55/Rad

Geez I love a bit of chrome on a good steel frame - usually the rear chainstay and/or the fork. Says "classic".

I recently saw a Schwinn Paramount with my own eyes that was full chrome - no picture I'd ever seen looked as nice as this - it was amazing and a testament to how hard they are to photograph.

My '88 Pinarello Montello frame finally arrived - it was clear black over full chrome. I stripped it to reveal a beautiful full chrome frame underneath. I have no idea what I will do with it - I can't even take a picture at this point - but it sure is pretty to look at.

If you have it and like, please show it to us.

55/Rad

classic1

Get that black clear coat back on that Pinarello, you vandal!

cuda2k

I'll sneak in here with a shot of the short bit of Chrome on my old Schwinn Traveler. Don't own this bike any more, but it still has a special place in my heart as my first roadie (for all of like 5months ). Chrome fork tips only.

Surferbruce

the chrome lugs are what sold me on this one. from what i've been told it was very common for older italian frames to be fully chromed before being painted.

carbondale

The Schwinn Traveler (circa 1980) is my commuter bike... parked out in the blazing Nebraska heat. Still a sweet and heavy ride.

ViperZ

Rad, take that Pinna in Full daylight and lets see it all "Nekkid in the light of day"


Surferbruce, what handlebar tape is that? BTW, I have lusted after your Pinna since I first laided eyes on it, only as a full geared bike It's not often you see a Pinnarello with the chromed lugs exposed, very nice!


This is all I have right now

lotek 

Here's my Pogliaghi track frame
with full chrome fork which to me is an absolute
work of art. . .

55/Rad

And herein lies the dilemma I face and the real reason for the thread.

I want to restore the chrome pinny with a clear color over chrome finish. But I'm thinking I only want to do the 4 main tubes - leaving the lugs, fork and rear tri in all their chrome glory.

The problem is figuring out the best way to achieve this. The entire bike was originally powdercoated - lugs and all - because powder stuck to the chrome better. But just doing the main tubes involves a ton of work around the lugs as they too would need to be powdered and then stripped and finished again as there simply isn't a way to mask them properly and have that masking survive the 400 degree bake. From there, decals and a clear coat would be applied - it's a lot of work.

Wet painting can be done but the main tubes would need to blasted in order for a primer to be applied that could adhere to the frame. Fine and nice, but in the end I'd lose the translucent color over chrome effect.

The darn thing is so nice as full chrome - I'm thinking of just putting some decals on and running it as is.

Seeing chrome on other bikes helps inspire the process - keep them coming.

55/Rad

Shayne

Here's a pic of the chrome lugs and fork crown on my Franklin fixed gear
bike. The lugs have cutouts that are painted. I went one step further
with the bling and sanded the black off the bullhorns then polished them
up like chrome.



Shayne

jstream

Check with a really good auto body shop - someone that does restorations... I believe that some models of porsche used to do paint over chrome to really make the paint sing.

Surferbruce

i'd try to find someone to do a few layers of candy over the tubes and leave the lugs. my frame was redone at cyclart before i bought it, but i called them to find out more about it. they looked it up and told me the frame was originally chrome w/ paint on top. from what i gathered they blasted the paint to chrome layer and just repainted. they did say it's not as durable as bare steel/primer/and paint but so far it's been fine, and i commute on it and train on it a lot. i think some candy layers over chrome look amazing.

Surferbruce

[QUOTE=ViperZ]Rad, take that Pinna in Full daylight and lets see it all "Nekkid in the light of day"


"Surferbruce, what handlebar tape is that? BTW, I have lusted after your Pinna since I first laided eyes on it, only as a full geared bike It's not often you see a Pinnarello with the chromed lugs exposed, very nice!"

I have dreams of putting gears back on it and have been scoping ebay prices for campy stuff(ouch).
i sure as hell would never hack the braze ons off it like i see some knuckleheads do with great old frames.

pedex

.

pigmode

Krom...

moet

This is my Bianchi in its natural habitat; Italy.

Dave Moulton

cuda2k

I knew Dave would break out some pretty shots. Beautiful frame.

The more I sit here and look at some of these, the more upsetting it is that I don't have any chrome on any of my current frames. Something I must do something about in the future.

cheg

..

Trev Doyle

I am going to send this away to the Merckx factory this fall to have it painted Molteni Orange, although they said it could take like 6 months. As it sits, it has mostly dura ace, with some 600. ITM Bars, Stem and post, LOOK pedals. It is heavy.

cuda2k

If the red is in good shape - keepit! I like it.

sverrefehn

I know a guy in Utah who works with automotive urethanes who has good luck painting translucent colors over chrome. There is a trick to the first coat, I believe, that makes it work.

Scooper

Ahhh, chrome!!!

Jakey

How many times can I post this same pic? I need new ones...damnit.

ViperZ

Rad, I remember you wanted to experiment with this frame size again, if you are not too sure on the size, then don't expend too much effort and leave it chrome. However if you are sure the size is right (I recall it's the same size as the MJ) then I think you should leave the lugs exposed and paint the main tubes a translucent (Kandy) color.

You already know how well the chrome looked under the smoked paint. Raw Chrome is nice too and it could be different enough. Based on what I know of how you want to build the bike, the Raw chrome would look pretty good in that guise, leaving it chrome would be easy and still look good. However if it was me, I would paint it. Maybe because I already have a bare nekkid Ti bike?

Here is a fine example of a Kandy color over chrome Colnago, that I just love. If the paint on my Master is in need of rework, I'll be looking to do something like this.







Maybe go to a reputable Autobody shop, or maybe contact Cycle Art, Joe Bell or ask Dave Moulton, just don't take it to the slacker (not) doing the Tete

The Chrome under most Italian bikes in the 70-80s, was the main culprit to the bad rap of poor paint for those bikes.... That's part of the charm I think, just like the crappy Syncros shifting that I'm looking to get I have even been contemplating Syncros 1 with that secondary lever on the right side, I love that for some reason!... I digress.... Because of the chrome under the paint, most Italian bikes of that era, the paint can flake or chip easily. I suppose that is a consideration for bare chrome too.

ollo_ollo

Paint over chromed frame + chromed fork