Tangentially, I saw a refinished silver Cinelli in listmember Bob Freeman's (hope I have these right) bike shop in Seattle, Elliot Bay Cycles that I thought was really a faithful and subtle recreation of the original look. If I needed a Cinelli refinished, I'd call him.
Kurt Sperry Bellingham WA USA
On 4/20/07, brianbaylis@juno.com <brianbaylis@juno.com> wrote:
>
>
>
> Marcus,
>
> Refurbishing a standard Cinelli seems like an easy job; but Cinellis
> are deceivingly difficult to make look close to the original. The main
> issue is the color. One must look for a real fine grain silver and
> apply it correctly in order for it to look proper. I have to use
> different paint for making Euro type metallics that look correct for
> Italian bikes of the period. These colors show sanding scratches and
> such real well, so extra work is required to use these more correct
> colors. The finishing details also make a huge difference as to how
> correct it looks, as does correct decal placements.
>
> There are a lot of issues related to the plating also, especially on
> Cinellis. The seat stays are VERY vulnerable to rusting through from
> the inside on account of how the original chrome was done (lacking
> proper drainage of the seat stays). If you want stuff that looks really
> close to the original and done properly all the way around, you have
> to pay the big bucks. Fact of life.
>
> Let me say a few words about chrome plating. This is true here in So
> Cal, which means sooner or later it will be true for everyone. We seem
> to be the first with the most strict controls for the environment and
> the first to have to respond to government regulations, and therefore
> the first to have to raise prices to cover this. Our platers are
> working at the strictest and cleanest (as in overkill as usual)
> standards in the country. Thanks to everyone who bitches about global
> warming and every other potential hazard to mankind they can think of.
> That's fine, we need to cherish Mother Earth for sure, so QUIT bitching
> about what it costs to do a real authentic paint job with the best
> materials, authentic high quality decals, and environmentally compliant
> plating companies. Our plating costs have more than tripled since the
> year 2000, and I don't think we've seen the end of it. Eventually,
> plating will be only for the very rich; or those who recognize the
> time, experience, and effort it takes to make this stuff happen.
>
> There's a LOT more to it. But I'm sure most don't want to hear all of
> what we have to deal with to do top class painting and restoration. You
> might end up thinking our work is a bargain, God forbid; and even start
> to wonder how someone would want to do this much work for $20,000 per
> year. Hummmmm.
>
> The complaints would REALLY start to come in if I charged each person
> the dollars per hour they make while I did their restoration.
>
>
> Brian Baylis
> La Mesa, CA
>
>
>
>
> -- marcus.e.helman@gm.com wrote:
> I recently had Franklin Frames repaint my Cinelli. There was no questio
> n
>
> about preserving patina--the Cinelli had already been repainted by someo
> ne
>
> with a rattlecan. Franklin did a pretty good job. Chrome is good. Pai
> nt
>
> edges are crisp. Paint is not too thick.
>
> But the color is wrong. It is silver, but not Cinelli silver. There is
>
>
> way too much metal flake in the paint. There is a place on the downtube
>
>
> where it feels like a corner of a decal wants to poke through the
>
> clearcoat. I supplied a replica headbadge. Jack attached it with rivet
> s
>
> rather than screws. The whole job took over three months. It cost $550
> ,
>
> and it is not quite perfect. I know that most people won't notice these
>
>
> little things, and that handwork requires time, and one should expect
>
> variation, but I am just a bit bummed at how it turned out.
>
> What is a person to do under these circumstances? I cannot bear the ide
> a
>
> of sending it back to Franklin and asking Jack to repaint it the right
>
> color. I guess the answer is to live with it. Have any of you ever sen
> t
>
> a frame back to the painter? How bad does it have to be before one can
>
>
> reasonably ask for a redo?
>
> When you see my Cinelli at Cirque, please tell me how nice it looks, so
>
>
> that I will feel better
>
>
> Best regards,
> Marcus Helman
> Huntington Woods, MI