bare steel question.....

ozzmonaut · Aug 15, 2011

I actually sold a bike to a guy that does metal sculpture, mostly concept art. He bought it to ride, and it was a super-nice murray sonic flyte. I gave him a good price so I might call him up and see what he uses to age or patina some of his stuff. Or also what he uses to protect bare metals.

Kreep · Aug 15, 2011

There is a product in the "B'laster"( same company as PB B'laster) line that I have come to favor quite a bit. Its CSP corrosion stop.Its basically a spray grease but it doesn't stay wet and messy.I have used it on sand blasted frames and parts and left them for long periods of time(to many projects :wink: ) with no rust showing up.I have also sprayed it on a rag and done a wipe down of one of my bare metal riders and have been thoroughly impressed.Its easy to find in your local hardware and cheap compared to other product out there.Just sharing with you so you have choices.
-Kreep-

ozzmonaut · Aug 18, 2011

Thanks kreep, I'll look for that first. Sounds like a winner with the "not staying messy"

Chips_Mahoy · Aug 18, 2011

I don't have a LBS but was at a shop last week that had a brand new Schwinn cruiser 26" men's with a bare frame, full fenders, red wheels & a dash/cup holder between the top tubes. It had a tag on it that said "special order". It had been clear coated over the steel.

ozzmonaut · Aug 19, 2011

Probably a ppg clearcoat, but definitely something better than most spray clears. I believe some bikes like that use a sort of laminate, but I'm sure it would crack and age as well over time. I had a blue eighties cruiser that was pretty trashed, and I noticed the clear cracking so I decided to chip it off some. It actually peeled off in large chunks and the paint was somewhat sticky underneath. It was almost like a clear decal covering the entire frame.

jwm · Aug 19, 2011

Another product to consider if you're polishing up anything metal is Simichrome Polish. You can get it on ebay. The stuff is like magic- instantly puts a mirror finish on anything it touches. It's also great for polishing out scratches in plastic or plexiglass.
Out of curiosity- has anyone considered or tried a clear powder coat? Or would that be subject to the same problems as a spray on clear?

JWM