Preferences for brushed vs bead blasted Ti?

[XXtwindad]

I have two bead blasted Ti bikes and one with a brushed finish. Might be splitting hairs, but there's definitely an aesthetic difference. I really prefer the understated, cool metallic look of the bead blasted finish. The brushed finish is too similar to stainless, IMHO.

Others?

[eddief]

i would always choose brushed for that reason. but i get the aesthetic appeal of blasted = Moots and Potts, for instance.

[GregL]

Brushed for me. I love being able to touch up blemishes with 3M/Scotch Brite finishing pads and protect the finish with Lemon Pledge. The frame looks like new despite lots of gravel miles.

Greg

[prototoast]

The brushed finish is too similar to stainless, IMHO.


Stainless can be brushed or bead-blasted.

[XXtwindad]

Stainless can be brushed or bead-blasted.

I didn't know that.

[tuscanyswe]

I like the high end version of bead blasted. Ie moots firefly etc but the generic version of beadblasted is to dull. Its just grey with no shine.

I might actually prefere a brushed look at least after a while as the finish is so easy to maintain and look new. Bead blasted will last and look good for a long time but will eventually start to look worn.

I like both .)

[Hellgate]

Brushed. The bead blast finish reminds me of a gas line pipe.

[gcartelli]

Correct me if wrong, but can't you start with a beadblasted finish and...if and when it becomes too worn use the same 'clean up technique' you would with brushed in order to...make it brushed/

[Wattvagen]

i'm partial to the "industrial mill" finish myself.

https://cdn11.bigcommerce.com/s-m0s28s/content/images/finish-standard.jpg

[tuscanyswe]

Correct me if wrong, but can't you start with a beadblasted finish and...if and when it becomes too worn use the same 'clean up technique' you would with brushed in order to...make it brushed/

There is quite the bit of work to get a beadblasted frame turn into a brushed finish. Its certainly doable but it will take some time and a lot of elbow grease.

[Clean39T]

I prefer brushed, with polished and blasted accents.

Not crazy about the anodizing fad either.

[bart998]

I once bought a used Dean with bead blast finish... sent it back to Dean for a brush re-finish... prefer that look. Now on my third brush-finish Ti frame.

[happycampyer]

I have bikes with both and like them both. I think of the different finishes as the signatures of sorts of different builders. A Moots with a brushed finish would look odd to me. I would note that some bead-blasted finishes are more industrial looking than others, which I understand has something to do with variations in the blast medium. A finish that is very cool and that I believe is unique to Independent Fabrication (i.e., only IF offers it) is the shot-peened finish. It’s a bit coarser/more textured and darker grey than a bead-blasted finish.

To Dan’s point re anodizing, I actually like seeing all of the creative things builders have been doing with anodizing, especially Firefly, but when it came time for me to decide how to finish my raffle-winning frame, I got cold feet. I ended up going with a very subtle bronze-to-nude polished fade that is intended to look as if it’s just the light hitting the ti, and not anodization.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-BNjLs8F/0/aaa9bebd/XL/i-BNjLs8F-XL.jpg

In terms of coming up with a signature look, I think No. 22 has done a great job of defining their scheme and palette—sort of the anodization equivalent to what Baum has done in paint.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bWfTwN3/0/e832dfee/XL/i-bWfTwN3-XL.jpg

[Velocipede]

I prefer and recommend brushed finishes UNLESS the graphics will be a ti anodized finish. Those look best on a bead blasted or dark bead blasted finish. I work with a couple companies who do quite a few bare titanium finishes. Brushed is the easiest to care for which is why I recommend and prefer it.

[scoobydrew]

I like the high end version of bead blasted. Ie moots firefly etc but the generic version of beadblasted is to dull. Its just grey with no shine.

+1

Bead blasted Ti for me, but the type that still has a certain sheen under certain lighting conditions.

[John H.]

I like them both. But in my experience, I can keep brushed looking nicer. If you put a scratch in the bead blasted finish- it has to be re-blasted to remove it.


BTW- Bingham now offers brushed. Used to be 100% basted. You can get brushed with dark logos like this-
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkbaimJ2ZL/

[NYCfixie]

...A finish that is very cool and that I believe is unique to Independent Fabrication (i.e., only IF offers it) is the shot-peened finish. It’s a bit coarser/more textured and darker grey than a bead-blasted finish...

I have asked several times (via phone, email, and in-person) and they don't do it anymore. It had something to do with the external company that did the work for them.

There standard is now bead blasted which I believe is done in-house.

[CSKeller]

I prefer brushed and some paint too.

That is the way I built my Gangl Titanium.
https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=234557&highlight=gangl

The brushed finish is easy to care for...Lemon Pledge makes the bare ti shine! :)

[robt57]

My experience has been with matte or bead in time you wind up polishing areas cleaning. And you clean those area more deeply and more often. So you wind up matte with polished areas.

Thus I have found at least a Industrial mill level avoids this. This way you don't wind up eventually scotch briting the entire thing down the road, including the nooks and crannies to have it all look uniform.

My druthers anyway. Plus Matte looks too, well... gray for my liking.

I have a 1998 Ti Super Sectrum than can be made to look new again without too much effort 20+ years later.

As far a personal aesthetic preference, and who cares besides me what my Ti bikes look like, my ego/vanity prefers brushed.

[XXtwindad]

I have bikes with both and like them both. I think of the different finishes as the signatures of sorts of different builders. A Moots with a brushed finish would look odd to me. I would note that some bead-blasted finishes are more industrial looking than others, which I understand has something to do with variations in the blast medium. A finish that is very cool and that I believe is unique to Independent Fabrication (i.e., only IF offers it) is the shot-peened finish. It’s a bit coarser/more textured and darker grey than a bead-blasted finish.

To Dan’s point re anodizing, I actually like seeing all of the creative things builders have been doing with anodizing, especially Firefly, but when it came time for me to decide how to finish my raffle-winning frame, I got cold feet. I ended up going with a very subtle bronze-to-nude polished fade that is intended to look as if it’s just the light hitting the ti, and not anodization.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-BNjLs8F/0/aaa9bebd/XL/i-BNjLs8F-XL.jpg

In terms of coming up with a signature look, I think No. 22 has done a great job of defining their scheme and palette—sort of the anodization equivalent to what Baum has done in paint.

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-bWfTwN3/0/e832dfee/XL/i-bWfTwN3-XL.jpg

When I think of raw Ti frames that look classy one instantly comes to mind: the Indy Fab Crown Jewel. That is (was?) the benchmark. Everything that company did - from the logos to the head badge - was just stellar.

[XXtwindad]

I prefer brushed, with polished and blasted accents.

Not crazy about the anodizing fad either.

I'm with you. I'm in the "less is more" camp. Having said that, when it's done right, it can look unbelievably cool. Exhibit A: steveandbarb's Firefly. Class personified.

[Hikyle2]

I feel like brushed looks better on a road bike and bead blasted looks better on a gravel or mountain bike. The bead blasted seems more robust and kinda rhino liner esq. I have had a brushed road bike for about 5 yrs now and have loved the way the finish has held up.

[XXtwindad]

I feel like brushed looks better on a road bike and bead blasted looks better on a gravel or mountain bike. The bead blasted seems more robust and kinda rhino liner esq. I have had a brushed road bike for about 5 yrs now and have loved the way the finish has held up.

This is exactly what I have. Firefly road and Alliance gravel and mtb. Maybe the brushed finish says "go fast." But man, Ollie Cleveland of Dark Matter just nailed the finish on my gravel bike.

[chismog]

I'm with you. I'm in the "less is more" camp. Having said that, when it's done right, it can look unbelievably cool. Exhibit A: steveandbarb's Firefly. Class personified.

Ha, put me in the wow camp. How cool are some of these No22 and Firefly frames are with colored anodizing? Polished/contrast finished highlights look amazing too! Having had an old vamoots I got tired of plain Ti with one-color uncleared decals. I love how these types of non-paint accents make Ti bikes really pop. Not too flashy, but not completely boring either- that is an important quality for a bike you plan to have for a long time.

[gcartelli]

I would consider this sort of raw touch bead blasting particularly fitting for someone who wants neither the somewhat artificial matte or the overly polished shine

https://i.imgur.com/fZvYrHe.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WT58xi3.jpg

[8aaron8]

I like them both, the issue with the bead blast finish is if you lift the bike by the top tube the finish gets messed up over time, so for longevity the brushed finish is easier to maintain. However, I think I prefer the look of the bead blast finish, or better yet combining bead blast, brushed and polished!

[teleguy57]

Put me in the brushed camp. Ease of maintenance and easy on the eyes. A little Lemon Pledge, or even WD-40 (really :eek:) and it's a clean finish. Can't quite come to love a peened finish the way I do brushed. I think high polish ti takes it a step too far. So lucky we have great choices!

Ti Gran Paradiso from Steve Hampsten, now living with a forumite in Vermont:
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Zr3qIYmPP4A/Ux6AqIWBhwI/AAAAAAAACx4/pgRudY5Bu3Y/w958-h637-no/DSC_0086.JPG

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48227738681_22f063f20a_c_d.jpg

I like the business look of all ti with a few component accents, but there is something about ti with the right amount of paint in the right places -- like this. (Erik's standard is bead-blasted satin; this is his hand-brushed finish which I like a lot -- very similar to Hampco's finish done in house).

I've found the Silca Gear wipes to be great on the matte paint/ti combo to keep the matte matte and the brushed ti streak-free.

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48543678587_c97b683caa_c_d.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/48180064411_b3d17a87dd_c_d.jpg

[Mike V]

I would note that some bead-blasted finishes are more industrial looking than others, which I understand has something to do with variations in the blast medium. A finish that is very cool and that I believe is unique to Independent Fabrication (i.e., only IF offers it) is the shot-peened finish. It’s a bit coarser/more textured and darker grey than a bead-blasted finish

I worked in sand blasting and shot peen for aerospace industry for 10 years

The darker gray finish was done by using metal shot to get the finish. By using metal shot it make the surface harder than glass bead. They probably had problems with frame cracking and that is why they stopped offering it.

FYI glass bead is a form of shot peen.

[joosttx]

Blasted is more aero

[Mike V]

Blasted is more aero

In a way it's true. Wing skins are shot peened then material skimmed off so the finish when complete it more aero. At least that is for F16 and F16 wings are. Same finish on Patriot missles

[charliedid]

It all depends on which shoes I am wearing and if it's before or after Labor Day.

[NYCfixie]

I worked in sand blasting and shot peen for aerospace industry for 10 years

The darker gray finish was done by using metal shot to get the finish. By using metal shot it make the surface harder than glass bead. They probably had problems with frame cracking and that is why they stopped offering it.

FYI glass bead is a form of shot peen.

Having asked them several times, I got the sense that IF was trying to streamline production and metal shot-peen meant each frame had to go to an external vendor and that bike frames were not that vendor's main source of work (i.e. longer production time and added cost that most IF customers probably did not care about).

For years IF stated that shot-peen made the Ti structure stronger but I have no idea if that was factual or marketing. Either way I have never really heard of IF frames failing the way Ti frames from other manufacturers have a history of cracking more than one would expect.

[Ddub66]

[QUOTE=John H.;2784136]I like them both. But in my experience, I can keep brushed looking nicer. If you put a scratch in the bead blasted finish- it has to be re-blasted to remove it.


BTW- Bingham now offers brushed. Used to be 100% basted. You can get brushed with dark logos like this-
https://www.instagram.com/p/CDkbaimJ2ZL/[/QUOTE

+1. Ordered a Moots post for a Ti hardtail and expected it to look like the post on my 10-year old Moots road bike. Uh...no. Moots has definitely gone all in on the bead-blasted matte grey color. Sent it back and ordered a brushed, no logo version of the Eriksen/Bingham sweetpost. So i guess i'm in the brushed camp.

[texbike]

I have an older Vamoots with the blasted finish and absolutely love it. It's a signature look for them and part of the overall aesthetic. However, I do like the look of brushed Ti much better. Nice, clean, brushed Ti bikes make me smile. :)

Texbike

[wallymann]

I worked in sand blasting and shot peen for aerospace industry for 10 years

The darker gray finish was done by using metal shot to get the finish. By using metal shot it make the surface harder than glass bead. They probably had problems with frame cracking and that is why they stopped offering it.

