Paint and Finish

Depending on the build method used, a lugged frame usually takes less time to prepare for paint than a fillet brazed one. The lugs are looked at to make sure the edges are crisp and that any detailing performed on the lug prior to building is still visible. With fillets, time is spent making sure that all joints have a uniform look and are smooth. All extra time spent doing this is paid back ten fold in the quality of the finished paint job.

All painting of frames up untill 08 was done by Pam, but due to the restraints of having only 24 hours in a day we are now having paint done by others. Over the years Pam has honed her skills with an airbrush and has earned a reputation among other painters. Consequently she knows what to look for when choosing a painter for a specific job and has a bunch of talented individuals on hand.

With todays modern, paint and airbrush, techniques and equipment ,the color scheme you pick for your frame, is only limited by your imagination.

Below is a rough idea of the steps involved in painting a frame.

Once all the buffing and cleaning is done. The frame is primed ready to accept its color scheme.

After the primer, the frame is sanded with1000 grit paper then rubbed with a grey scotchbrite pad, to key it, ready for the colors.

By this stage we need to know what you want your bike to look like...

We will do a mock up drawing as a reference for any masking etc., that needs to be performed, and also be aware of where any clamps are going to be fixed, so as to avoid building these areas up with multiple layers of paint, that can be damaged by the clamping pressure.

Next, we spray two coats of the base colour, again sanding with super fine grit paper between coats. All the extra effort put into always sanding between coats, will help produce a finish with a depth of shine measured by feet instead of inches, and get rid of that horrible orange peel effect that is so common on paintwork these days.

The quality of these images, does not do the colors justice. The paints we use are truely beautiful. From the huge range of standard colors that you can choose from, included in the price of our frame packages, through to the Candies, Metallics, Pearlescents, Flourescents, all the way up to the exotic paints that change color as light hits it from different angles. The list is endless. All of which are available should you desire, at the relevent extra cost.