nice! IMO that bike needs some white tyres!

Yes Sir!!!

My only question. Why no fenders? I think that would totally finish the bike off.
-Gene-

I kind of thought that too. Looks like it`s crying for some Honjos.

I agree with you. But the new owner said she didn't want fenders.

I'll keep workin' on her.

Ok, it's done.

The old style SA shifter fits nicely on the bars.
I'd forgotten how cool a 3-speed is.

A few pics to finish off.........

Breathtakingly beautiful. Absolutely stunning.

Beautifully done friend! I an wondering if you have any tips on getting such a clean paint job? I was hoping to repaint a new Raleigh frame that I just bought. I figure I would need to sand it down first, then primer? What sort of paints work? Cheers!

Thanks.

The paint is an automotive two part acrylic urethane with a 2 part clearcoat.
The frame was shot first with a 2 part epoxy primer, that a high build sandable primer.

On old frames I strip down to bare metal using a paint stripper, tend to any rust issues then prime and paint.

If you can find an automotive bodyshop supply house that's a good source for any paint supplies.
The hardware store rattlecan stuff is to be avoided if you can find something better.

Stunning.
Just stunning.

Thanks Allen.

Great weather here so the bike will see some miles this weekend.

When I make a frame as beautiful as yours, I will have fulfilled all my dreams.
amazing work
(having someone I love enough to build something that beautiful is part of the dream of coarse)

I'm not normally a jealous person, but...


Lovely, lovely bicycle...the paint looks so rich. I have a Raleigh mixte I want to redo in a "palomino" color scheme. I'll try your painting tips.

Thank you.

If you have an air compressor and a small detail gun it's just a matter of finding an autobody supply shop and buying the paint in pint cans. I used RM Diamont color and clear over a 2 part epoxy primer.
PPG and DuPont are also readily available.
Expect to pay around a $100.00 for a two color scheme with primer, colors, clear, activators, reducers etc.

If you don't have spray equipment see if the shop will load aerosol cans with your choice of paint, some do.

Nice job!

If you don't have a gun or compressor you can use the Preval spray system.

your craftsmanship and attention to detail are incredible. the final product is a bicycle work of art!!!
the chain catcher!!!

And you don't build frames for a living because ?

My girl has looked over this bike and has given me that look... the one that says... you need to build me a bike like this.

Practical as she is, she also says I better makes some frames for other people to fund her build.

Terrific way to starve. Long ago I had both Art Stump and Bruce Gordon "suggest" that it might not lead to riches.

But then again, nothing else I've done has either, so maybe you've got a point.

You do some amazing and very artful work... I hear some guys have a 5 year waiting list now.

They may not be getting rich but they are probably not suffering and doing something they love to do... and you can't build the bikes you do without having some love for what you are doing.

Maybe I'm being presumptuous about Mr. Cassave, but I think your statement is key. I think the passion shows via the results of his metal magic artistry....a passion I hope to be able emulate one day.

I'm working on it here... one has to follow their bliss and I am happiest when I hear the whirr of machines, can smell bicycle grease, and can wield a torch and create something from next to nothing.

I think we're all very lucky to have found something, a passion, to engage us. To love cycling and bicycles is doubly fortunate for all the reasons we already all know.
To paipo: I don't see any presumption on your part. I think however, sometimes a hobby is best left a hobby. Turning a passion into a business will kill one or the other, or quite often, both.

Hope it's not too Noodly , after all that work , FWIW, I fitted out a Used Find a 531 Mercian Mixte for an [X] GF

and you could easily torque the fork sideways by pulling on the handlebars

Because of the thinwall small OD twin tubes offer little resistance, but for flatland cruising It should be a pleasant casual ride.

I`m curious about the filler you used for the rack. I just now noticed in the closeup you posted of the wire heart that it doesn`t show up. The silver I buy from my local shop (Harris, I think) is almost the same color as brass. I thought maybe your brand was different, but looking back at the unpainted frame, it looks just like mine, only not so messy . Does it lose the tint when you buff it? Did you somehow just fuse the tubing and the stainless rod with no filler wire? I take it you haven`t cromed it being as you went out of the way to build it with stainless in the first place.

The filler is 56% silver (AWS BAg 7). It does lose some of the yellow cast when it's polished. In time and with exposure to moisture it turns almost black (silver oxide) but it's easy to polish out, just like a piece of silverware.