Current Projects chat and miscellany

fuckin' epic alex! will the stem be a brazed steel affair?

So yeah, this is all i have at the mo.
I just removed the white band round the seat tube actually...it was just a sheet of adhesive white inkjet paper, but the coating was disintegrating and any dirt that stuck to it wasn't coming off. I think i'll try and get something better to re-do it. Hmm.

PHASERGUNALEX those are lovely hubs - look mint! Is that the original lockring?
very classy bike...

i volunteer to touch up the headbadge with enamel paints if need be, would be a nice job...

incidentally where did you get the paint done? I like the contrast of a muted, subtle shade of green in metallic. beaut.

That's a Surly sprocket can't quite see the lockring though.

It's a Titan stem, NOS from the sometime in the 70s. Looks exactly like this actually...

Proper shiny.

on the hubs above he meant squire.

Paint was done at armourtex.
And no, tis not the original lockring unfortunately, but they take a standard shimano-type lockring so i've got my pick of plenty!

As for the headbadge, i kinda like it looking a bit flakey...but i may have a go myself at some point. My dad did one ages ago with some enamel and a sharpened matchstick...worked a treat!

Bootiful that.

Fanks! Not quite bootiful enough in those pics though, it will be fookin marvellous when finished!

that Raleigh has a similar look to the next bike I'll create- Lovely work!

Paint was done at armourtex.
And no, tis not the original lockring unfortunately, but they take a standard shimano-type lockring so i've got my pick of plenty!

oh it's powercoated?

on the hubs above he meant squire.

Ah, fair enough.

Yeah, that's a powdercoat, with their glittery lacquer. You can see how thick the paint is around the lugs, which is a bit of a shame, but nevermind.

Oh that's good to know, I wanted to have a metallic paint for my girlfriend's bike, but thought powercoat only have plain colour.

oooh, glitter lacquer. good to know.

Oh that's good to know

oooh, glitter lacquer. good to know.

ha, snap.

Well yeah, powdercoat is only available in plain colours. the glitter lacquer gives a much different look to a proper metallic...as the glitter sits on top of the paint, so to speak, whereas a metallic has glittery bits within the paint. I guess it depends on exactly what look you're after, but to get a metallic spray then it's either Vaz (and take your chances with the durability of the finish) or somewhere nice, but pricey, like argos or colourtech.

Oh I know how it look, the best thing about the glitter lacquer is that it look much more unique and noticeably shiner than metallic.

probably a lots cheaper too! (need to stay in a budget of £300 to finish the bike).

Yeah i really like the effect of the glitter lacquer...and yes, it does tend to look much shinier. And yes, armourtex will be cheap...frame and forks with the glitter lacquer: £60. Bargain.

gonna have to get the paint off by shot blasting before powercoating it, probably cost more than £60 but in the end it'll be worth it.

one last question - where did you go to get the sticker done?

Tasty Paultrackend for the Raleigh Flyer, when it get welded onto the bike, the rest should fall in place easily (trip to armourtex for chemical bath and respray is next on the list after the welding job).

Is that really worth all the stripping welding etc? Could end up bout as much as proper track frame?

Is that really worth all the stripping welding etc? Could end up bout as much as proper track frame?

it does when the final cost (as I calculated) come out as about £130 for the stripping, welding, new trackend and glittery paint job.

Plus can you show me another lugged track bike that have a slight relaxed geometry and in a very small size for not a lots of money?

even if I managed to find a nice small lugged track frame for says, £120, I'd still need to get it painted (glitter as well) and that'd drive the price higher.

is it for your girlfriend?