An old alchemist's recipe for removing rust from chrome that I have used & works pretty well; a can of coke, dip tin (aluminum) foil into the coke & apply elbow grease to the rusty area.
Thank you,
David Kulcinski Orange, CA USA
To: donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca>; classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Tue, May 25, 2010 12:15:32 AM Subject: Re: [CR] Protecting Old Decals; including paint and chrome
Hi Donald,
It is amazing to see that bikes from certain countries had better quality of paint adherence than other countries. By knowing this and understanding that there are many here that have a vast knowledge of painting skills and paint products; decals application, their quality of backing glue, installation of these decals and including the discussion of chrome plating and its failure by either peeling or rusting. Poor chrome plating, paint lifting, chrome peeling and decals lifting is due to how the bicycle has been stored over the years, in addition to poor preparation of decal installation. Is the paint failure due to paint preparation, paint quality, or more prone to failure with certain pigments? I believe that paints that were used on older bicycles were of lower quality than what is available today. Chrome peeling is due to either salty air climates, chemicals coming into contact with the chrome, or just poor preparation, plating manufacturing defects
or cutting corners during these processes. Chrome breaths just like other metals. In restoration triple chrome plating (triple is a word that is deceiving), meaning more than one layer of nickel plating under the chrome is more expensive, but more durable; however some would argue that it looks fake to what the bike originally had when new. Modern finishes and plating techniques have a higher quality, than that of yesteryear, but it still always gets back to the preparation job underneath and the way that the bicycle has been stored. Remember, even the top quality chrome or paint still maintains its durability by applying a periodical application of hard shell wax, such as the Carnauba type. Many people would argue this, but it cant hurt. And last, never use steel wool to clean chrome or the paint on an old bike. I see so many people talking of doing this and wonder why the paint or chrome is severely scratched. In the United States a product called
Mothers aluminum polish and Carnauba wax is wonderful (I do not have an interest in the company's success or loss).
For a useful link of chrome definitions and further knowledge: http://www.finishing.com/
Regards, John Proch La Grange, Texas
________________________________ From: donald gillies <gillies@ece.ubc.ca> To: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Sent: Mon, May 24, 2010 10:47:47 AM Subject: Re: [CR] Protecting Old Decals
Joe Bell here in San Diego has a 1970's colnago that he bought new. Knowing about the resiliency of Colnago paint (.... NOT), he clearcoated the frame as soon as he got it. The bike is as beautiful as the day it was sold.
- Don Gillies
San Diego, CA