Classic & Vintage - A Penny for Your Thoughts...

83 Trek 400 back from the plating company with a new polished copper finish and clearcoat.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/83%20Trek%20400/New%20Finish/1024x768/CopperPlatedTrek400001.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/83%20Trek%20400/New%20Finish/1024x768/CopperPlatedTrek400017.jpg
http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/83%20Trek%20400/New%20Finish/1024x768/CopperPlatedTrek400019.jpg

All the pics:




http://s270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/83%20Trek%20400/New%20Finish/1024x768/

My thoughts are how the heck do you get clear coat to stick to polished copper? Oh, and WoW. You'll probly get a lot of that though.

I think it's really, really ugly. Box it up really, really carefully and send it to me really, really fast.
I'll evaluate it over the next 20-30 years or so, and have my heirs contact your heirs with the results.

Really.

We may have to kick you out of the "plain old Turbo" club for owning that beauty.

Amazing. Not to be rude, but how much does something like that run and where do I send my frame?

Oh yeah, what components are going on?

sexy

honestly i would kinda like to see what the patena on that in a few decades

No clearcoat. Patina. I want it.

It's simply ugly, terribly, terribly ugly. You can send it my way and Robbie, Rocco, Spinz and I can all admire the sheer ugliness of it. It'll be like a shrine we go stand by and think "WTH was 23skidoo thinking?!".
No, man... in all honesty it looks amazing. I bet it's so shiny it's crazy.
Couldn't have been cheap to do, though.
What are you gonna hang on it?
-Gene-

No clearcoat. Patina. I want it.

+1 - nothing cooler than old greenish copper patina

You have got to use shiny state quarter for your head badge.

Stunning! Beautiful! Can't wait to see it built up. Speaking of which, how are you going to build it up?

+1 - nothing cooler than old greenish copper patinaWith a green Brooks and green bar tape...matching rivets.
It's a stunning frame. Just...stunning.
Well done for having the idea and following it through.

WOW. Awesome. F-ing awesome. Can't wait to see this thing built up. Please keep us updated.

I accept that I would have to kill most of this thread to have a shot at the bike (it's even my size), but I just want to see a pic when it's got that nice green on it. Hurry up and get it filthy, wet and covered in salt already.

Wow! :love:

My eyes! My eyes!

Lovin' it ... :)

Bob

That is inspired sir!

Brasso is your friend. Lp

Wow, so much bling! Where's my shades?
:D
Can't wait to see the build up.

The green patina on copper is from it's reaction with carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. So that should turn green in no time at all. What with all the bike-nuts breathing heavy on it. Carry a rag. Wow...

Thanks for all the wonderful comments. To answer some of the questions, it is apparently an epoxy-based clearcoat which is why it will stick to the slick; I was really torn between the high polish, just plain plating which would be allowed to weather naturally, or having the plating chemically-treated to advance the natural formation of verdigris; the cost of stripping, polishing the bare metal, copper plating and clear coat was $285 by Industrial Plating of Omaha, NE; I'm undecided about whether or not to hang anything at all on it and may just sell it to finance a couple of other projects I'm thinking about but if I build it will be an assortment of stuff from my parts boxes as I don't have an entire grouppo of anything but I've been thinking black--you can see the beginnings of a black Tange Sekai headset that was foiled by attempting to install a 26.4 crown race on a 27.0 fork crown--as I've got a Suntour Superbe crankset with black-anodized chainrings, an NOS set of Modolo Speedys, Shimano 600 Arabesque ders and dt shifters, a 600 aero seatpost with a funky Brooks B-17 and Nitto Technomic stem with Nitto moustache bars.

The frame while straight, was fairly well-beaten but polished out pretty nicely, however I think with the right equipment and attitude I might be able to do a better job, especially around the bottom bracket lugs and some of the other tight spots that didn't quite get the full attention they deserved. All in all I'm pretty pleased with the results but consider it to be the first step toward some still vague, unformed end that is lurking in the back of my mind. If I decide to sell it, I'll post it in the For Sale forum here before I put it up anywhere else as my only motive would be to recoup my investment and pass it along to someone who might make a much better work of the build than I could; if I build it up I'll post regular progress photos in the thread.

Just for curiosity sake, here are a few photos of a Jim Blackburn aluminum rack I had anodized by the same company; it's going back on my 75 Gitane Interclub.

http://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/Blackburn%20Rack/BlackburnRack001.jpghttp://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/Blackburn%20Rack/BlackburnRack002.jpghttp://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/Blackburn%20Rack/BlackburnRack003.jpghttp://i270.photobucket.com/albums/jj102/shouteefbock/Blackburn%20Rack/BlackburnRack004.jpg

Amazing and really cool!!!:thumb: Is that a 24" by chance? It would look nice with my other "modified'Treks. Just sayin'......:innocent: And I have a full Campy NR group looking for a home.

Wow, that looks awesome!! The frame is my size too, hehe. I will have to talk to my plater friend about having that done without the clear. Got to find a nice yet beat on frame first though, hehe.,,,,BD

$285 doesnt seem to bad for something that really stands out like that, I think I will look into this as well

One comment-- it's really hard for me to get the full effect of the copper when it's against a red background. I see shiny metal, but it would show as copper better against a more neutral background (or even against something contrasting, like green grass).

