Xtc so far

[jags]

How did you go about painting the frame.

[Bill C]

Hi Anto
used a cheapy 3hp 50l compressor ( it is plumbed into a 200l receiver  for extra capacity), bought 3 mini hvlp spray guns again cheapy ones, 0.5, 0.8, 1.0 (mm) setups (10 to 15 squid each gun inc post) as i didn't have a clue what i'd need, tinterweb wasn't much help as everyone expects you to be spraying cars or other large items not a bunch of thin tubes
i used phosphoric acid on the frame first to etch and remove/kill any traces of rust
then a few coats of isopon zinc 182 primer followed up by cellulose paint
i read up a bit on paint and cellulose has a reputation for being easy to work with, so is good for beginners, and won't kill you overnight with the fumes, but it isn't the toughest paint, i figured i'd go with it as pretty much everyone recommends it for a novice,
I made a few clumsy mistakes, i'm not used to having the hose attached as only used rattle cans before so i clattered the seat tube with the hose and buggered it up  but rubbed it all down till it was super smooth touched in that area and you can't see a mark 

oh and i grabbed a park tool isc 4 from sjs, well worth it

if your considering having a go it isn't going to save you money, as powder coat would be a lot cheaper and a lot more durable
 if you want to have a go cos it's your baby and you want something to do over winter then go for it, best fun i have had it ages

I'll post some pics of the kit  if your interested

[jags]

Cheers Bill ,we had all the gear at one time  compressor couple quality guns  belong to my son well they did he sold the lot (like father like son) .

no i was just curious to be honest u done a fantastic job on the frame and the color is only class. i can't wait to see it in all in  it's glory. The Paul shifters are quality ,i had the paul canti's on the sherpa   .will u be etching XTR on that rear mech .
btw post loads of photos sure we are all bike fanatics .
cheers.

anto.

[Bill C]

i'll pm you a link to an epic build/thread think you'll be interested 

[jags]

cheers bill mighty stuff.
those guys certainly go to some extream's to get there bike looking like that.

i think the prettiest bike i had was the Look KXLight the  groupset all dura ace. some clown  parked his dunkle of a bike against it on a charity ride and  took a nice big chip of paint from the top tube .

man oh man i nearly freeked  when i seen it 

[Bill C]

 handlebars brake levers and stem now done as are one set of sea horses





sea horse pic a bit murky i had to use flash, yes they are sea horses says so on the packet   



thought you might like these 2 pics, always check for reflections 





honest i ain't that fat 



 

[geocycle]

It's looking amazing bill! Really looking forward to the finished article.

[John Saxby]

So twinkly-shiny beautiful, Bill. But, ummm, what about rain'n'stuff?  I know you have mudguards, but still...

[Bill C]

Geo and John cheers for the encouraging words, thought i'd reached thread saturation for a bit 

But, ummm, what about rain'n'stuff?  I know you have mudguards, but still...

your not going to believe it but the idea is to have a almost stealthy bike in the end
a year or so tops and all the polished alloy should have dulled down to that nice weathered milky colour with  no logo's left to make it attractive to thieves
saw a mountain bike done like it a while ago everything polished then just left, to me it looked really nice, not worth nicking but nice

mudguards are proving to be a problem though, originally bought Gilles Berthoud stainless ones intending to rub them down/give a key and colour code with the frame, turns out the 50mm aren't 50mm like sks 50mm's 
wanted them to fit over 40mm tyres, no chance
so i'm stuck with plastic not sure about spraying plastic guards though,

also struggling with saddle choice, b17 special black, honey or green? flyer special honey or black?
black is looking fav at the moment, though green would be good if the bar tape matches, but then again honey    ........decisions decisions
atb Bill

[John Saxby]

That makes sense, Bill, a nice patina of age and use is a Good Thing.

On the mudguards:  On my Raven, I use 52 mm x 650B Velo Orange alloy mudguards/fenders, and they work very well with my 26 x 1.6 Marathon Supremes. Not sure what suppliers in the UK might stock them, but VO gear is well made and takes a nice shine too :-)

Here's the link, if it's of interest/use: http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/fenders.html

I realize that I don't know what size of wheels you have, Bill, but you'll see that VO makes a range of alloy finishes & sizes in 26", 650B, and 700c/29er.

[Bill C]

Hi John
I've bought 26x1.5 vittoria rando pro folding tyres, used vittoria years ago and they seemed fine back then
no idea what these will be/ride like though, 1st impression is they look good quality
i'll have a look at the Velo Orange guards see if there's anything that are going to work
I thought about a pair of the old Raleigh  steel guards as it is kind of that look i'm after in the end with the painted guards,
but i have no idea if they can be made to fit

i like this maybe not so much white on the guard but a nod toward that age if you know what i mean

[Danneaux]

Stunning results on the xTc to date, Bill, makes my heart go all a-flutter. 

As for mudguards/fenders...

If you are into being the supercraftsman, it is possible to make some. I made a set for the Folder I brazed up by making molds and painting in layers of liquid ABS plastic. They turned out fine and I am pleased with the results. I've also recurved 700C ESGE/SKS Chromoplast fenders to fit 20in/406mm tires with no problem, thanks to a heat gun.

It is also possible to hammer your own annealed aluminum sheets over plywood bucks using hammer and dolly. I've done so and ended up selling them for a nice price.

Plastic mudguards can be painted by a variety of means. Imron will usually work direct, and you can also use a tw-part paint intended for use on a car's plastic rocker panels and bumper caps. It is a rubbery additive that makes the paint somewhat flexible but doesn't change the appearance or gloss and adds little weight. You can also overlay them with vinyl uses in die-cut sign plotter-cutters. It is important to ease the vinyl over the 'guard using heat to round it in 2-3 planes, but the results can look very good and it is surprisingly long-lasting, though not glossy unless you buff silicone over the vinyl; wax tends to settle in little pores and looks cloudy After.

Hope something in the above helps. All congratulations on a fantastically beautiful result for all your dedicated efforts. Breathtaking!

All the best,

Dan.

[Bill C]

Hi Dan
I'll read up on painting plastic, i know you can get special primer basecoats that aid adhesion, didn't know about the flexible additive,
the annealed alloy tip, i was thinking of doing something like that to make up some mud flap trims and a chain stay protector , i have some polished hammered reflectors from the inside of old hid lowbay's that would be ideal

still got a long way to go on the bike, I bought the lightest reasonable priced wheelset i could find, but they have black hubs  it's all starting to get way out of my comfort zone, i can straighten a wheel but I've never taken one apart or laced one

[John Saxby]

Bill, the Vittoria Rando Pro's should be fine.  I used some 700 x 32's on my derailleur bike, with no problems, just one small puncture in 2-3 years. The tread wore quickly, but the tires had a nice feel.  Other riders have had good results with the Vittoria Hypers in the same size.

[Relayer]

On the mudguards:  On my Raven, I use 52 mm x 650B Velo Orange alloy mudguards/fenders, and they work very well with my 26 x 1.6 Marathon Supremes. Not sure what suppliers in the UK might stock them, but VO gear is well made and takes a nice shine too :-)

You can buy VO mudguards in the UK from these guys ...

http://www.freshtripe.co.uk/Freshtripe/Mudguards%20%26%20Racks.html

Jim

P.S. Very impressive polishing BillC, and links from Dan on how to do it, some homework for me to get done soon and potentially another string to my Dremel's bow.