How to Restore a bicycle- Part 1-Dissassembly and rust removal

How to Restore a Bicycle-

Getting off that rust is a must!

It's been one week since my last blog post, but it already feels like forever. I want to apologize to my disgruntled fans for having kept them waiting on my every word for the very next thing I  have to say. In my defense, I've been busy. With what, you might ask? With my next project, restoring a blue 5 speed Schwinn Cruiser. It lived it's life on the ocean and became a beach bum. Now it bares the consequences of it's laid back lifestyle with a collection of rust on it's frame and parts. In fact, this bike is so rusty that I think I'll just refer to it as "Rusty".

Bicycle newbies, mechanics and restorers need to pay close attention to this article if you are trying to revive a Rusty of your own. This article is going to cover the steps I take to get rust off a bicycle and also the tools and chemicals I use for the job.

Things you'll need for this job:

- A socket wrench set with metric and standard sizes

- A bicycle repair stand

- A large universal wrench, the kind you would club somebody trying to rob you with

- Needle nose pliers

- A cable cutter, preferably the one Park Tool makes

- A pedal wrench. Mine is a chain whip and pedal wrench combo, found at your local bike shop.

- A few buckets

- Savogran Wood Bleach or any wood brightener that contains oxalic acid

- Rubber gloves, goggles and a respirator mask if the fumes are too intense.

- Baking soda

- A ventilated area or a space in your backyard where the neighbors won't mind

- Allen wrench set

- WD40, steel wool, and wire brushes

- A Phillips and Flathead screwdriver 

- A clock in the room and a coffee maker, just 'cause.

Okay so each restoration project is different in that the parts of the bicycle are all mounted differently. So instead of going into detail general bicycle diss-assembly, I'm going to talk about the diss-assembly for this bicycle. Here's what the bicycle looked like, after I took off the bolt on wheels.

Ol' Rusty getting stripped down for the rust bath.

This fork has seen better days.

This chainring, believe or not, will shine after the oxalic acid bath.

  
Taking the bike apart is the easiest part depending on how you look at it. Where there's a bolt, use a socket wrench, a screw, a screw driver. But it is also very labor intensive. Turning parts that have don't want to be turned because of rust can be a real challenge. My secret weapons for stubborn parts are my bicycle repair stand and WD40. Whenever possible, use the bicycle repair stand to your advantage. Even if its to remove a pedal from a crank arm, you can set the crank arm in the vice and bear down on the bolt of the pedal to screw it freely off. This will save you from having to bend over constantly and in the long run will save your back. 

I will, against all bike snobbery wisdom, use WD40. I don't rely on it exclusively, but to get parts to move on old bicycles, its a must to have around. This single piece crank set shown on the picture took about half an hour to remove. The reverse threaded side was stuck onto the frame by rust. With some WD40 I was able to work at it little by little until the crown started turning. (FYI: the non-drive side on these crank arms is always the reverse threaded side. Always remove the bolts and crown on this side of the bike, then slide the crank arm out the opposite end through the bottom bracket.)

The best way to learn how to put the bike back together is by making a mental note of  what you remove. "Does that washer come before, or after the ball bearings?" for example. Save every little part taken off because you never know how important that part may be or how difficult it might be to replace.

After I remove all the main parts such as the wheels, crank arms, fork and seatpost, now I'm ready to tackle the small stuff. I take a pair of cable cutters and cut the exposed cable on both ends of the brakes and the shifter and derailleur. I leave the housing intact because I will need to know how much housing to buy in the future. 

Finally with all parts taken off, the frame is ready to be sent for sandblasting and powder coating. This is an acceptable strip down of the frame at this point of the restoration.

Once the frame has been stripped down, a painter should have no problem removing the remaining rust  and repainting the surface.

I'm not going to lie and say that I know how to do powder coating, because that would be over promising any potential clients of mine. I do know where to get it done at a reasonable cost, and paint jobs like these aren't exorbitantly priced luxuries. The paint job is, however, a major expense in the restoration process. Be ready to shell out at least a Benjamin to get a frame like this painted to match. I will post pictures of the results of the powder coating on my next article.

Now that all the parts have been removed, it's time to put that rusty pile in a chemical bath. The chemical you will need is called oxalic acid. It is a compound mostly used to bleach wood decking. You can buy it at some hardware stores in its concentrated, or crystallized form. They also carry a diluted liquid version which takes longer to remove the rust. At first I went to my nearest Lowe's and bought a gallon of Cabot Wood Brightener which contained oxalic acid. I set the rusty parts in a bucket and filled it with water. Then I started adding a few ounces of the wood brightener. After leaving it overnight, the parts looked almost the same, so I added more copious amounts of the stuff into the bucket. At the and of the day I saw the water turning yellow which is a sign that the oxalic acid is doing it's job. I will leave it again overnight and see the results tomorrow. 

If you are using Savogran Wood Bleach oxalic acid, two tablespoons should be enough to tackle a batch like the one below. This acid needs to dissolve in hot water when it is first used.

My first 48 hour Oxalic Acid bath using liquid wood bleach.

Reader be advised, when using oxalic acid, please take the necessary safety precautions. This acid is a poison. It should not be left in a garage or an area with no ventilation. When cleaning parts off with this acid use rubber gloves. To dispose of the acid you will first have to neutralize it using baking soda. Pour small amounts of baking soda at a time until the water sizzles out, then you know the bath has been neutralized. After the acid has been neutralized, it can be poured down the drain. Also, when working in close proximity to the acid, use a respirator mask. Exposure to this acid has been linked to kidney failure and joint problems. Again, take the proper precautions. 

In my next article I will feature the after photos of the acid bath, the finished powder coat and decals on the frame, and a few more other steps in the restoration process. Stay tuned for part 2 and possibly a part 3 on how to restore your bicycle.