But other than that, it looks sharp!

I wonder if chrome plating would cost the same. or if it the metal chosen affects the plating cost?







(...suddenly remembering that Diamond Jim Brady had a dozen Columbia's gold-plated back around 1895 or so...)

I love it. It's what my gold painted frame with all gold and black anodized parts wants to be when it grows up.

Well, I guess I have to give the opposing view. I don't care for it. I've never liked the all shinny look. Hell, I don't even like chrome forks or ends. But, what I think doesn't matter, what matters is if you like it.

One comment-- it's really hard for me to get the full effect of the copper when it's against a red background. I see shiny metal, but it would show as copper better against a more neutral background (or even against something contrasting, like green grass).

But other than that, it looks sharp!

I wonder if chrome plating would cost the same. or if it the metal chosen affects the plating cost?

(...suddenly remembering that Diamond Jim Brady had a dozen Columbia's gold-plated back around 1895 or so...)

I'll try to find a more contrasting background--how about a white garage door?:D--but there is no such thing as green grass in Nebraska this time of year, not for a few more weeks anyhow.

I was given a quote of $200 to chrome plate the same frame, and $165 to copper plate it with no polish beforehand follwed by chemical treatment to enhance the 'aging' of the copper, all with a final powder clearcoat.

I'll try to find a more contrasting background--how about a white garage door?:D--but there is no such thing as green grass in Nebraska this time of year, not for a few more weeks anyhow.Snow? :D


I was given a quote of $200 to chrome plate the same frame, and $165 to copper plate it with no polish beforehand follwed by chemical treatment to enhance the 'aging' of the copper, all with a final powder clearcoat.Interesting. Despite the talk that chrome-plating is "expensive," it's actually only twice the price of powdercoat, but half the price of paint.

Wow, that looks amazing... you are going to have to pedal really fast to keep it from getting stolen. I can't believe that is all it cost you. +1 on the coin headbadge.

Matt

Stunning! Beautiful! Can't wait to see it built up. Speaking of which, how are you going to build it up?
Is that Boris?

I was given a quote of $200 to chrome plate the same frame, and $165 to copper plate it with no polish beforehand follwed by chemical treatment to enhance the 'aging' of the copper, all with a final powder clearcoat.

My local guy said $175 for chroming a frame and fork, and he's the most reasonable I've talked to about plating anything. The closest place to me said $125 for a 26" steel rim. I kind of smiled, and said "No thanks." before walking out the door. The same place wanted $40 a piece to chrome brand new baby moon hubcaps. How they sell any jobs is beyond me? The $175 I was quoted included sandblasting, polishing, copper and nickel, and chrome. Sounds like you found a good(and reasonable) shop as well.,,,,BD

Hey now..... I do have that Super Course frame with Prugnat lugs? That would look very nice in copper, especially since I tapered the lugs on it a few weeks ago. I think I will run the frame over there in a day or two. Can't do it tomorrow. I'm picking up a Raleigh Sports complete with the Brooks saddle for $18:love:,,,,BD

Would nickel plating cost 5x as much?

nickel should be cheaper than chrome, since chrome includes the nickel layer first.

“HOLY SMACKREL, ANDY!”
Richard, it is gorgeous. If you need black components for a build up, I will gladly check my parts bins. I have buddies who talk about plating, polishing or gun bluing a frame. You Sir have the “cojones” to give it a try, kudos.

“HOLY SMACKREL, ANDY!”
Richard, it is gorgeous. If you need black components for a build up, I will gladly check my parts bins. I have buddies who talk about plating, polishing or gun bluing a frame. You Sir have the “cojones” to give it a try, kudos.

Start looking in all those boxes, Erin...:D

You could of gone another four cents more and plated it with NICKLE!! :) But this is nice too.

Wow, finally a bike that's actually made of plumbing pipe!!! ;)

Actually it's beautiful. A local frame builder here in town has one done in the natural copper finish with the oxidation and I don't care for his but then I like shiny stuff.

Is that Boris?

The one and only. :D Good eye. That's his quote in my sig too.

nickel should be cheaper than chrome, since chrome includes the nickel layer first.
:innocent:.......Thanks......... :innocent:

The one and only. :D Good eye. That's his quote in my sig too.
Natasha was such a babe.

I think we should name the bike Abe. All due respect. We really need JR to make an "E Pluribus Unum" decal.

:innocent:.......Thanks......... :innocent:

Yeah, no hard numbers from my post. :o
I was just speculating off his $200 quote to chrome the frame. Should be less than $200 for nickel since it's one less plating session. (copper filler --> nickel plate --> chrome plate)

Ummm, methinks Rob's playing off the penny vs. nickle thing like the thread title does.


I like it this way better with the clear than the green tarnished look..

along those lines, I think Otto Rax has a nickle-plated bike, it looks like it under the paint, and most of the paint has fallen off....a Lejuene....

I went to a site that would anodize frames, etc. Only $300, for part of the headbadge.

:bang:
Duh! I guess I'm slow today.
:p

Would nickel plating cost 5x as much?

:roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2::roflmao2: