Cleaning a bike frame

did u try goo-gone?

"Eric Lambi" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

Thanks,

Eric Lambi

[email hidden] (Eric Lambi) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

If it's road tar, then try heating it with a portable hair dryer. When it
starts to soften up, scrape it off with a plastic knife or piece of wood,
and clean off any residue with Goo-Gone fluid or cooking oil. I've used a
hair dryer to soften and remove decals, and it won't hurt your paint.

If that doesn't work, then you could try using acetone, which is very good
at removing tar. But test it on a small, hidden area of the frame first, to
make sure it's safe with your paint job. Use it outdoors, away from any
open flames or heat sources, and don't breath the stuff.

If it was my bike I'd head straight for the acetone treatment because it's
fast and easy, but I'm kinda reckless about these things. 🙂 This is your
bike, so be careful.

--
Mike Barrs

(clip)Any ideas on cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint?(clip)
^^^^^^^^^^^^^
If it really is road tar, kerosene should take it off, with no damage to the
paint. With the hair dryer idea in mind, it occurs to me to heat the
kerosene, for a combined effect. Don't heat the kerosene on an open flame,
however. You could, perhaps, heat some water in a pot, and then place an
open can of kerosene into the hot water for several minutes.

Eric,

I would go to an auto supply store and tell them your problem. They will
have body cleaners that remove tar etc. without damaging the paint. Cost
will be in the $3.00 area. As someone else mentioned Acetone might work,
but it will remove some paints.

HTH,
Ernie

Eric Lambi said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

Thanks,

Eric Lambi

If the tar has hardended that much, get some Go-Jo hand cleaner,
non-abrasive - the kind that smells like kerosene. Slap that stuff on
there & let it sit. As it liquifies, smear it off and re-apply. Repeat
until it's all gone.

Eric Lambi said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

Thanks,

Eric Lambi

foldedpath <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

[email hidden] (Eric Lambi) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

If it's road tar, then try heating it with a portable hair dryer. When it
starts to soften up, scrape it off with a plastic knife or piece of wood,
and clean off any residue with Goo-Gone fluid or cooking oil. I've used a
hair dryer to soften and remove decals, and it won't hurt your paint.

If that doesn't work, then you could try using acetone, which is very good
at removing tar. But test it on a small, hidden area of the frame first, to
make sure it's safe with your paint job. Use it outdoors, away from any
open flames or heat sources, and don't breath the stuff.

If it was my bike I'd head straight for the acetone treatment because it's
fast and easy, but I'm kinda reckless about these things. 🙂 This is your
bike, so be careful.

Hi Mike, yes I agree, very reckless. Have you ever tried pure Acetone
on a Paint finish? You've given very wrong advice here to the original
poster, because Acetone will surely remove anything that's stuck to
his paint, and the Paint too. I recommend you try it on your bike,
and see what happens?!

To the original poster, try something like Naptha (Lighter fluid)and
even gasoline in a pinch should work too, and shouldn't damage the
paint. It waon't damage Auto Clear Coat paints, and Clear Coats are
usually more delicate than Urethanes that are on bikes.

Sometimes a good cleaner wax will dissolve many nasties all on it's
own. Try the least agressive methods first, so that now harm comes to
the finish. Mark

[email hidden] (Mark) wrote in
news:[email hidden]:

Quoted message said:

foldedpath <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

If it's road tar, then try heating it with a portable hair dryer.
When it starts to soften up, scrape it off with a plastic knife or
piece of wood, and clean off any residue with Goo-Gone fluid or
cooking oil. I've used a hair dryer to soften and remove decals, and
it won't hurt your paint.

If that doesn't work, then you could try using acetone, which is very
good at removing tar. But test it on a small, hidden area of the
frame first, to make sure it's safe with your paint job. Use it
outdoors, away from any open flames or heat sources, and don't breath
the stuff.

If it was my bike I'd head straight for the acetone treatment because
it's fast and easy, but I'm kinda reckless about these things. 🙂
This is your bike, so be careful.

Hi Mike, yes I agree, very reckless. Have you ever tried pure Acetone
on a Paint finish? You've given very wrong advice here to the original
poster, because Acetone will surely remove anything that's stuck to
his paint, and the Paint too. I recommend you try it on your bike,
and see what happens?!

Yes, I have. It works to clean stubborn crud on the paint jobs on all
three of our bikes, if you stay away from the decals. It works on my
boat's gel coat, and it works on my truck's paint finish.

And because it doesn't work *universally*... on every single paint
finish... you'd be a fool not to try it first, on an area that doesn't
matter. Or didn't I mention that?

Wait, I think I did.

Quoted message said:

To the original poster, try something like Naptha (Lighter fluid)and
even gasoline in a pinch should work too, and shouldn't damage the
paint.

Gasoline and naptha are not vastly different from acetone in terms of
solvent danger, when it comes to some finishes. These are all extreme
methods, and I mentioned a less extreme method first (hair dryer, plus
an oil solvent) to try first. One should always escalate slowly, when it
comes to solvents.

--
Mike Barrs

E. Willson said:

Eric,

I would go to an auto supply store and tell them your problem. They will
have body cleaners that remove tar etc. without damaging the paint.

That would be 3M General Purpose Adhesive Cleaner, Part No.
051135-08984.

As it says on the can,

"For removing:
·Adhesive
·Silicone
·Wax
·Grease
·Tar
·Oil"

It also does a pretty good job of bug removal.

--

A: DRS
Q: What's the most annoying thing on usenet?

jeverett3<AT>earthlink<DOT>net http://home.earthlink.net/~jeverett3

Road & Tar cleaner which is pretty similar to kerosene as
far as I know.

David

Eric Lambi said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

Thanks,

Eric Lambi

DUH! I think the name of the product is actually Bug & Tar
Remover by Turtle Wax. 🙂

David

David said:

Road & Tar cleaner which is pretty similar to kerosene as far as I know.

David

Eric Lambi said:

Hi folks,

Somewhere along the line I picked something up on the bottom of my
downtube that seems most likely to be road tar. It is just long curvy
lines of black stuff along the majority of the tube. It has been
there quite a while and it doesn't bother me, but I am selling this
bike and want to clean it up as good as possible. Any ideas on
cleaners to use that won't hurt the paint? Normal stuff (Frame
cleaner, WD-40, etc.) does not work.

Thanks,

Eric Lambi