previously faced BB shell, what to do?

[sfhbike]

Hey all, my steel fixed formerly had a Sugino 75 bottom bracket, and the shell was faced, leaving the steel bare. Now I'm installing a Phil Wood cartridge BB, and that would leave the shell exposed. Do I just throw a couple of coats of touch up and some clear coat on there and trust that would do that job in preventing rust? Any other suggestions before I throw in the new BB?

[FMS_rider]

Every hardware store carries rust-inhibiting primers, which you definitely need to use under enamel. I have used Rustoleum (sp?) a number of times for that without having a subsequent problem with rust. If you buy it in a spray can, spray it into a small cup then paint it onto the frame with a small brush. There are enamels with rust inhibitors built in, but I have always applied a couple of coats of primer before the enamel with light sanding in between(600 or greater wet-or-dry).

Lew

edit: don't stop with primer alone even if it looks good or is hidden --it will rust without a top coat. Also, in my experience different steels vary greatly in their resistance to rust. For example, I have waited for long periods before touching up paint free dings in Reynolds 853 without any rusting if I dry the frame off after wet rides, whereas other steels can rust when just exposed to humid air.

[sfhbike]

hey fms rider, thanks for the tips. unfortunately, i've already thrown 2 coats of touch up on there and am waiting for it to dry for clearcoat. this was after framesavering the inside of my frame b/c it seemed to be showing signs of rust awfully quick on the inside (bought new in September). its a fairly light tubed EAI bareknuckle track frame. is it worth stripping the touch-up and buying primer at this point? hmm. not sure i think so.

[FMS_rider]

hey fms rider, thanks for the tips. unfortunately, i've already thrown 2 coats of touch up on there and am waiting for it to dry for clearcoat. this was after framesavering the inside of my frame b/c it seemed to be showing signs of rust awfully quick on the inside (bought new in September). its a fairly light tubed EAI bareknuckle track frame. is it worth stripping the touch-up and buying primer at this point? hmm. not sure i think so.If it were me I would just keep an eye on it at this point, and if it starts to rust then do the stripping and repaint. Your touch up paint might just have rust inhibitor in it.

edit: Reynolds 853 and presumably any other non-stainless will rust rapidly if water collects in your bottom bracket or any other tube without adequate drain holes.

[sfhbike]

the two coats and clear coat didn't hold up so hot. a little rubbing alcohol when i was cleaning my bb threads and the stuff started chipping right off the steel. so i'm going to go with some of the primer first and hope it keeps the touch up paint / clear coat on a little better.

[giordana93]

this may seem a bit silly, but grease is a rust inhibitor/metal protector too. don't sweat the paint on that surface, just make sure it's well slathered in grease. any surface rust that might occur there will be just that, on the surface and not structural, and the steel of the bb shell is many times thicker than the frame tubes anyway. not a place to obsess, i would say

[97CSI]

the two coats and clear coat didn't hold up so hot. a little rubbing alcohol when i was cleaning my bb threads and the stuff started chipping right off the steel. so i'm going to go with some of the primer first and hope it keeps the touch up paint / clear coat on a little better.No paint (primer or otherwise) will hold if you haven't followed the directions to get the surface clean of all residual oil/grease. Unless you do, most anything you use will easily chip/fall off.

[flux]

mail it to SteveP. he wont' fix it. he will keep it. and let you know that it doesn't matter if the frame has been faced or not.

[sfhbike]

It was completely clean when I applied the original coats. No grease or oil at all. I just think the automotive touch up and clear coat were more like nail polish than anything else (smelled like it too). The rustoleum primer and gloss enamel that I applied now after cleaning, primer, sanding and all that just seems much more permanent. Good stuff.

Who's Steve P.? I'm sure he'd love to have my bike, faced or not. Too bad. Its mine. :butt: ;)

[flux]

It was completely clean when I applied the original coats. No grease or oil at all. I just think the automotive touch up and clear coat were more like nail polish than anything else (smelled like it too). The rustoleum primer and gloss enamel that I applied now after cleaning, primer, sanding and all that just seems much more permanent. Good stuff.

Who's Steve P.? I'm sure he'd love to have my bike, faced or not. Too bad. Its mine. :butt: ;)

SteveP. would sell it back to you after you gave it to him though... Seems like a good deal no?

Good Luck with you frame.