The fifty year can of Black Bear Par-Al-Ketone (still made today), can of ketone, seen in the earlier postings.
As noted earlier, the bottom hole of the seat tube (that path of all water to the bottom bracket,
is epoxy-putty plugged. I poured in a few ounces of this brown, oily liquid (it has very little solvent or oil odor),
and sloshed it around by turning the frame every which way: so my hand (as a "cap" is oily).
Will let it air in the draft of an electric fan overnight, then dump and drain any liquid excess,
and let it air-dry in the sunshine (this is Florida), before wiping off any excess from the outside with
a mineral spirits rag. Then grease the seatpost well and install the Thudbuster.
In the meanwhile, the liquid Par-Al-Ketone setting at the bottom of the seat tube, does not leak through the epoxy grease/water plug
(not so far, anyway).
I hope this will serve to fully protect the seat tube bottom, and, of course, further prevent any possibility of any sort of water ingress,
condensation, etc, from ever touching the steel.
This is all overkill. I like overkill.
When, later tonight (perhaps) I install the crank and its oversized chainwheel, and re-fit the rear wheel...and chain it....
and it will look like a bike again. The bottom bracket may then be well-pumped with white grease;
the former vent holes at the chain stay-ends (where the dropouts are), are plugged with sandable, solid (not the metal filled) epoxy putty.
Much later, I will tear down this bike to its frame, prep for painting, and make it YELLOW, and at that time, treat the front fork and head bracket,
both for water-ingress prevention, and for Zerk lubing at will. I will!
Next step: ride the damned bike.
Then get the electric portion to operate. It
will work.
________________
Addendum: a half hour later after the Black Bear slosh, it is noted that this is a "drying oil";
that is, that it contains some small component of volatile solvent, plus, it probably "dries",
in a manner similar to linseed oil does "dry" over time. Yet, I suspect this proprietary rust preventive,
on the market for so many decades, remains "plastic", by means of heavy petroleum distillates, and, perhaps,
chemical action unknown to myself.
It is little remembered or known today, that at one time, linseed oil was considered by many painters as the rust-preventive par-excellence:
that no other oil or coating so effectively killed rust action on steel. A bi-annual coating of boiled linseed oil was considered perfect rust protection
for wrought iron and even, steel.
Steels, alloys of iron, vary greatly in their rust resistance.
Real life example: Henry Flagler's "Overseas Railway", completed in 1910, although converted to be a highway for autos
during the Depression era, bears iron rails, recycled, in some places, to support the "modern steel" framework that would become the two lane auto roadway.
I inspected this great engineering job a few years ago. The Overseas Highway was condemned as unsafe (rusted Depression-era steel) three decades ago.
Yet, Flagler's iron rails, visible here and there, are all perfectly sound, with no more than an thin, inert, oxide crust---such as you see on manhole covers (cast iron);
and all this in tropical, salt water conditions: a "highway", first for a train, then for autos, connecting one hundred miles, nearly, of Florida keys.
The Eiffel Tower, the Brooklyn Bridge: all made of irons and steels resistant to corrosion.
The STEEL cables of the Bridge: specially treated with oils and tar concoctions: today as un-rusted as when new.
The bridge, the tower, will never fail due to rust. So, why should any mere bicycle suffer oxidation from within?
