All about a custom steel bike frame manufacture. A view into what life is like to be a small fabricator in the PNW area. Tool fabrication, useful hacks and tricks, ride experiences and life tips as a long time runner, rock climber and mountain biker.
One advantage to paint is the base coat for the color of stencil graphics. When I saw you put stencils on a powdercoat, I went, 'Waaaah?' Then saw what you were trying to do. I took a chance powdercoating a Tom Teesdale Nivachrome frame (top tube was bent in half in a car crash, me still on the bike). While the frame was TIG welded, I suspected a couple parts were brazed. The heat may have opened up one weak/thin section of braze . . . still not sure. I just used black vinyl replications of the graphics, no different to adding decals . . . and will 2K clearcoat over them.
@@leonarddaneman810 thanks for the comment. I love playing around with build. In my case, the owner did not want to strip the whole frame and finding a match wet paint would have been hard. I've never liked decal on my finished product. Just my taste. During the powder wet out phase, I then remove frome oven and remove decal and then add clear coat powder. The heat the frame is subjected to is only 400°f and should have no effect unless the frame may have been under a preload when it was built. That could explain a crack. What part developed a crack? Best wishes.
@@BFD_Bike_Frames I guess I missed the Clear Coat Powder step. Would some form of plating or anodizing make a more elegant background behind the stencils? Imagine a home silver or gold plating setup . . . As for my powdercoated T.E.T., the small parts, like cable guides, are brazed. And there is only one lug, around the top of the seat tube. I just took a diamond file to the 'crack' and it just seems to be in the powdercoat finish, not the joint itself. The powdercoat company provided a perfectly matched touchup paint, which will clean up where I filed the finish away to inspect the joint. Will see if the paint cracks again.
@@leonarddaneman810 I've tried a few things while powdercoating and I sure there are talented people that could do what you suggested, but ive found that if I do more than 2 colors and keep the stenciling simple the outcome is good. When I try to get complex ideas things go south fast. Lol.
@@BFD_Bike_Frames How about instead of complex, nasty chemical plating take bronze or gold and simply 'burnish' or 'braze' it as a background for the stencil? That's how they make those smooth frame joints, burnishing the bronze brazing . . . torch a thin layer of bronze or gold where the stencils go, burnish smooth, and then apply the stencils. Then you can paint and remove the stencil. I don't know how you would 'stencil' a powdercoat.
It makes be feel better to see someone else with a back light towel one the helmet, getting old suck, I just started wearing glasses with my helmet. It’s a whole new learning curve. Great job!
G’day Shawn , just come across your channel, I reckon you’re living my dream. Looking forward to watching all your videos. The frames look great , take care 👍👍