Re: Trek OCLV - Modern (sorry)
ok -quick update.
I ended up removing the decals using a hairdryer, patience and swearing. Because these were debossed it meant that the whole frame had to be sanded back VERY carefully. Unfortunately removing the decals took some of the original laquer with them -the carbon laquer that is. This necessitated using some very fine car body filler on these areas, as well as on the other little chips etc on the frame, and then using various grades of wet and dry from 80-1200 grit. After 3 passes of filling and sanding the frame was good enough to go off and be painted.
The painting was done by Revolution Motorcycles in Burghfield (Reading). I chose them because they had some good reviews and Graham has had experience of painting carbon frames in the past. I subsequently delivered the frame, along with a new set of decals from Velocals to him at the end of November. I had it in my mind that I wanted the frame a dark silver colour, so looking through his books I chose a Honda paint colour that I thought would look nice and deep once on the frame.
I finally received a call from Graham on Thursday to say that the frame was ready. He explained that he had a bit of a nightmare with the decals as the ones for the 3 main tubes are full wraps, and the decals were both very thin and extremely adhesive. This meant there was little room for error and they were not easy to move around once they had touched the frame. To be honest, the application of the transfers is better than they came out of the factory - you cannot see the join on the underside of the downtube at all it is so good. The paintwork is flawless and the colour looks fantastic on the OCLV frame.
I gathered a few parts that I need in the weeks that the frame has been away - Dura-Ace STI's and front meach, Ultegra rear mech and brakes. The STI's and rear mech had suffered from lots of wear to the laquer as is common on the 9-spd stuff so these had a going over with wet'n'dry and rubbing compound to bring them back up to par.
The bike is almost built, and once done I will be posting pictures.....
ok -quick update.
I ended up removing the decals using a hairdryer, patience and swearing. Because these were debossed it meant that the whole frame had to be sanded back VERY carefully. Unfortunately removing the decals took some of the original laquer with them -the carbon laquer that is. This necessitated using some very fine car body filler on these areas, as well as on the other little chips etc on the frame, and then using various grades of wet and dry from 80-1200 grit. After 3 passes of filling and sanding the frame was good enough to go off and be painted.
The painting was done by Revolution Motorcycles in Burghfield (Reading). I chose them because they had some good reviews and Graham has had experience of painting carbon frames in the past. I subsequently delivered the frame, along with a new set of decals from Velocals to him at the end of November. I had it in my mind that I wanted the frame a dark silver colour, so looking through his books I chose a Honda paint colour that I thought would look nice and deep once on the frame.
I finally received a call from Graham on Thursday to say that the frame was ready. He explained that he had a bit of a nightmare with the decals as the ones for the 3 main tubes are full wraps, and the decals were both very thin and extremely adhesive. This meant there was little room for error and they were not easy to move around once they had touched the frame. To be honest, the application of the transfers is better than they came out of the factory - you cannot see the join on the underside of the downtube at all it is so good. The paintwork is flawless and the colour looks fantastic on the OCLV frame.
I gathered a few parts that I need in the weeks that the frame has been away - Dura-Ace STI's and front meach, Ultegra rear mech and brakes. The STI's and rear mech had suffered from lots of wear to the laquer as is common on the 9-spd stuff so these had a going over with wet'n'dry and rubbing compound to bring them back up to par.
The bike is almost built, and once done I will be posting pictures.....