FYI glass bead is a form of shot peen.

agree. all bead blasting is bead blasting. the difference in finish is due to the media and air pressure used.

glass bead gives the classic bead blasted look. metal shot gives the hammered look. something really sharp like aluminum oxide gives a really-really dark finish. crushed walnut shells is an excellent non-destructive paint stripper.

I blasted this wrist watch using al-ox, stainless steel went from super polished to super matte. and the last shot is the OEM glass bead finish.

http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/p1010371.jpg
http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/dsc02206.jpg
http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/IMG_5377.jpg

[XXtwindad]

agree. all bead blasting is bead blasting. the difference in finish is due to the media and air pressure used.

glass bead gives the classic bead blasted look. metal shot gives the hammered look. something really sharp like aluminum oxide gives a really-really dark finish. crushed walnut shells is an excellent non-destructive paint stripper.

I blasted this wrist watch using al-ox, stainless steel went from super polished to super matte. and the last shot is the OEM glass bead finish.

http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/p1010371.jpg
http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/dsc02206.jpg
http://brown-snout.com/horology/articles/superprof_makeover/IMG_5377.jpg

That's super cool. When I think of Ti finishes I like (Indy Fab) it looks like the middle one is the closest approximation.

[pdmtong]

Neither. Painted with a rear triangle reveal.
I’m not one for classic - maybe that’s why my Moots CR is gone

[Mike V]

Aluminum oxide is an abrasive. It cut some of the material away.

Walnut works well for a paint stripper but plastic bead really good.

Nice time pieces

[FlashUNC]

Neither. Painted with a rear triangle reveal.
I’m not one for classic - maybe that’s why my Moots CR is gone

This.

Otherwise it's distinction without difference. It's like arguing Liberty Ship hull colors.

[happycampyer]

I worked in sand blasting and shot peen for aerospace industry for 10 years

The darker gray finish was done by using metal shot to get the finish. By using metal shot it make the surface harder than glass bead. They probably had problems with frame cracking and that is why they stopped offering it.

FYI glass bead is a form of shot peen.
Yeah, I wasn’t precise in my use of the term. For some reason the cycling industry doesn’t use the term but rather uses “bead blasting” etc. When I think of shot peening, I think of “shot” as in shotgun pellets, and metal parts like pistons etc. being stress relieved, etc. But you’re right, it’s a more generic term.

My recollection is the same as NYFxies’, that IF marketed the process as making the frames more durable because the peening stress-relieved the welds. As was discussed in this thread from 12 years ago, a bicycle frame isn’t subjected to enough stress for (metal) shot peening to make a difference:

https://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?t=51936

As noted above, I wouldn’t have expected frames to have had more problems with cracking.

[Mike V]

It wouldn’t be failure for the customer. It would be failure in house. When using metal shot as a finish peening around the welds would cause the edge of the welds to peel. It’s not easy to do. Lots of factors to go wrong.

[martl]

I have two bead blasted Ti bikes and one with a brushed finish. Might be splitting hairs, but there's definitely an aesthetic difference. I really prefer the understated, cool metallic look of the bead blasted finish. The brushed finish is too similar to stainless, IMHO.

Others?

the brushed finish never appealed to me (personal preference) and it seems to "polish" a bit easier on spots where there is rub, developing a "specky" look. Hadn't had that to that extent with my Moots bead-blasted finish.

[Velocipede]

Aluminum oxide is an abrasive. It cut some of the material away.

Walnut works well for a paint stripper but plastic bead really good.

Nice time pieces

Crushed walnut was what we used at Kestrel for paint stripping. Doesn't harm carbon. Works really well. For some metal frames tho you need to blast it a bit longer.

[jpw]

Which finish takes paint the best?

[Mike V]

Which finish takes paint the best?

Sand or garnet blast. On titanium it will most likely still chip. It's hard to get adhesion on titanium.

