Hey CR listmembers,
Just wanted to report that I'm getting very close to operating in my new workshop; maybe another week before I can begin to function. The moving and organizing will be going on for a while; but I need to get back to working as soon as possible. Since I am dragging all of my lugs and tubing from it's previous resting place, Mike Howard and myself took some time to gather up most of the materials we need for the Wizard 35th Anniversary Limited edition frames. The first five, will be under construction very soon; the second five are still available for sale.
I will be spending most of my efforts on building custom frames. I have become rather selective about what I take on for repair, paint ,and restoration. This is primarily due to the " bike collector element" out there. There are not actually very many of these people out there. As I shall explain eventually in my post regarding painting and restoration and all the related aspects; it has become necessary to decline certain projects from a short list of people who don't take into consideration various aspects and conditions that exist for the painters involved in these sort of jobs. I have found that certain perspectives and expectations are very nearly impossible to accommodate. This is most often due to a lack of consistency in what they expect. The job becomes a challenge to read minds and anticipate inconsistent application of "their standards" to the restorations in question. Painting and restoration of vintage bikes is by far the most difficult and demanding aspect related to bicycles. When complicated by adding unreasonable and inconsistent standards; being a one person operation, this finally becomes too much to deal with. Since I have many other things I can and want to do; becoming a slave to paint and restoration is not for me. For others who have nothing other than painting to deal with; perhaps it is something one has to deal with. I don't. So my work in restoration will be subject to a low volume of work for people who I determine understand what it's like to be the painter in the situation. That includes MOST people. But still I will be taking on only a small volume of paint work.
Sorry if my perspective seems odd to some of you. But I can only do so much. If you make it difficult beyond reason for me, I become uninterested in helping out. It's a basic fact of life. I do appreciate the vast majority of customers who do understand where I'm coming from. Thanks for your business.
Brian Baylis La Mesa, CA When I learn to read minds; I'll let you all know.