Painting Ti...

[Dekonick]

My bike is getting an update with Tom Kellog. Kelly Bedford was nice enough to undertake a special project for me and cut my Hors and install S&S couplers... but was not able to easily finish the paint the way I wanted. I respect his decision as he did not want to tread in Serotta territory. I wanted polished Ti with a brushed finish. So...

I started checking out other options for a re-finish of my Ti bike. I love this frame and plan on keeping it with me as long as I can ride, hence the request for S&S and a slight change of geometry (hey - my back 'n neck aren't great...) KB was willing to undertake for me. Thanks again!!! KB will always be on my top list for custom - along with Tom K, Serotta, and D. Kirk. Great folks!

Anyway - Spoke with Tom today. Great fellow! My bike is finally in que to start work so we discussed options.

Here is what we came up with:

Remove all paint from frame (this has been done... shame as it was purdy, but the torch burned some away... alas...)

Send frame to TK's 'crome' guy - he will properly polish the frame on the head tube, seat tube, and down tube. Back to TK.

TK will mask off Serotta stencils to the DT, ST, and one S on the HT.

TK will give the entire frame a brushed finish, with special attention 'blasting' on area's adjacent to the stencils.

The bike will get masked off and 2 black panels will be painted - one on the DT, one on the ST. Hopefully (IF there is room...) he will be able to mask a small polished Ti ring at each panel around the tubes... so

The end result will be a brushed Ti finish, with 2 black panels, with bright polished Ti SEROTTA 'decals on each tube, and a polished S on the head tube.

I think it will look sharp - with mostly black components (campy 10) a black Brooks, and black HandleBra!

Any thoughts? Any other suggestions? I am time limited.. but open to idea's!

:)

FWIW - Black was decided upon as it would give an industrial feel to the frame. This will work well with the DKS stays IMHO. Black, grey and polished Ti -

:)

[Dekonick]

Oh yeah... I was concerned about pain adhesion on the decal area's. Tom seemed to think it will not be a problem and he will take extra precautions to make the Ti surface accept paint.

:)


TK, KB, and Serotta have ALL been excellent to work with! What class folks all around.

[soulspinner]

Tom can paint like few others, great choice, pics and ride report please.

[Aaron O]

My thoughts are - i love it. I'm not into painted titanium but think panels would look terrific. If you wouldn't mind, could you tell me what you're being charged? I have a painted ti frame coming and I'm debating between having it retouched or blasted as you did. I don't understand painting titanium, but what I'm getting is yellow, and I do love yellow bikes.

[Smiley]

Tom Kellogg knows paint on Ti better than anybody. Also Tom does his polished through paint stencil of the decals likes its nobdy's business. I know between what Kelly delivered and what Tom will finish up Mike will end up with his dream Hors Categorie for life.

[jr59]

Tom Kellogg knows paint on Ti better than anybody. Also Tom does his polished through paint stencil of the decals likes its nobdy's business. I know between what Kelly delivered and what Tom will finish up Mike will end up with his dream Hors Categorie for life.

I would 100% agree with this.

Of course I am a little bias. :p

[Dekonick]

The price is not fixed; we are working with an open dialogue. It should be somewhere in the $300 range for the polishing, and bead blasting - depending on how much the decal stencil's cost. Paint on the website is ~400 but he told me he would probably only charge $150 for 2 panels. Worst case, it will be less than $500. Well worth it for a lifetime frame. :beer:

[zap]

Sounds like this will be a cool travel bike.

[PaMtbRider]

Post pictures when you get the frame back. Tom has a great eye for finishing a bike to make it look right.

[slowgoing]

Thanks for posting this. I have a painted legend but have always wanted one in matte/polish. Sounds like I should give Tom a call about a conversion.

[martinez]

I would 100% agree with this.

Of course I am a little bias. :p

the headbadge is really simple, but really beautiful at the same time.
im a simple man :beer:

[Elefantino]

I'm really interested to know how this whole process goes. I've been toying with the idea of turning the Concours into a S&S bike and painting it.

I'll be following all the updates. Keep us posted.

[Dekonick]

I'm really interested to know how this whole process goes. I've been toying with the idea of turning the Concours into a S&S bike and painting it.

I'll be following all the updates. Keep us posted.

Ill post lots of pictures when I get her back. My S&S conversion was more to change the geometry just a hair - enough for my aging body...

The S&S is just a bonus feature!