>I won't comment on the Colnago as I don't know much about these
>bikes, but I do know that on French constructeur bikes the paint was
>thinner than modern paint jobs.
>
>Logical when you think they spent hours and hours thinning down
>lugs, making things crisp and neat; putting on a heavy coat of paint
>clogging up the lugs and rounding off detail would have destroyed
>all their preparatory work.
>
>Why is it that modern paint is on average quite thick? Is it that it
>just can't be thinned down more, or is it an esthetic choice?
>
>Is it a problem due to the chemical nature of the paint, or the way
>it is applied to the frames?
I think one issue is that modern paints are used for cars. Cars don't have lugs, and any small irregularities are blemishes that should be covered up. Furthermore, modern cars no longer are rubbed down by hand, so the paint is supposed to smooth out, rather than form orange peel. That means it'll creep into lug edges, etc., as it smooths out.
Much also depends on aesthetics. Keith Anderson mentioned that he
does not want to see the edges of the decals when he paints a bike,
but he wants a wet, glossy look. That is one view. I prefer thin
paint that closely hugs the tubes and lugs of the frame. I would not
say one way is superior, it is just a different aesthetic.
>Why can't a small batch of paint approaching what was used on early
>bikes be produced for restorers looking for an authentic looking
>finish be produced? Not cost efficient?
>
>It was mentionned that some makers (Peter Weigle for ex) are capable
>of producing a thin paint job, what is their secret?
That comes down to the difference in aesthetics. Most of all, there is a difference between a restorer and a builder/painter. The former tries to capture what was originally, the latter strives for perfection (however defined). I have seen "builder/painters" use very different techniques from the original, whether it is for attaching racks and fenders, or using decals instead of hand-lettering, and stencils instead of hand-lining, because that is how they do things. To me, that is fine when making a "hot rod" like Peter Weigle's Paramount randonneur bike, but not on a restoration.
After several less than satisfactory experiences with bike restorations, I decided to look outside the bike world when restoring several bikes for our book "The Competition Bicycle." There are some great bike painters, but I felt that communicating what I needed was hard by phone. (And shipping a tandem frame across the country on a tight deadline also was daunting.) Finally, none of the painters were comfortable doing the lining and lettering on a Rene Herse bike by hand.
I worked with a local car painter, who paints classic cars destined for the Pebble Beach Concours and similar venues. Him being local allowed me to be on site. He did use modern paints, but he reduced them and sprayed them very, very thin. He left the orange peel he'd usually have rubbed out, because that is how the original bikes looked. He did use rubbing compound to take a bit of the shine off the paint.
The results are very close to what these bikes looked like originally, as you can see in the book. Of course, new paint is shinier than 50-year-old paint, but if you imagine how these bikes looked when new, I think they did look close to this. When facing the head tube for the headset, I realized how thin the paint really is...
I also was able to find a local guy who specializes in pinstriping and painting flames on hot rod cars. He practised for a day, then did the lining and lettering by hand. Again, he did an awesome job, but it was only after looking far and wide that I found him. Time will tell whether the modern gold paints will oxidize like the old ones did, becoming almost olive green over time. For now, it's very golden, but that is how they were when new...
When doing a restoration, many are happy with "better than new," which in most cases means glossier and thicker paint. If you want it to look more or less authentic, it takes some extra effort. But I think it is worth it. To me, authentic-looking paint is as important as the correct decals or the correct components.
Of course, I still vastly prefer an original paint job, but that is a different matter. However, I do feel that if you repaint a bike, it doesn't devalue it completely, if it accurately represents its original condition. If you look at the car world, it appears that repaints with patina are valued almost as highly as original cars. In any case, many of the truly high-end bikes, like high-end cars, were repainted several times during their active lives. It was common for Rene Herse to repaint his "team" bikes every season, so they looked shiny and new.
Jan Heine
Editor
Bicycle Quarterly
140 Lakeside Ave #C
Seattle WA 98122
http://www.vintagebicyclepress.com