I recently used oxalic acid powder (sold as Wood Bleach) to remove rust from small paint chips and dings on a steel bike. I made a diluted solution and dipped the whole frame overnight. The rust was gone and there was no other damage to the paint, clear coat or decals. Thanks for the warning...
I haven't tried it yet but a buddy of mine uses one of these and Super Clean to clean two stroke engine parts. He swears by it.
http://www.harborfreight.com/25-liter-ultrasonic-cleaner-95563.html
Boogie,
Check out The Olde Bike Shop in Arlington, they have a ton of old bikes and might be able to help you out with ideas. There is also Bull Run Bicycles in Manassas, they don't usually stock apes but I have ordered them from this shop in the past. I live in NoVa and have a few different...
I like to drop a quarter into my grips before I slide them on. This helps protect from the bars from punching through. I also use windex to install and remove grips. It's cheap, gets the job done and dries really fast.
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Luke is correct. After blasting and before powder it was very rough and textured. After powder it's all nice and smooth and has a very nice shine.
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You'll be fine the way it is. The powder coasters I've dealt with in the past prefer sandblasted metal to start with. All that "texture" is actually expanding the surface are of your bike by some stupid number like 400%! This helps the powder coat adhere. If you sand it smooth it will look good...
I had a Colombia frame that creaked every time it was ridden. Then one day I heard a "PING" and the creaking stopped. I noticed a broken weld where the drive side canti tube met the down tube. I'm not saying this is your issue but it sounds similar to mine.
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