Hi everybody, wanted to get recommendations for cleaning off this (what seems like) surface rust off my 80s Raleigh.
I have autosol, but I read that it isn’t the perfect solution for paint. I also read that a claybar may work but I would like to ask for suggestions before going out to get it.
by Niko4312
7 Comments
any auto polish for paint should work by hand don’t get too aggressive
Oxalic acid is your ticket here. Either make a bath and soak it or look for rust converter gels. Just make sure to read the manual. The gel I use for example will remove rust in about 15 minutes but leave it on longer and it will be converted into a black protective layer.
Don’t use it with aluminium though.
soak a rag in Coca-Cola and wrap it around rust spot
Aluminum foil, twisted up to a fine point, takes some time it’s flimsy, but works.
Tooth picks sometimes work too.
Really small buffing wheels, Dremel makes them, and they can be used on a normal drill or small die grinder.
All else fails, take off what you can, and use nail polish or paint, and psint the lug edge the original color, or other color of your choice, followed by a light application of clear coat.
The paint film was not sufficient in this area when it was applied at the factory. All these year later the underlying steel has become rusty. The only real solution is to strip it and repaint. Anything less is temporary.
To really get into the nooks and cranny’s try working some good old fashioned T-Cut in with a toothbrush. It’ll get rid of what’s gonna come off, but you’re still gonna have some parts where the rust bleed will come back as soon as the frame gets wet. If you don’t wanna repaint then the only solutions are either to keep doing the T-Cut thing until the paint thins out and you cleave to repaint it, or a frequent wipe down with an old oily rag to help disperse any water that gets in there.
Evaporust gel