Brazed Frame that wont be a sacrilege to do this too.
 

I have an Idea for a Neat bike, I want to sand blast a copper brazed frame and just clear coat it. It looks so cool, but I dont want to do it to a bike that it would just be wrong to do it to.


So what brazed frame would be easy to find, and somewhat ok to do this to?

Hey There,

My guess is that you will be disappointed with the look and the durability of the finish of clear over a blasted frame. Once covered with the clear it all becomes a dank gray. If you polish the frame big time (very hard to do once you've blasted it) it will be a light gray once cleared............ not the shiny finish one might expect or hope for.

There are of course two ways to clear a frame and one is more durable than the other but neither or great. The best way to go is to powder coat the frame. It will seal the frame best and be the most durable. The issue with cleared powder over raw steel is that if you get any chips or scratches they allow moisture to get in and it will make small spider web like patterns under the clear. It's not that bad but it's also not great.

If you paint the frame with clear it will usually look like crap in short order. Clear coat is porous and in time moisture will makes it way through and will, in time, make the bike look very dark gray and splotchy.

I think if I were you I'd want to be sure that you like the look of clear over steel first since it's not really what most people expect. Get a piece of tube, blast it and clear it and see what you think. Unfortunately it doesn't usually show off the lug work very well and ends up just looking like bad gray paint.

I hope that helps,

Dave

it does, I like the look of the raw sanded steel with a little copper at the brazing(restoring an old frame now, which is why it gave me the idea) I havent decided on the powder of clear coat or some other unknown option, but we shall see...

I've been down this road.

I tried it on a stripped Curtlo I had a few years ago, and it was atrocious.

I have a NOS Walter Croll that I just dropped off at the painters, and just the thought of a beautiful two color paint job is pure ecstasy!

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5161/...29969f9d_o.jpg

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5085/...ec405df8_o.jpg

Sorry for the poor pics, but think of these with a clear coat. I just don't think you'll be happy.

By the way, thanks for stopping by Dave.

I'll stop by and chat with you at the show!

A JKS X is a dream for me! Maybe you'll have one to drool on at the show?

you know theres a BMX frame thats clear over steel with brazed joints, my buddy has one but I really can't recall the name? His looks supper sick sweet! Heres a pick of a BMX with a clear coat, I think its called a "Doberman." I know the OPs talkin' road bike but if they can clear coat a steel BMX why not a road bike? Like I mentioned, my buddys got one about two years now with no problems with rust or color change. He uses it in all kinds of weather too.

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y16...c/doberman.jpg

Rivendell used to offer the Bombadil in clearcoat over raw steel. I've seen it in person and I don't think it looks good at all.

Frames are brazed with brass not copper. Too means also.

I will be in Texas and there will be a JKS X there so please stop by.

Dave

My Trek is brazed with silver.

Maybe he likes a raw, industrial look. Not everything has to be glossy and shiny.

(But, of course, Mr. Kirk gives good advice regarding the limits of clear to inhibit corrosion - if that's a concern of the OP.)

+1 to ilikebikes post... there are tons of clear-over-steel bmx frames, some of which are brazed. I think they look pretty cool, personally. A friend of mine got his bilenky track bike clear powdercoated, to show off the brazing. Just remember, it will corrode a tad more quickly and much more noticeably, as others have mentioned.

-rob

My Hercules frame is clearcoated bare steel with black painted lugs. It's a gas pipe frame but I think with a stainless frame it would be cool. Like a Delorean bike.

I Just like the industrial look. Ill just keep hunting for a frame to do it with.

Thanks

brad

If I ever need a wheelchair I still plan to weld another Schwinn to the side and add a Yamaha 250cc. They won't like me in the store but they have a 'mart cart' anyhow.

Brad, I've done it and I really liked it.

However, don't blast it. Strip it chemically and then polish up to 500grit sandpaper. That's what my painter had me do and it came out really nice. Wish I still had the frame.

Go to Velospace.org and find out just how many hipsters stole your novel idea long, long ago.

-Kurt

No one has suggested a frame, so I will. A Schwinn Super Sport. An old abused, lousy surviving paint job on one, would be the perfect candidate. Best of luck.

volume bikes sells a frame in raw. its one of those fg stunt bikes. my friend has one, it looks cool because of the discoloration at the welds and they caked on the clear. i imagine the bike will be a piece of crap in five years tho - they have a 'volume bike' logo cut out on the head tube so you can see the steerer tube. the inside of the bikes tubes are untreated and my friends already has surface rust inside. i told him to do something about it but he was like 'its my bike, i get around downtown with it. if in 3 or 5 years i have to throw this frame out no one will cry'

so my point is, if you need to do this, use a frame you dont really care about because you will throw it out eventually.

We seem to be the only ones that understand there are tons of clear-over-steel BMX frames out on the roads/trails with years of use and no rust/discoloration what so ever. I guess road bike steel is sissified. ;0) All jokes aside, what I'm sayin' is this, if it can be done to a steel BMX bike it can be done with a road bike, thats all. =0) BTW, Pastorbobninh made a great suggestion with the Schwinn SuperSport frame, just be sure to get one with the forged drops!

Dude - If its just metal you want get it plated - But I could see where a raw industrial look has its place on a simple bike - Like a fixy - Then again in the Motor Cycle community we had the Rat bike. now that was a bike that was completely bulit proof sound but looked like all its components were just pulled off the junk yard - I have seen rat bicycles but I don't think it was the same intention...

Thanks! Was thinking about one of those...


oh and to Kurt, Never said it was novel, just that it was neat....

I tried to do the bare metal look with my old Technium. I had seen one after media blasting and before powdercoating that looked cool. However the chemical stripper I was using didn't penetrate the paint very well and just made it look a bit leperous.

I'd like to do the raw look on a frame and just let it rust. Spray some framesaver inside and hope that tubes don't weaken from just the outside for a few years. Would be great "ugly bike" treatment.

Good thread. I've always wondered how this would look. Keep us informed.

I agree with stripping rather than blasting. It takes some work, but I believe you will end up with a better base surface.

What bike? The world is full of bikes. Me, I'd try it on something like a Varsity (are Varsities fillet brazed?). Then, if it worked and I like it, might look for a nicer, lighter candidate.

BTW, go the the Land Shark website to see some beautiful fillet brazing.

http://www.landsharkbicycles.com/steel_tech.html

Definitely go with a fillet brazed Schwinn. Those are about the only fillet frames that few people will care about doing this to.

I like this look too, I've seen it a couple times.

Varsity is electro welded.

Why not just use a real nice steel frame that happens to have an already damaged or ugly paint job?

except you'd have orange hands and orange crotch every time you used it. wasn't there a joke similar to that involving cheetos? :innocent: