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Home > USA Fluid Penetrating Oil Rust Remover Preservative and Waterproofer > USAGES > Barn Find Antique Schwinn Bicycle Cleanup..

2009 Reclamation Job
A BARN FIND ANTIQUE SCHWINN
FARM BOY'S BICYCLE

HERE'S a 'Still In The Family' Schwinn Bicycle originally used by a boy on a Farm in Nebraska back around 1950. It has been stored in a shed and barn for the past 45 years. His daughter then has had dads bike in storage for the past 25 years in her barn. She wanted to restore it and give it back to dad for a surprise gift. AND He thought it was all rotted away and junked long ago.

Shown here is a complete totally detailed sequence from START TO FINISH  of the USA Fluid Brand SIMPLE and EASY restoration procedure of surface conditioning and restoration, along with rust and corrosion removal. These bicycles, just like ALL and ANY old painted machinery from over 30 years ago, was painted with LEAD BASED Paint. As the paint ages and corrodes from dampness moisture in the air as the seasons come and go over time, a dust of ultra fine powered LEAD from the oxidation forms and is all over the surface of the paint. It looks like talcum powder, but it's actually LEAD powder. Rubbing your skin on this painted surface as you see it in the BEFORE pictures, will result in LEAD exposure and poisoning as the powder gets into the pores of your skin. USA Fluid Brand shuts down the lead corrosion enabling the surface to be worked and restored without getting exposure to the lead in the paint. Unlimited USA Fluid Brand also puts a long term protective coating on the paint which prevents further formation of LEAD oxide - making it SAFE to use and keep it in long term storage without this happening all over again to the paint.

BEFORE

AFTER

Here's an overall BEFORE and AFTER view of the entire bike. Below is the different areas of the bike, and then pictures of the sequence from start through working the different areas of the bike. This was all done a little at a time over the course of a day and a half.

Here is the chain paint, and chrome before, as it was sitting.
Here is the same chain, paint, and chrome after being cleaned up with The Unlimited USA Fluid

Here's the side of the bike BEFORE on the left, and AFTER above. Look how horrible the bike looks in the before picture. Note how nice the Rubber Hand Grips with the Schwinn name on them are. This bike is all in original condition.

Here's the side view of the front. Note how nice the painted rims have also come up. Rust spots on the basket brace are treated and will not spread any further. We did NO brushing on that basket unit at all, it was just rag wiped.

This is the Rear of the Bike in Before and After. Note how nice the rubber tires are rejuvenated with the Unlimited USA Fluid Brand. These tires were pumped up to 25 pounds and are still in that shape.


Detail here on the treatment process. Unlimited USA Fluid Brand was applied to the surface and the surface was left to sit overnight. Before is the white LEAD based paint oxidation powder and dust accumulated on the surface. The first application soaks into the oxidation. This is where the color is now beginning to return and it is still dull looking. The second application is then where it's returned to the original lustre & finish. The surfaces are wiped with an the green scotch brite side of an old repurposed dish sponge; which is now too warn out to do dishes anymore.
AND That is perfect for light abrasion surface paint cleaning.
The worn pad is used to scrub the surface very very lightly with only an ounce or two of pressure and that will remove the roughness of the oxidation. Also, The sponge behind the pad protects your hands from the LEAD dust that's being pulled up from the surface of the paint into the pad. It's that easy. The used sponge is then discarded with old shop rags and recycled in the usual manner.

This metal surface is wire brushed with only a few ounces of pressure. The oxidation will turn into a burnishing paste and work to clean and detail the surface back to a natural patina which will remain with this bicycle for many years as it is placed into storage.

This is an example cleanup of a small area of the pedal arm.
The surface is wetted with the USA Fluid and then brushed for several seconds with only a few ounces of  pressure. The corrosion and rust now becomes an ultra fine burnishing compound which then polishes the surface back to it's original luster.

Shown here are the tools that did the job. A regular wire brush, a rag or two, a pair of old scotch bright sponges that were too warn out to keep using in the kitchen sink. Sponges like that are nice and soft and the scrubby pad is so worn it's not rough enough to do any harm to surfaces that are painted or sensitive. It clean the paint and pinstripes perfectly. All the surface rust comes away.
The Unlimited USA Fluid Brand will penetrate into the microscopic holes in the chrome and paint and leave an embalmed surface which eliminates the corrosion below the surface of paint and chrome.