Protecting your frame from salt/rust product test

http://www.motorstophelder.nl/anti-corrosie/index.htm

In Dutch, but the pics say it all.

If you need to protect inside Waxoyl is an old tried/tested, but Vaseline now sounds awfully good to me to protect the underside of my all-weather touring steel beastie.

Wow, vaseline does really well. I suppose if you heat it up so it's a liquid you can pour it inside your frame quite easily (heat up the frame too, so it doesn't immediately solidify and block up your tubes!)

I've always used linseed oil myself - it's a polymerising oil - it dries to a hard, gummy finish and I've used it to protect the outside of bare-metal frames as well as the inside, and it doesn't rub off like other rust protectors do. Old aircraft manufacturers also used it to protect the inside of their tubular frames. I haven't done any scientific tests but my bare-metal frame went through winter with a couple of coats of linseed oil and didn't have a single spot of rust on it when I cleaned it in the spring.

This is great. My polo frame just has 3 coats of clearcoat and is getting more rusty now I'm by the sea.
Off to get some Tectyl Superwax then.

I live in Belfast, the sea air definitely corrodes metal much faster. Hence it's a good idea to keep everything well lubed and ensure you touch up the metal or use another way to protect it.

I wouldn't put vaseline in the frame as there's dedicated products for that, though I guess it might work :)

Hang on, where is this stuff available from? Does it go under a different brand name here?

Dunno, googling reveals nothing.

Really, linseed oil is excellent.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/tools/cycling-tools/chain-lubricant/product/review-jp-weigle-frame-saver-10220

Wish I'd known about linseed oil, I used engine oil but when I stick my finger down the seat tube it seems to still be clinging to the sides so I guess it's doing the job.

Top tip - use a syringe like you get with Calpol (ask any parent for one) to inject oil into blow holes and bottle bosses.

old engine oil thinned with paraffin to help it run. Lithuanian* under seal, works for me.
*saw it done in Lit. pressure plant sprayer, cheaper than waxoyl ;-)

@LAE do you thin the linseed or use it neato? appealing to my green credentials

If you keep your bike in your house be aware that excess will drip out of the BB, headset and seatstay, chainstay, and fork blow holes for ages.

old engine oil thinned with paraffin to help it run. Lithuanian* under seal, works for me.
*saw it done in Lit. pressure plant sprayer, cheaper than waxoyl ;-)

@LAE do you thin the linseed or use it neato? appealing to my green credentials

I use it neat. What's that got to do with green credentials, worried about using thinners? If you buy raw linseed oil (aka flaxseed oil) from a health shop it's 100% natural food-grade product - it doesn't need thinning and there's no worries about just pouring excess away in the garden (or just eating it, so long as the inside of your frame is clean...) Some people mix it with turpentine and beeswax to make 'linwax' which is apparently good for preserving/waterproofing metal, wood, leather and cotton.

I've owned a lot of classic cars and the least-rusty I've owned was previously owned by an old guy who slathered the chassis in used engine oil every time he changed his oil. The good thing about thinned oil is that it creeps into all the crevices; some rust preservers don't do this.

I've owned a lot of classic cars and the least-rusty I've owned was previously owned by an old guy who slathered the chassis in used engine oil every time he changed his oil. The good thing about thinned oil is that it creeps into all the crevices; some rust preservers don't do this.

My Grandad apparently used to use a mixture of old engine oil and gloss paint. I've no idea whether it worked though.

I'm intrigued by the linseed oil idea. Up till now I thought it was only good for rubbing into the school cormorant. Can you put it on over paint?

Linseed has to be greener that old engine oil innit ;-)

same procedure then for the inside of the tubes? pour into the main tubes and inject via any handy holes in the stays and forks.....

WD-40 works a treat every time, no arguments.

Except for in the test shown in this thread.

WD40 is crap, take it from someone who has owned many, many old rusty cars/motorbikes/bicycles. It washes off far too easily.

I still maintain that linseed oil is the best. Its drying ability is unique; means it can work as both an interior and reasonably durable exterior finish. And it smells nice. And you can eat it. It's perfect.

Sounds like you need to get some metal scrapers.

Try SJS cycles, I think they have it. These guys have EVERYTHING include small niggly things you may have lost on the way.
Even a bag of workshop floor stuff, eg a mixed bag with screws, bolts etc.