Not my ride. This is a recent fixy rejuvenation project I’ve been working on for Dave in Thornbury.
http://www.kookiebikes.com/gallery/davesrestoration.htm
other recent chroming works here:-
http://www.kookiebikes.com/gallery/chromedaerofork.htm
Matt
Kookie Bikes
Drroooool…get me a towel.
Wow.
I’m not easily swayed from my views on bike colours (black, only black), but that looks hot.
What exactly can be chromed, material-wise?
Dude that’s gross :?
If you mean Aluminium frames? No, cannot be done with the process used above.
Matt
So I can’t chrome my keyboard then? What about the cat? Anyone recall that “Hey hey Billy can you deep-fry the…” from Ren & Stimpy?
What I meant in all seriousness though, was: steel can be chromed, but what other metals can? Or is it an elitist steel thing?
Very impressed, the old frame reso looks hot. Any idea what parts are going to be thrown at it?
To date it’s got Hatta BB and Headset (NJS), as shown. Since these photos were taken Nitto B125 track bars and Technomic quill stem (120mm ext.) have been added. Dave has scored himself some Campy cranks (may have unusual french pedal thread drillings though) on Ebay. We are waiting on a 26.8mm Nitto seatpost to arrive on special order. When it’s completed I’ll post some more pics.
Matt
Nice looking frame. Makes me want to take my Raleigh out for chroming in Ipswich.
Here’s some sweet built up chromed Carltons:
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/june/NesThatBearLikeGrrrrl.htm
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2006/june/JoePhillips.htm
http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/2005/july/DanPersons.htm
Also, you can’t chrome plate modern high strength steels. Embrittlement occurs IIRC.
You could “chrome” plate your keyboard, by vacuum depositing aluminium on it. Or you could electroless deposit metal onto it, then electroplate with copper, nickel, chrome.
Hot. Needs some paint though… all-crome is a bit much i think.
I agree. Mask off the lugs and dropouts and paint the tubes. Those blinding reflections could result in even more erratic driving (and riding) as per recent topics. But each to their own…
Put that Shiney disc on it.
Find a front one and do the same.
Then get some silver Aviators and go riding.
Yep.
Bling bling bling!!
nice.
what’s the cost?
while my current bike is already chromed, i had another frame which i wanted just the fork chromed - and the certain bicycle expert who powder coated it, said it was ‘impossible to chrome old steel’.
now im really annoyed because obviously it isnt.
also, how do you mask the lugs when chroming? what do you mask them with? i was always under the impression painted lugs on chromed bikes had pre-chromed tubes brazed onto plain steel lugs which were painted?
tchuss, nick!
The chromers will look at an old steel frame and warn that results will not be perfect, especially around surfaces that cannot be easily accessed by machine polishing.
I don’t believe chromers will mask lugs etc during chroming. It’s all or nothing (not exactly true - they will chrome the rear triangle, but cost is similar do doing the whole frame). Then areas you want to remain chromed are masked before painting.
Regarding the matters of chrome and paint, can anyone recommend any good paint shops? I’ve got a columbus slx-tubed road frame that I want to re-spray. The whole frame’s presently chromed (at least, I’ve no reason to suspect that it’s not, since the stays are chrome, and chips in the paint reveal that the front triangle is too); I’ve located a paint stripping joint that gives the impression of knowing what they’re doing, and I can do the masking myself, but, whilst I’m not averse to also painting it myself, a more professional paint job wouldn’t go astray. I know Paconi offer such a service, but I’m disinclined to pay their prices, particularly since I’ve heard mixed reviews of their work. Any suggestions?
What are their prices?
I was quoted $200, from memory, for a basic single colour. I believe this included masking and paint-stripping, but I don’t remember for sure. Also, I believe a minimum turnaround time of three weeks was mentioned.
Maybe I’m being unreasonably tight-arsed about it, but I’ve already spent more money on that bike than I’d planned to, and so $200 is a bit more than I’m willing to pay at the moment.
For what it’s worth, the paint-stripping place I spoke to quoted $25 to strip a frame, or $30 for frame and fork.
Matt, may I ask what you would charge? For plain black and a gloss clearcoat? (Frame only; the fork is all chrome, and I like it that way. Also, I already have replacement SLX decals for it, and I don’t want any manufacturer decals on it.)
PM me or email me if need be.
Paconi told me a while back that chrome and paint would cost up to about $400.
Stripping and refinishing a frame, especially with chrome lugs and stays can be fairly labout intensive so I don’t think the price is unreasonable, but I’ve heard those stories too so I wouldn’t trust them to do the job properly anyway.
I’m looking to get into painting my own frames - but in the meantime I’d consider checking out an automotive paint place. One that specialises in blinging up ricey pieces of crap should have access to all the good stuff. Probably a lot cheaper if you do your own masking etc - I wouldn’t trust a non-bike-mechanic to know what to mask anyway.
Chroming looks awesome Matt - You built that fork?