Dave,
The thin clear coat is actually only the last step in the numerous coats that many exotic colors require; all of which have to add up to the final result of a super thin paint job. Since the topic came up earlier, I was inspired to take a REALLY close look at a frame I painted within the past year that belongs to listmember Charles Andrews. It's a Baylis frame and is painted pearl yellow with pearl white head tube and seat tube panels. Yellow is one of the most difficult colors to paint and keep thin because it is very low solids (doesn't hide very well) which normally means more or heavier coats. The pearl over the yellow adds to that. As I looked at this paint job in the bright sun I have to admit, even I was astonished at how thin it is! This is amazing to me only because I know how many total coats go on a color like this. Let's count them.
One full coat of primer. One coat of white, two coats of yellow, two coats of clear with yellow pearl added. Then decals applied over which are applied 5 or 6 unreduced coats of clear and then one unreduced coat over the entire frame. Sand and then two final coats of clear. That's nine coats over everything and 14 or 15 over the decals! That seems like a lot of paint but when you look at this frame it's like the paint is so tight on the metal it's scary and yet at full gloss and smooth as glass no matter where you look. Look behind the brake bridge or anywhere else and the paint is the same. When I look at paintwork, that's what I'm looking at. The colors and graphics and all the other stuff all count for sure, but there are technical aspects to paint application that aren't often recognized until someone points it out. Every painter has a different touch. No one does as overall perfect paint job as Joe Bell and crew; but I still get a little thrill out of my ability to lay it on in a special way that gives my frames that "Baylis look". I don't mean to blow my own horn; but since I'm not really in the paint arena anymore I just couldn't contain my reaction to a real close look at Charles' frame. I remember looking at Chuck Schmidts' 1974ish Wizard with original jet black paint job and commenting on how thin the paint job was even back then. Sometimes I even surprise myself.
My apologies for that blurt. It doesn't happen that often, does it? I'll try to behave now.
Brian(born with a silver paint gun in my mouth)Baylis
La Mesa, CA
>
> Yes, and a difference noticeable by those who wrench on bikes is that the
> thick "dipped-look" clear coat chips terribly easily especially on areas
> that flex--seat lug ears, for instance. A thinner clear coat wears better
> in the real world that the bike lives in.
> David Feldman
> Vancouver,WA
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Brian Baylis" <rocklube@adnc.com>
> To: "Mark Petry" <mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net>
> Cc: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
> Sent: Friday, January 11, 2002 9:14 AM
> Subject: Re: [CR]RE: Bike colors
>
> > Mark,
> >
> > Most of the "wet look" on a paint job has to do with the clear that is
> > used. Imron clear is crystal clear and flows very smooth because it is
> > polyurethene enamel. Imron was billed as "the wet look" paint from the
> > beginning. Where the skill of the painter comes in is the thin
> > application of the paint. If one starts looking at custom paint jobs
> > from various painters, a trained eye can see a thick looking smooth
> > clearcoat a mile away. The trick to awsome appearance and improved
> > durability is the thin application of all colors including the final
> > clear coat. The look (compared side by side) of the thin application of
> > paint that is smooth as glass is superior to that of the "thick" look
> > that almost appears like the frame was dipped instead of sprayed. Most
> > people only see the resulting colors, but skilled painters can tell a
> > master touch from an adverage touch with a glance.
> >
> > Brian Baylis
> > La Mesa, CA
> > >
> > > The prettiest bike I've ever seen, bar none, was a pearl white Dave
> Moulton
> > > frame, painted by Cyclart, formerly owned by listmember Ritzmon and now
> oned
> > > by one Wm. Preucel of Palo Alto who rides it to Colorado or Tuscon every
> > > couple weeks. This bike had 4 or 5 colors faded under the pearl, from
> blue
> > > to red to violet, when you got it out in the sun it was DAZZLING.
> > > Absolutely the prettiest paintjob I've ever seen.
> > >
> > > A close 2nd is the "laser purple" that Mr. Baylis laid on my Wizard,
> which
> > > gets comments everywhere it goes. I'm partial to the deep blues and
> purples
> > > found on Hetchins, but the poly enamels cant possibly match the current
> crop
> > > of paints available from Dupont or Ditzler.
> > >
> > > What I want to know is how they get the "wet look" in the paint. This
> has
> > > got to be the skill of the painter, laying it on just right with no sag.
> > >
> > > =====================================================
> > > Mark Petry 206.618.9642
> > > Beautiful Bainbridge Island, WA
> > > mpetry@bainbridgeisland.net
> > > =====================================================
> > > "The main difference between genius and
> > > stupidity is that genius has limits"
> > >
> > > Albert Einstein
> > > =====================================================
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > _______________________________________________
>
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