[CR]Fwd: Frame preservation from Peter Weigle...

(Example: Events:Cirque du Cyclisme:2002)

From: <OROBOYZ@aol.com>
Date: Sat, 25 Aug 2001 00:46:27 EDT
To: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org
Subject: [CR]Fwd: Frame preservation from Peter Weigle...

In a message dated 8/24/01 1:19:34 PM Eastern Daylight Time, rbyrne03@snet.net writes:

<<

Dale, I'm not easy having this conversation through the keyboard but 'haven't been able to hook up w/ you to have a more personal chat and explain my position. I hope this is not taken the wrong way or as a negative but an observation of some of the views expressed on C.R. regarding the issue;to treat a frame internally or not. I didn't think the preservation of steel frames would be looked at as a bad or a suspect thing. Frame Saver came about out of frustration. I was seeing a lot of frames that came into my shop with internal rust problems, rust dust and flakes in the bb. festering rust at vent holes, and musical seat stays and fork blades. In talking with other builders, painters, and tech writers like Jim Langley at BICYCLING, Alan Cote' At BICYCLE GUIDE I knew I wasn't alone. I felt something needed to be done. The process of treating is cheap and easy. It can do a frame no harm, only good. Its very satisfying to know you've done the right thing for your frame instead of playing russian roulette with its future. . I've subscribed to Wooden Boat for years now, and have two older boats that I care for. The thinking in W.B. circles is that WHILE YOU HAVE ONE OF THE CLASSICS IN YOUR POSSESSION, YOU ARE NO MORE THAN A CUSTODIAN OR STEWARD, ENTRUSTED WITH THE BOATS CARE AND WELL BEING!!!! Your OBLIGATION to the boat is to give it all the care you can and pass it on to the next generation in the best condition possible! This is an honorable position to take and one we classic bike folks should adopt if we haven't already. Preservation and collecting should go hand in hand. I'll be the first to admit that not all frames will rust out from the inside, but why would anyone want to take the chance? Adding an application of F. S. ( or whatever you feel is best) is so easy it would seem like a no brainer, like an aspirin a day to prevent heart problems. To think its unimportant or not necessary baffles me. People look to us people for guidance and I feel we need to encourage them to do as much as they can to care for these frames, sending a mixed signal isn't' good enough.If we look at this from the preservationists point of view every one of these frames should be treated. The writer who said they'd only seen 5 frames rust through sounded like it was no big deal, but what if the 5 included Douglas R. Rooke's Sachs, Allan Schaeffers Hetchins, my '38 Urago, Jeff Groman's early Paramount, or one of your favorites. Would be a real shame if the product was available and for what ever reason we choose not to use it................Some custodians we turned out to be. Its been said that F.S. is the same as, Boeshield, LPS3, WD40, Wax-Oyl (what ever that is). ITS NOT! Frame Saver was developed for me by a lab that makes formulations for industry and the military. If one were to spray each one of these out on a surface they could see for themselves that they don't look, smell, or run the same,(Brian B. says they don't even taste the same??) and yet F.S.is supposed to be the same as each of these different appearing formulations?????One doesn't need to be a chemist to see they're not the same, any one of them. The toxicity issue, WD40 contains petroleum distillates, motor oil carries a skin cancer warning, paint remover bought at True Value hardware to strip the dresser has cancer, poisonous warnings, oven cleaner is awful stuff......but we use them all........ with caution! They over state the warnings to scare the hell out of us so we'll be careful with the stuff...... F.S. is no different. I'm sure I sound overly defensive here, but being in the frame building, repairing and repainting business for 28 years I've seen many problems that could have been avoided with proper care. I can't believe the to do or not to do issue is debated at all. If we view this as preservationists first, collectors second, there is only one answer.

Peter Weigle >>

Dale Brown cycles de ORO, Inc. 1410 Mill Street Greensboro, North Carolina USA 27408 336-274-5959 Fax 336-274-6360 <A HREF="http://www.cyclesdeoro.com">cyclesdeORO.com</A> <A HREF="http://www.classicrendezvous.com/main.htm">Classic Rendezvous</A>