1995 Kilauea - Rusty Rat

mikesnowdon":viu5txme said:

Gravy Monster":viu5txme said:

As mentioned the frame is butchered inside and has most of a stuck seatpost inside ,all the shards are rattling inside will never be a good un

I will take a picture down the seattube tomorrow with warts n all !

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How bad is it?

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It's scored from hole saw with rings down to the top tube, a slight wear point from hole saw that can be seen on the outside but canti collar hides it, stuck remains of seat post and rattley shards in below stuck seat post and above BB shell, it ain't pretty.

Poor sad kona mate Hope you can bring it back to life.

It's a good quality frame, it doesn't make sense to abuse it. If you leave the steel to rust, it won't last very long. If you want it to look ratty for some reason, why not at least prime it in some ratty colour?

I appreciate that it still has the remains of the old post inside, but it's quite good that you've cleared it as much as six inches down so you can just forget about what you can't see. Or alternatively there's no problem now about melting it with caustic soda, as there's no paint to worry about.

Incidentally, as it's Sunday everybody really should read the good book, i.e., study their Sheldon Brown. He points out that blow torching the seat tube just makes things worse because aluminium expands more than steel. Freezing is good, but heating is bad!

Anthony I do take your point and am interested in the freezing option and wished I had tried it ,I had thought of the caustic soda but with 2 small children wanting to do what daddy does ..... no chance.

How long is not long would you say ? I am quite amazed how quickly it tarnished today.

I have had several raw steel bikes and the best thing to protect them with is thin linseed oil: the straw-yellow stuff used for mixing oil paints rather than the thick orange stuff used for protecting wood. As it dries, it forms a hard waxy coating that doesn't rub off or stain your clothing, but it protects the frame very well (I used to re-coat my frame every six months and after two years it was totally rust-free). Thicker linseed oil also works, but it leaves a yellow tinge. You can also use it to protect the inside of the frame tubes.

Clearcoat or lacquer, even 2-pack acrylic, will flake off very easily; I wouldn't recommend it.

Gravy Monster":1ovevyi8 said:

mikesnowdon":1ovevyi8 said:

Gravy Monster":1ovevyi8 said:

As mentioned the frame is butchered inside and has most of a stuck seatpost inside ,all the shards are rattling inside will never be a good un

I will take a picture down the seattube tomorrow with warts n all !

Click to expand...

How bad is it?

Click to expand...

It's scored from hole saw with rings down to the top tube, a slight wear point from hole saw that can be seen on the outside but canti collar hides it, stuck remains of seat post and rattley shards in below stuck seat post and above BB shell, it ain't pretty.

Click to expand...

Mike just for you matey

That is pretty bad isnt it. I would be worried about crack's forming from the forces of the seatpost during riding.

mikesnowdon":2fobytqr said:

That is pretty bad isnt it. I would be worried about crack's forming from the forces of the seatpost during riding.

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Told you

Its not worth painting or spending any hard earned £££ on, the parts I have fitted can be put on another bike another time I ve ridden worse and will certainly keep an eye out for cracks, should be easy without paint.

Now then back to my rat look bike....................

get yer rat out! this is looking cool

Coming on nicely

Have polished the mechs, fitted the V brakes with rear cani guide modified I have a slight flaw in my plan with the m950 brake levers but that it's no other XTR ! I have fitted a set of NOS grubby looking smoke and dart tyres, I'm not siren on he amberwalls may try some black walls or may supine rust walls

I will hopefully get the cassette and grips sorted in the next week or two and then it will be ready to go racing.