Repainting and Rechroming
 

Where do you go, and what did you pay? (If you care to share :)) I'm thinking about getting something crazy done - repaint frame and rechrome fork but it's hard to justify paying more than twice what I paid for the frame. Clearly I need to find the fine line between price and quality. Suggestions?

I just talked to Cyclart and they spent literally 20 minutes on the phone with me and went over everything. If I come across the dough they sound like they do a seriously good job.

Your thoughts?

Do you mind if we know what the object of this work might be?

The infamous pink Colnago!

My local--50 miles away which is local out here on the plains--plater restored the chrome plating on an '84 Olmo fork that had been sanded down and painted for $65. That included removing the paint, polishing the fork and new plating. It looks fabulous.

And that's properly chromed? If so, I need their number.

wow, 23 skidoo, that's cheap.

Yeah. I'd like that information as well. Have a frame right here that could use a total chrome job....

I vaguely remember something about chrome being clear and the metal look is actually nickel. Does that mean a chrome shop can do this satin finish?

http://www.bikeforums.net/attachment...2&d=1294881036

Chrome plating done correctly is copper, then nickel, then chromium.
Here is a pretty good analogy:
- Copper is like primer when painting. It sticks well to steel, fills in imperfections, and nickel sticks to it.
- Nickel is like the paint. It covers the copper layer and gives the final color.
- Chromium is like the clear coat. It protects the nickel layer from tarnishing. The chromium layer is only 0.00005–0.0005 mm thick.

+1

Regards,
j t

Cyclart? Don't bother. They'll nickel and dime you to death, charge way too much for too-thick paint and in the end any errors on their part will be your fault. Chrome? First you'll have to mortgage your house! Hell, they might even fill in any pitting with bondo but charge you for inflated metalwork costs; as long as it's hidden under the paint, why not, right?

Don't even get me started on custom decal work :rolleyes:

Personal experience...just sayin'...

DD

Hah alright, thanks for that. Definitely good to know. Have you used any shops since?

D-dude,
wow ...sounds like you've had some unfortunate experiences. Not to open a healing wound, but, have you shared them here? Maybe so.
I've never had any of this done. Only seen one Cyclart painted frame and I agree, I don't like the too-thick paint look.
Do any of the highly touted frame painters NOT use IMRON?

I have a fork that needs to be redone and live in the Richmond VA area. I read on some automotive sites about this place. Supposedly good quality at good prices. I will give them a try and report back.

http://www.hanlonplating.com/index.php

Seriously - share the name of this place. Lincoln is only a three hour drive for me and I'd be up there in a flash!

Replating chrome? Stop by any Custom Motorcycle shop in your area and ask them where they send their parts. I worked in a plating shop a few summers during high school, learned alot about the process. When you choose a plating shop, Always talk to the person that will be doing the prep/polish work on the item you want plated. Some polishers will grind away small details on frames and forks (lug work) and destroy the bike. So be careful.

Mike

Alex, I'd suggest you give CircleA in Providence a call:

http://circleacycles.com/

From what I've seen and heard, their work is on a par with CycleArt's though that might include the pricing, too!

Neal

This was just the one frame of two I had them do - then I gave up on them. Both had too-thick paint in the end. I ended up selling both frames, too. In the end, I built up the one they really botched, rode it once and discovered the paint was cracking away from the chrome underneath at the rear brake bridge. That was the final straw for me.

Both Colnagos, both too much money wasted. Very personal gripe with them: that damned decal they put on it, supposedly to "avoid red herrings". Please. Nobody is going to mistake one of their repaints for original. Besides, isn't that sorta telling your customer you don't trust him/her to represent the bike as refinished if that customer ever sells it down the road? That marketing scheme - and that's all it is - really leaves me cold.

However, I've found a superb refinisher here in Seattle at Elliott Bay Bicycles, home of Davidson custom frames. I've had four frames done there - they're all featured in BF threads. They do great work; yes, the work isn't cheap, but at least they deliver on their promises!

I've been way more than happy with my bike-related stuff since I swore off Cyclart :)

DD

I was just in Elliot Bay Cycles this week. They have some beautifully painted bikes on display there. One that really caught my eye was a black Colnago(not for sale BTW). The 'depth' of the finish was amazing, and it was show quality with no flaws. I saw a couple of bikes there in my size(62&64), and If I had the coin, one of them would have gone home with me.

I'll say Circle A Cycles in Providence, R.I. as well. They are great to deal with and IMHO the price is reasonable and the work top notch.

I had my built in 1980 custom frame repainted by them in November and it's on their site's blog under "History lesson". Attached are some pictures. The maker's name and head badge logo are not decals - they are painted on and done from digital files (they have a whatchamacallit cutting machine) I supplied.

Alex, I've had some frame painting and re-chroming done by a shop in Salem. The chrome fork cost me a hundred but it was gorgeous. Drop me a pm and I'll pass on the info.

Scott

I'm trying to think of a reason why you wouldn't want to share that information with all of us.

Toxic herald used to do the DeKerf paint an it was beautiful and thin. He's independant now, and doing lovely work in House of Kolor paint:

http://www.toxikdesignlab.com/galler...ls.php?album=3

Disclaimer: I haven't used him myself, but have loved DeKerf paintjobs since I was 12.

Does toxic also do restoration paint work?

No idea, sorry. What does that mean, reproduction of original graphics, colour matching, etc.?