Fred wrote:
> I'm assuming the differences would be
> pretty immediately evident.
Kurt,
Like many things, it all depends... This is the sort of
thing that might be noticed at a distance of 2 inches (or
perhaps 2 feet) but not at 5 feet or grater. Plus, it might
not be obvious at all in a photograph.
Cheers,
Fred Rednor - Arlington, Virginia (USA)
********
Fred is right about this, btw. Some things that don't come across in a picture, are clear as can be in person...
Still, I like this idea of comparative photos. Doug, could you post some really clear close-up shots of that Claude Butler you sent me? Post them on WoolJersey so we can compare?
I have a frame coming in from Argos soon, and I can take some shots of it too. It turned out quite nicely, but it wasn't as inexpensive as Mario Vaz by any stretch...Argos is closer in cost to American jobs, but Argos quality is up there too.
One thing I wanted to remark on in all this: the way the job looks is just part of the total business. The way it holds up is a big issue too. Esp. on bikes that are ridden often. I've found that the modern paints just do not adhere as well, and are more brittle than the old paints were, even under the best of circumstances...they tend to chip if you look at them too hard..even the best jobs can be like this.
By contrast, I have here an Argos racing frame from 1975, that I bought new at that time, to race on. Silver. The frame itself a bit crude, but the finish-job is absolutely top-class...the decal work is especially fine. And that paint! My god. It is utterly bulletproof. I rode the snot outta that thing, and while it has a pretty significant patina, that paint was amazingly robust. Not at all brittle. I think it may have been some kind of stove enamel, anyway, it adheres like glue, and impacts that would remove a big chunk of paint on a modern refinish just bounce off this thing.
I have yet to run into a modern paint-job that robust. I have a feeling those old high VOC paints were just tougher. But, perhaps some professional here can correct me.
It's one of the things I like about having Argos do a job: they've been doing high-quality paint, in my view, for over 30 years now, and for me, that kind of track-record counts.
Charles Andrews Los Angeles
Anyone who believes exponential growth can go on forever in a finite world is either a madman or an economist.
--Kenneth Boulding