I used to call the Schwinn Ira. Because, you know, it's a Schvinn, and it's blue and white. So Ira was a natural name for it. Here's a pic of Ira while he was almost still a bicycle. We had almost finished tearing it down and I realized I hadn't taken a picture. Oops!Last weekend we stripped the bike down to frame + box of parts, and I took the frame to the shop for painting earlier in the week.
I got the call today that the shop who does the powder coating was ready to do my frame. Powder coating is about the coolest process ever, and it's solvent free (except for the stripping they do prior to coating). Read more about it here. The result is a shiny, hard surface that is durable, flexible, and bulletproof.
Since this was to be a 2-coat job, they would do a test plate for me to see if I liked it before I was ready to commit. I really needed to be there. While the guy doing it was totally competent, he'd never done what I was asking for. His prime gig is furniture, but he loves bikes and does them on the side.
It works out that I have caught my daughter's cold, and my training is on hold for a couple days - I had time to go be involved in an artistic process.
When I arrived, they'd just finished spraying the frame and test plate. It looked like this.
The test plate came out of the oven pink and shiny and pretty, and a shade lighter than it went in. I was very happy with that.Then he sprayed the glitter onto the test plate.
Oh. My. God.
I think I actually squealed, it was so pretty.
They put the test plate in the oven and baked it again.
It came out pink, shiny, and sparkly. Oh so sparkly.
"Oh yeah," I said. "Hell yeah. Paint that baby NOW!!!"
So they did.
And then they baked it again.
Then he wrapped it up and I brought it home.
You would not believe how hard it is to capture the glitteriness of it. In person, it sparkles exactly the way I wanted - like a pink sugar coated thing. On film? not so much.
Even the cat likes it.
I'm gonna miss you, Ira...NOT!!
8 comments:
ooooo... what a pretty, shiney thing you have. How fun.
Wow... that is cool. I can't afford a new bike, so maybe I should get a new paint job! Maybe Pink? Um, no. LOL.
So what's the new name? Irmina?
Now that sounds like my kinda FUN!
I wish I could see her in person. (I'm told I'm all about the sparkly things!)
i love it, she's a really pretty pink!!
i'm definitely thinking that's a good idea for my road bike!
bubble gum
Nice :-) I like the sparkles.
Holy crap I love it! And I didn't even think I was a pink person.
Oh cats... they make me giggle. I'm glad to know you have one.
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