allow the top coat to cure *thoroughly* before reclamping to maximize paint durability, or accept the fact that it will never be perfect again and clamp it tomorrow.
I suggest a rust converter in this case because you’ll never get all the rust off, and while “hollow rail” saddle rails aren’t super thin-walled, there’s no reason to remove more material than needed for this very non-cosmetically important part.
EDIT: Autocorrect fucked me.
Sandpaper and spray gloss rustoleum enamel (don’t spray yourself!). Let the paint sit for a few days to fully cure. If you can’t get some of the bare metal because of an angle, spray some onto a paper towel and apply quickly with that. Of course, masking tape and newspaper if you’re worried about over spray.
Alternatively you could convert the rust with a phosphoric acid product like naval jelly or krud kutter.
Me, I’d sand and paint, phosphoric acid might need a few coats if the rust comes back.