[djg21]

Correct me if wrong, but can't you start with a beadblasted finish and...if and when it becomes too worn use the same 'clean up technique' you would with brushed in order to...make it brushed/

Sounds like a pain in the ass. I’ve always liked brushed because it is easier to maintain from the start. I do like bead-blasted cosmetics instead of decals on the brushed finished.

[jpw]

Sand or garnet blast. On titanium it will most likely still chip. It's hard to get adhesion on titanium.

Are those finishes to specifically prep the surface to take paint?

I don't mind chips and scratches. They tell a story.

I like painted titanium frames. There's a lot of scope to get creative.

[charliedid]

Are the newer bead blasted frames any easier to clean these days?

I had one in the mid 90's that was a pain to keep clean and I'm pretty good about cleaning and pretty good about not caring too much about dings and dents etc. on my bikes. But the grime was a bit tough if the bike got caught in the rain for example.

Or is it still the same?

[Velocipede]

Are those finishes to specifically prep the surface to take paint?

I don't mind chips and scratches. They tell a story.

I like painted titanium frames. There's a lot of scope to get creative.

Bead blasting is always used to prep a frame for paint. It allows the base coat/primer to adhere better. Our guys use an epoxy base coat. It's incredibly durable. I have dropped my painted ti frame a few times as well as had things hit it without damage. I have multiple painted ti gravel bikes out there with no issues. As long as they prep the frame properly and use a durable base coat/primer, chipping isn't an issue.

Are the newer bead blasted frames any easier to clean these days?

I had one in the mid 90's that was a pain to keep clean and I'm pretty good about cleaning and pretty good about not caring too much about dings and dents etc. on my bikes. But the grime was a bit tough if the bike got caught in the rain for example.

Or is it still the same?

Bead blasted frames are a nightmare for cleaning. Bead blasting opens up pores in the metal and they fill with road dirt. That's why they always look so dark after a while. I clean bare ti frames with Windex. It's amazing the color of the rags or paper towels afterwards.

[teleguy57]

Are those finishes to specifically prep the surface to take paint?

I don't mind chips and scratches. They tell a story.

I like painted titanium frames. There's a lot of scope to get creative.

I don't know about the prep process, but Ollie at Dark Matters used powdercoat over my brushed Alliance and color matched the matte powdercoat and matte wet paint on the fork.

[charliedid]

Bead blasting is always used to prep a frame for paint. It allows the base coat/primer to adhere better. Our guys use an epoxy base coat. It's incredibly durable. I have dropped my painted ti frame a few times as well as had things hit it without damage. I have multiple painted ti gravel bikes out there with no issues. As long as they prep the frame properly and use a durable base coat/primer, chipping isn't an issue.



Bead blasted frames are a nightmare for cleaning. Bead blasting opens up pores in the metal and they fill with road dirt. That's why they always look so dark after a while. I clean bare ti frames with Windex. It's amazing the color of the rags or paper towels afterwards.

So still the same.

I'll never order blasted but they all look cool in their own way and depending on how they are built up.

[pdmtong]

I hit a small lip during the initial ride on my Moots CR and heard a weird ping sound. It only manifested when I was on something bumpy.

Pulled the crank and out drops a triangular piece of blast media. That was unexpected.

[happycampyer]

For comparison purposes, here is a close-up of the metal shot-peened finish on the IF ti Crown Jewel I had many years ago:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-mbhB9Vr/0/351b9dd8/XL/i-mbhB9Vr-XL.jpg

With the flash, it's a little easier to tell just how much more textured the surface was as compared to a bead blasted finish:

https://photos.smugmug.com/photos/i-4zxKmvn/0/ee7e993f/XL/i-4zxKmvn-XL.jpg

[jtbadge]

I hit a small lip during the initial ride on my Moots CR and heard a weird ping sound. It only manifested when I was on something bumpy.

Pulled the crank and out drops a triangular piece of blast media. That was unexpected.

lol, my Rock Lobster has one of these from the powder coat I had done last year. I only hear it when hanging it up on the wall by the wheel.

[foo_fighter]

Has anyone here home blasted(walnut or soda) their frames to touch up any burnished(shiny) areas? Did it come out consistent with the rest of the finish or is it similar to scotch-briting a bead blasted frame, where you can notice the differences.