First on the powdercoat issue: In retrospect my question was somewhat offlist. I did not want to debate the ethics of powdercoating a Hetchins. All I really wanted was the technical knowledge of the list.
Second, now that the honor of brown bikes has been upheld, I feel the need to stand up for The Black Bike. It is true that steel bikes look great in bright colors. My main ride is a Coors Light team Serotta in purple and yellow with dayglo orange graphics (nicer than it sounds). And it is also true that black shows every speck of dirt.
But, back in the day nothing was better than riding the streets of Durango Colorado on an all black bike after midnight. No lights, no reflectors, and no helmet. It became an obsession, I wanted a bike that was as black and as quiet as I could make it.
All black frame, cyclone deraillers with black body, Stronglight crank with drilled out black chainrings, black pedals and straps. Black tape, cables, cages, silca pump.
Sounds a little paranoid, I know. But somehow in the post Watergate, Patty Hearst, Squeaky Fromme world it made sense.
But the real point is that it was a gorgeous bike. When it was polished and in the sunshine it was perfect. Minimalist, simple, pure.
Charles Hobbs
Colorado