Custom Paint - Workshop specials.

Thanks!

I'm also here too... https://www.quinntessentialcustomsworkshop.com/

Not strictly a paint question (anodising) but would a bike need to be fully stripped if you were just having 'spot' anodising done? Would the process of spot anodising logos be similar to paint where a negative/positive mask is applied to the area?

Any recommendations for anodising Ti frames in the UK, preferably near London?

Excellent response and more than I was hoping for, greatly appreciated!
I will get in contact with Lucia to see what's possible.

The frame I have in my mind for this still needs to be built, so I'm not pressed.

Thanks again!

@privatepatterson a question for you if I may. Bit random but let's see where we get.

I've been dicking around with airbrushing for detail painting and also bodged an HVLP on to a basic tiny airbrush compressor for wider spray patterns to apply liquid mask to an area of about 30cm 2 total I guess.

I've outgrown this set up for airbrushing and obvs. hacking an HVLP on to it was never going to work effciently - lots of waiting for the tiny tank in the compressor to recharge to deliver the wrong pressure to the HVLP but it just about works for applying LM.

I need a new compressor for airbrush and I'm also considering getting a proper HVLP set up for painting large areas.

Is there such a portable compressor type thing that would drive both an airbrush (which is HPLV as I understand it) and an HVLP set up that could realistically paint large areas efficiently - i.e. a 1:1 car, a room in a house, varnishing decking?

The situation I'm trying to avoid is having an Airbrush specific compressor, an HPLV set up for large areas, and additional devices for home DIY jobs when it feels like a good HPLV set up can cover most of that and possibly drive an airbrush too.

Do a couple of Google searches on DIY 'cause this is doable as a DIY effort.

Try Metrolplating or Poteon in the UK if you're not feeling up to doing it yersel.

The bike will need to be fully disassembled in order that it can be done properly.
That's true of all "proper" refinishing.
Not fully disassembling is a sure sign of a bodge.

If you go the route of having it done professionally keep in mind that even you want a small area covered, that's not always an opportunity to ask for a cheaper job. Tooling up can often be the same if you want a stem or a full bike refinished.

Lots of anodising logo graphics often include media blasting... it's easier to get sharp lines and logos with the masking and blasting steps rather than passing a current through the metal.

In short, the answer is no.

A small/portable compressor with a 20-30 litre tank will serve most applications you'll need if coupled with a midi/mini sized gun anywhere from 0.8 - 1.2 needle and nozzle kit.

You can downsize a compressor that size with water traps and different fixtures and fittings to make it run an airbrush but it will be noisy.

A compressor that size is fine for your living room, fine for decking and most basecoat application; if it loses pressure, it'll fill up and you can wait. What you can't do with a tank that size and an HVLP gun is a clearcoat, even on something as small as a bike. Clearcoat isn't just squirting product at a substrate as many other approaches are; it's vital to keep that wet edge and maintain that perfect overlap so if the pressure drops or your tank gets too empty, you're knackered and your clearcoat is ruined.

For an airbrush, you can use a pocket sized, tank-free compressor for less than £50 for most things. You can also get wireless USB rechargeable screw-on compressed air tanks.

For reliability and hot-swap colour and product changes, I run two Iwata Studio airbrush compressors with dual quick release fixtures and a 2 litre tank. One of which is set up to take a "full size" gun and I use a SATA Dekor with a 0.8 setup and this is for larger logo coverage that would build too high with a full sized gun and take too long with an airbrush - stuff like big carbon frames with massive lettering. You could use a setup like this for small and mid-sized panels but you'll need a big compressor for anything beyond that.

Get a Stanley compressor from screwfix for less than a oner.
Spending more than that will buy you too much compressor if you're not using it frequently enough.

Look into getting yourself a range of guns for different fan patters/sizes and coverage.
0.2/0.35/0.5 should be your airbrushes
0.8 can get you an airbrush/midi gun hybrid
0.8/1.0 are good midi sizes
1.0+ in a full sized gun will give you lots of coverage but eat loads of air.

Can I ask what application you need liquimask for rather than tapes or cnc stencils?

Thanks for the awesome reply.

So a basic mid size compressor could drive HVLP and Airbrush (with adapting) but won't do applications where continuous long duration HVLP spraying is needed and will be loud. Got it. I'm not doing anything that requires long duration continuous HVLP so could get away with this if I could tolerate the noise.

It sounds like then I could consider a dedicated device for DIY applications and large areas and a dedicated (and quiet) airbrush device. OK.

Can I ask what application you need liquimask for rather than tapes or cnc stencils?

Lexan RC car bodies - 1:8 - 1:12 scale. 3d nature of it makes LM compelling and it works well although I'd like use cnc vinyl stencils.

Any time.

In your case, I couldn't recommend anything other than liquid masking fluid!

Good luck!

Really appreciate the in-depth reply, as always! I'll look into the DIY process but in general, I'm not overly confident when it comes to this sort of thing, feel like if it can go wrong, it will for me!

I thought a full strip down would be the case, no problem!

The frame is a Curve GXR and the areas I want anodising are already a sandblasted finish, assuming I've understood that correctly.

I'll look up the two mentioned companies, thanks again for your help.

Don’t get the Stanley compressor. I’ve had two go back to Screwfix with faults. I think one was the fan.

It’s got a one year warranty but you don’t want to be lugging the thing backwards and forwards.

Clarke or SIP for me when it comes to compressors.

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Subscribing

Does anyone have any tips on doing a galaxy paintjob - you know, all black and purple and blue with stars and stuff? Niece #2 is going to need a new bike for Christmas - the saddle's all the way up now and it's still a touch too small - and she's decided she wants a galaxy paint job on this one. And the word 'Bunnyqueen' in silver bubble letters on the downtube. Kids, eh?

I've never tried a galaxy effect paint job so all tips welcome.

Pretty sure you can get the galaxy spray paint.

I think 'bunnyqueen' is standard on Klein, try them for aftermarket decals.

Not really sure where to throw this but thought I'd put it up as done by someone I have yet to see you mentioned. Phil Callows work. First class and very reasonably priced. (Circa £400)

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Forgive the crap ig screenshots, but liked this. (Hope there is enough on the photos for appropriate credit)

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I’m going to need my frame touched up after a carbon repair that’s happening at the moment and I’m looking for recommendations for someone who could do it.

The frame was originally painted by @hoops, but I believe he’s no longer doing custom work.

Cheers

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[admins, please delete if this isn't appropriate]

You're gonna struggle with that one.

Chromatic/flip/colourshift/TVR etc paint can't be spot repaired invisibly.

It's translucent and strictly speaking it needs to be painted directly over a black ground coat in order to be effective. Applying more of the same product over the top itself will give a darker patch.

If it were an auto repair, the whole panel would be refinished again.

There are of course plenty of options to hide the repair but making it appear as though it were never damaged isn't an option as a touch-up in this instance.

If you wanna contact me at Quinntessential, I'd be happy to talk you through what we can offer you. https://www.quinntessentialcustomsworkshop.com/

I sort of suspected this might be the case.

I’ll see what comes back from the repair and will give you a shout to see what could be done. Cheers

Koga Miyata Flyer, 1990.
Powdercoat by CTC. Colour is Malbec from their Illusion range. Semi tranlucent.
For powder it's damn good

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Could you use the pink colour of the little logo and make a sort of block over the repair that looks intentionally placed?

Yeah, that's my current thinking. A band of solid colour around the tube

No us point if there's a hand drawn dick pick on it.