Decal replacement options ...

[Deleted member 24574]

Re:

Got it back, very happy with it.

From a couple of feet away you can't tell the text from decals, up close the hand written nature of the work reveals itself, the finish of the paint is really nice and the fact it was done by a artisan with no computer cut masks is really pleasing. A craftsmans solution in keeping with the hand made nature of the rest of the frame.

He even did the tiny ringed R for the registered trade mark.

 

[Robbied196]

Re: Re:

Got it back, very happy with it.

From a couple of feet away you can't tell the text from decals, up close the hand written nature of the work reveals itself, the finish of the paint is really nice and the fact it was done by a artisan with no computer cut masks is really pleasing. A craftsmans solution in keeping with the hand made nature of the rest of the frame.

He even did the tiny ringed R for the registered trade mark.

You found what you were looking for and you are happy with the result, so that is what counts

I don't get the obvoius distain of a computer cut mask. That would be the nearest representation to a screen print, which is how the original decals would have been produced. Ironically, I'm from an age of cow gum, stencils, hand painting and screen printing. Its what I did, and at the time, the only way it could be done. I Guess today, maybe you could call it artisan, I never remember it being so back in the day, it was just a skill or ability, it was just how it was done.

Many waterslide and varnish fix decals were screen printed from way before my time and continued to be so into the 90s. Each spot colour would be built up one on top of the other in mirror image, an expensive process today. The nearest representation today would be computer generated and digitally printed, just ask Nick at H. Lloyd. In my opinion, reproduction decals are as good today. The computer is just todays tool. Hand cut stencils replaced hand painting, and Agfa darkroom cameras created positives for screen printing and replaced hand cut stencils in the 70s.

I have a different take on the result. I think Pinarello equals craftman built precision...'perfection', or as near as any builder can get to it. To me, the decals look a little rustic, there's the edge shadow of the original decal and the hand painted brush strokes are endearing but out of place and don't marry up with the beautiful cromovelato paint, so It looks like a conflict of craftsmans styles.

But thats just my view, which probably ain't worth much.

 

[Nob]

from the pics he has done a good job & just make out the runs of a brush so I wonder if you could buff that to a smooth finish?

 

[Deleted member 24574]

Re: Re:

I don't get the obvoius distain of a computer cut mask.
.

You misunderstand, I don't have any distain for anything done that way I just like the fact that in this day and age there are still a few craftsmen around with skilful hands.

I used computer decals on my last project and they looked great.

On this one I don't think that was an option as I wanted to preserve the cromovelato finish and because the flaked decals had left an edge in the clear coat I think it would have been an impossible task to get the decal to exactly match the edge in the clear coat.

This solution I believe is the closest to perfection that could have been achieved AND preserved the cromovelato finish.

 

[k-rod]

Re:

Who really cares what anyone else thinks, as long as you like it! :!:

 

[bigpantswheels]

Re:

Looks great, did you have the whole frame clearcoated afterwards?

 

[Deleted member 24574]

Re: Re:

Looks great, did you have the whole frame clearcoated afterwards?

No i didn't get it clear coated.

The photos do not really reflect how this looks in the flesh, I don't want to clear coat it and risk changing the appearance of the finish as it stands.

 

[Hillwalker]

I think that looks great! I fully appreciate your point about the edges of the previous decals.

Smashing!

HW

 

[Deleted member 24574]

My intention was always to preserve the cromovelato finish.

I have spend 3 years looking for a frame like this ... I knew the decals had flaked, they always do on these Pinarellos.

What I hadn't anticipated was that they flaked decals would leave a lip in the finish and that the decal edge would be "bonded" into that edge leaving a stroke around each letter.

That left a challenge ...

Having examined the brochures from the 80s ************************/pinarello/brochures.shtml it seems the PINARELLO text has slight and subtle variations; I suspect they were hand drawn and that they used different suppliers through the decade.

I had a high res scan of the decals from my last Montello project and printed out a set of these and made a mask.

These did not give perfect registration with the marks left by the flaked decals; had I applied a set of these there would have be mismatches in places between the decal and the shadow and it would have looked crap.

If you look at the various suppliers of decals for PINARELLOs they are all slightly different; I have overlayed a few in Photoshop.

Anyway, this left me pretty much one option which was to go with the sign writer route ... this was a gamble and I believe that has paid off.

The alternative was to take the frame back to chrome and have it re-lacquered and the new decals applied which would have defeated the whole point of looking for an original cromovelato frame in the first place.

I think this was the best solution and I am happy with it; a couple of people have seen it and I had to point out that the decals were not in fact decals ...

 

[Theoldfm]

Re:

I think it looks great - you can't beat a bit of craftsmanship.

What would be good though is if you could post a few pictures showing the overall frame so that the whole finished effect can be seen - the current shots probably don't do it justice.

Cheers