Clear coat or B-L-O?... what is the better choice for bare steel?

[John DelGato]

... In regard to maintaining a "stainless steel" or "like-chrome" quality?
My frame has some rust that i'm concerned might go wild under clear coat.

 

[clamdigger]

About 10 years ago the Rat Roders of the hot rod culture were using Gibbs on bare metal. https://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/ . Like BLO , it has to be re-applied , but is clear. My BLO has a brown tint. One advantage of Gibbs is that it can painted directly over , or so they claimed on the H.A.M.B. forum.

 

[Jude Ephesus]

Never used BLO on bare steel. I have used it on a number of bikes with great success.

Personally, I'd do the clear.

The BLO if not diluted right or put on too thick can turn into a sticky mess.

I'm not sure how much luster or beauty it will add to the bare steel.

If done right, the BLO will make old oxidized paint GLOW.... not sure on bare steel.

It add some short term protection against rust, but not long term.

 

[John DelGato]

About 10 years ago the Rat Roders of the hot rod culture were using Gibbs on bare metal. https://www.gibbsbrandlubricant.com/ . Like BLO , it has to be re-applied , but is clear. My BLO has a brown tint. One advantage of Gibbs is that it can painted directly over , or so they claimed on the H.A.M.B. forum.

Wow! I may try this in the future.
I ended up painting this frame. I was going to use blo in the headtube, BB, and seat tube -- now I'm considering Gibb's.
Thanks for the info!

 

[MattiThundrrr]

BLO as an internal frame protectant? Never heard of that, I'd think it was too gummy for use in the bb and head tube, and would glue the seatpost in place. You should look into something like Frame Saver
https://velo-orange.com/pages/how-to-use-frame-saverA fogging oil from the hardware store would be an option too, probably cheaper than bike specific stuff

 

[KJV]

BLO & Mineral Spirits 50/50 mix

 

[us56456712]

I’ve used both Gibbs and Penetrol. Both seem about equal and need reapplying every few years depending on moisture In your storage. Gibbs just might be nothing more than pressurized auto transmission fluid and is very pricy if that’s all it really is. It sure looks like tranny fluid. Neither, used full strength, without chemical thinners harmed my decals. I put these on thin.

 

[Indyjps]

Use lacquer clear, easy to touch up and repair if you get rust issues from chips. Wipe with laquer thinner and reshoot. It blends right in.

 

[Bike from the Dead]

I used Rustoleum satin clear for my 2020 RRBBO entry Dumpster Diamond. Keeps the metal looking natural while keeping (most) rust at bay. This was really my first time using this stuff, so I could probably do it better if I try again.