What is the consensus on how to look after the inside of a steel frame?

Does anyone apply any type of frame saver (ie waxoyl)?

What about post ride washing – how do you keep the water out of the seat tube or remove it afterwards?

I’ve got a Genesis Altitude 30 853 steel frame which is too good to let rot set in.

My 20 year old steel Carrera is still going strong despite spending half that time as an all-year-round commuter, filled with salt. So I don’t worry about it.

I’ve still got my 1986 Raleigh Record Sprint. It was left outside for about 10 years. Not rotted yet and is still perfectly serviceable.

YMMV.

I bought some waxol stuff in a spray can from Halfords and squirted that into a steel frame.

I’m sure the next owner would appreciate it, it did make an awful mess though.

It was only a few quid so I suppose it’s worth it for peace of mind but sounds like there isn’t much to worry about

I too pondered this question so I just bought a cotic.

My 1949 Hobbs 531 is fine as is my mums 1953 Parkes 531

You can buy a can of ‘frame saver’ Done it to steel frames and for the sake of a can, worth doing in my eyes. A mate has had a frame rot through, but was a thin tubed KHS and he rode it and rode it. I did many years ago spray the inside of a steel road bike with Waxoil. After a while I had a weird creak. I took the BB out, to find that the waxoil had dissolved the threaded areas of the BB, in line with the chainstays , so ovally shaped, which was a bit weird. Never used it again in a frame.

http://shop.18bikes.co.uk/products.php?plid=m12b3s403p39&rs=gb&vid=153&gclid=CJab5-3pgLsCFQQOwwodhUMAOg

I’ve used boiled linseed oil in my last build 18months ago, so still a bit early to tell.

Oh- is it just an Internet Story, I’ve heard people report that waxoyl melted and ran out of their mate’s frames on a hot day, but never actually their own…

Some frames have a zinc or iron phosphate dip prior to paint / powder coating – this treats the inside of the tubes quite well.

Framesaver (runnier than waxoyl), linseed oil of Boeshield T9 are the diy / additional options.

All my steel frames (5 of them…) make a noise when I turn them upside down. I assume it’s loose rust in the tubes but never managed to get any to come out. Wish I’d used framesaver now, especially as one frame is a grand dearer to buy now than it was when I bought it 😥

JP Weigle is the stuff…or some other Victorian taxidermist sounding name.
Either way, I’ve never bothered with my SIR.9.

Use expanding foam.

I Waxoyled my El Mariachi but then it’s also used for bikerafting and there’s every chance it could end up fully submerged one day 🙂

I used some of this high tech stuff, no idea if it’s worth it.

I’ve never treated any of my frames, even big patches of worn off paint externaly don’t rust at any noticeable rate. Certainly my chainstays heel rubbed areas ‘rust’ probably 100x slower than aluminium equivelents wear out through heel rub.

And if you ever try and powdercoat (or even paint, enammel, or any other process that inolves even slightly above ambient temperatures) you’ll have a nightmare as it all runs out.

I asked a well respected frame builder who said he could sell me a can of waxoyl whether he used it on his own frames – he didn’t.

Something like this (Kurust etc )will provide a good barrier to prevent rust. It has a milk-like consistency so easy to apply , tip it in plug your tube and swish it about … But as other have said it isnt really necessary ..

I had a down-to-the-bare-metal scrape on my old 853 frame, which I left untreated for 3 years. It didn’t rust at all. It may give you peace of mind, but I think 853 is such good quality that it won’t be an issue.

Of all the frame failures I’ve read about on this forum I’ve never read of one failing by simply rusting through from the inside.

ACF50 spray is great stuff for rust prevention.

Another ACF-50 user here.

Some tubing is more susceptible to rust than others. Columbus Niobium (spirit and life) is amazing tubing, but more rust prone. That and spirit tubes are 0.38mm in the centre. normal lightweight tubing is about0.5mm. old steel quality tubing is a bit thicker 0.6mm. stovepipe is 1mm, even 1.2mm.
I?m doing some tests for a line of steel fatbikes I’ve been asked to make. the test is quite simple. coat samples of steel tubing and chuck them in a bucket of salted water.
most substances do a decent job,the difference is that some of them are pretty easy to remove, the best ones dry up and form a coat, not just a wet film.
I’d say it’s not necessary. But it doesn’t hurt, doesn’t cost much and it’s not a bad idea.
having said that, I can never remember to put it in my personal frames when I build them up.

I’ve heard lots of folk state that they’ve never treated their steel frames and that they’re going strong decades later, but Frame Saver’s cheap and a 15 minute job each coat (I usually do 2) so it’s always seemed worthwhile.

Boeshield T9 for me, after I noticed rust-coloured water running out of the holes in the frame. It’s a bit of a faff, but I haven’t noticed rust-coloured water running out of it since.

Of course, to know if it’s worth it I would’ve hadto’ve had an identical frame that I didn’t spray. But hey ho, for peace of mind alone it works for me

Come one guys this is <STW>
As long as the 853 sticker is firmly in place your tubes wont rust.
</STW>

Come one guys this is <STW>
As long as the 953 sticker is firmly in place your tubes wont rust.
</STW>

waste of time…but if it makes you fell better, go for it.