I am having the builder's shop build up the bike as I don't have the tools or the skills. (The builder make his own brand of bike and also owns a full service bike shop.) His workshop is amazing. One of his lathes (He has a different machine for each part of the frame.) is from the Navy and was likely used to make artillery shells.

A couple of my riding pals who have seen the photo say I should leave it naked, but I like color. Some of it may end up bare brushed Ti. This is the road bike the builder recently built for himself. I have seen it in the flesh. The photo doesn't do it justice:

Cerakote Coatings: Custom Mix of H-137 Gloss White and H-169 Sky Blue

I put down my deposit in late October. Normal wait time is usually 6 months or a little more. Since I am a valued customer, I was promised it would be ready by mid-April, if not sooner. I am also curious as to how long it takes to build a frame once it's started. I may stop in the shop on Saturday. If I do, I will ask. While I believe the builder has one person who helps with finishing completed frames, the bike building end of things is otherwise a one-man operation. (Painting and ceramic coating is farmed out to a guy in central PA.) Not bad for a guy who also runs a LBS and who is married with a young child.