Am I the only one who sees the problem here?!

Look at the second picture, it's obvious.

C'mon man, if you're going to shoddy* work at least put yer shoes on. Or do better framing*.


That is some beautiful job! Do you feel like the undercoat that the powder coater put on is an improvement over whatever primer you would have normally used?
I had a little overlap with the seat tube decals on my Ron Cooper restoration. I'm the only one who notices. At least, I'm the only one who points it out.

Cheers, Eric *with intent

A lot of bother for nothing. The seams all but disappeared after I shot the clear. Looks fantastic IMO. One spot of clear started to sag but I will wet sand it out later this summer.

The paint seemed to go on quite nicely after the powder was sanded and only where the flaws were around the chrome logs did I have to sand to metal. There I used some self etching primer and shot a coat just on the primer. I let it dry then three more complete coats, decals and two coats of clear today.. The powder is VERY hard so if I get a chip it will not show as easily.

My toes? at least I cut my nails for the shoot. Much to the consternation of my better half I have been working in the house because we are trapped by flood water. and have some extra days off work because of it.

Wrapping a decal around a tube is ALWAYS difficult at the meeting of the ends. It's really hard to achieve that perfect join. I've never been able to achieve it so I try for a less noticeable overlap. (I wonder just how many frame builders/restorers have actually faced this very same problem?)

As you point out, "The seams all but disappear...." and, you are correct; they all but disappear. It's a really nice finish and I really admire it.

Don't forget to post the final build.

My very first 'real' bike was a 2nd hand Bob Jackson in the mid 1970's and I still regret trading it on. I love your frame and am thankful to have the opportunity to see it in your photos - thanks.

I still remember those beautiful Bob Jackson bikes and frame from college in the early 1970s. They were things of great beauty and desired from afar by a poor student. Nothing like a paneled head tube and banded seat tube. The chromed Nervex fancy lugs are more are iceing on the cake.

To the OP, your work is one of those rare things that truely gives homage to those beautiful framesets with their gorgeous shiny enamel and chrome. Tell the truth, you have a time machine and it is really a brand new frasmeset...

Two vintage bikes keep my love of C&V alive - Bob Jackson and the Peugeot PX10 (in white of course) of the early 1970s.

Gotta be one of the most difficult jobs in any restoration. I don't know what causes more stress than applying decals. I'm batting about .750.

Had it out for a spin and It rides like butter ! I am very sore though as I went out for two hours without adjusting the bike fit for me. There are a few things still need done ie finish leather bar wrap, period cabling, deciding on a bottle cage and a couple screw ups- tore brake hood, laced wheels wrong but it will come together for next eroica. This is the first bike I have put this much attention in, I have wanted one since I was a kid in the 70's

^so nice !
Congrats

Beautiful. Well done.

Assembled well. The look brings back the theme of many a Bob Jackson that were sold through the shop I worked for decades ago.
Jackson had “ stock colors” and then often sent an array of unique colors, yellow, black, orange, purple, two tone red and white, someone there had an eye for smart looking bikes.

a comment to all ( I include myself as I have goofed even with notes, incomplete notes ) the re-spray shifted the red bands down a bit, the front derailleur clamp catches the red band, on the original, the bands begin above. Decades ago we took measurements, even take a strip of cardboard and create a witness stick to note the locations. In this case, as the band clamp covers the black end line, it does not read as an error.

these issues were show up in production bikes too, Raleigh Grand Sports come to mind, Colnago stamped his chainstay too far forward where the big ring covered half the text, Masi goofed the same way for a time, ( the knowledge got lost somewhere for a period)
there are many other examples, maybe the most persistent is the Schwinn Paramount downtube text, where is one to place the water bottle clamp... .? Decades before Camelbacks, and handlebar bottle mounts were out of fashion...

LOL I was going to fix this but I ran out of water slide paper to make new ones. When I put the first panel on I measured from the crank center when it actuality I should have measured from the top of the bb shell. I have intentions of fixing it next winter as it does bother me. I also placed the top tube decals too far forward, which I also plan to fix.