remove dry cement

[Fv2]

Trying to help out a local guy.
As I understand it this local guy has a decent collection, at some point there was some cement work done at his house. Somehow cement got poured on one of his bikes, my friend Carrie told me he's trying to figure out a way to remove the cement from his bike without damage to paint or decals.

Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Fv2]

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[Duchess]

I was told white vinegar after I got stuck behind some tool who was dripping concrete out of the bed of his truck. Ended up trading the car in filthy so the dealer would dismiss it as a run-over milkshake. With 167k on it, they didn't even bother looking that far. You can guess how well the vinegar worked.

Maybe cover the whole thing in a thin layer of concrete as an "art" bike?

 

[Fv2]

Personally I would leave it as is and let it be part of the history of the bike, but I'm told the owner likes his bikes as original as possible.

Its a concord Bentley, I don't know if it has any particular value, just trying to help the guy out. I can't imagine vinegar removing cement.
I initially said maybe use a jewellers hammer to tap it off, it might leave scratches but it better than sandblasting.

 

[Duchess]

Maybe more of a blunt chisel than a hammer? Does it come off the seat if you flex it? Of course, that wouldn't work with the steel. If there was some way you could introduce some high frequency, high power vibrations to the frame that you could vary in frequency to find the perfect resonance, it's possible it could flake off. Probably not. Unfortunately, you've got the ingredients of a bunker there.

The vinegar (eventually) took off most of the chunks (they crumbled off), but the white concrete liquid was unfazed. Yours being mostly solid piece, it may be worth trying brushing it on a few times and leaving it to soak in. At a minimum, I think it may soften the outer surface.

Good luck!

 

[KJV]

Pressure washer: with the heater on.

 

[Fv2]

I'll let him know about the vinegar.
I'm not sure if a pressure washer would damage decals, might be worth a try too.

 

[The Renaissance Man]

If it spilled all over the bike, it had to have spilled on other things around it. Experiment on something that doesn't matter first. Also, if the bike was waxed, that should help.

 

[Fv2]

If it spilled all over the bike, it had to have spilled on other things around it. Experiment on something that doesn't matter first. Also, if the bike was waxed, that should help.

That's a very valid point.
I've never met the guy, so I don't know where all the cement got to but it makes sense.
I'll tell Carrie all of these ideas, and she can run them past the owner.

 

[peejus]

I'll let him know about the vinegar.
I'm not sure if a pressure washer would damage decals, might be worth a try too.

I ran the pressure washer over a puegot frame i got this weekend. The decals were not damaged.

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[Indyjps]

Piece of 1×4 soft wood. Gently start tapping on the concrete with the narrow edge. It should start chipping off. The wood should be soft enough not to dent or damage paint.

I actually use soft wood cut at a steep angle in a trim saw or plastic drywall knives as scrapers when removing tar when detailing cars. Neither of these should damage the paint, work slowly.

FYI, the white goop handle cleaner works well to dissolve tar without being harsh if you get that on your bike or car. It's not fast, but it won't melt your paint either, dab it on, wait, rub it off with soft towel.