Makeover Magic: The Ilpompino's New Clothes

Sometimes deadlines are like a slow but consistently burning fuse. Having caught up following last weeks’ IT crisis, I headed off to Maldon Shot Blasting & Powder Coating to witness and document my frames’ transformation stage by stage. 

After the usual pleasantries, conversation turned to other enticing projects booked with them including lugged n’ brazed 531 frames from the early 1990s and various classic car shells/chassis awaiting blast and/or structural repair.

Chris examined the Ilpompino’s factory livery and decided it was best left soaking in their methyl chloride tank prior to blasting. Sometimes, depending on the existing paint, it’s possible to skip straight to the blast cabinet.

Once the active ingredient in over-the-counter stripping products; methyl chloride is a nasty carcinogenic, so now the preserve of controlled contexts. This is diluted with water to prevent evaporation but agitating the depths unleashes an unmistakable, pungent odour.  After fifteen minutes marinating in the stagnant looking chemical soup, Chris dons rubber gauntlets and delves deep.

My frame emerges seconds’ later, almost completely bare save for some localised residual silty paint. Passed through the glass bead cabinet and several minutes’ intensive tickling reveals a bare, dimpled surface; it also confirms my initial suspicions of surface pitting where the salt monster had nibbled the right chainstay.

This doesn’t dictate Metafil, or similar specialist fillers but Chris gently sands it flat before masking and plugging threaded sections. Critics of powder coating cite that achieving two or more colour effects requires applying 2pac or similar wet spray paints atop. This is relatively labour intensive, costly too...

Given this backdrop, a two-tone powder coat finish sounds a bit risky but Chris and Graham seem completely comfortable with the commission.

Regardless of family, all paints have unique characteristics according to their colours/pigments. My French blue/grey effect leads Graham to introduce a thinner, corrosion inhibiting zinc phosphate primer, which won’t risk imperfections in the top coats.  

Midway through this formative stage my Sony Alpha SLR camera body gets the sulks. Despite frantic efforts to re-dial settings, it refuses to deliver three frames per second required. Hastily diverting to my trusty NEX5 ensures there’s minimal loss of footage.

Confident of even coverage, “Izzie” is passed through the curing oven for fifteen minutes and our attentions turn to locating French blue (5024) and a complimentary  grey.  A hearty cheer erupts, signalling both polyester powders are in stock and in plentiful quantity.

Graham starts by loading the 5024, confirms a good flow rate by depressing the gun a few times and returns to the curing oven. Moments later, the frame is earthed and ready to receive the colour coat. Graham covers the main triangle under a blanket of pale blue before checking the powder is heaped uniformly throughout. Two affirmative nods and it returns to their their curing oven for ten minutes at 200 degrees.

Conversation meanders to the frame’s history, how I came to acquire it and its significance to me. Having returned to the oven, we discover gallons of molten frame preserve racing from the vent holes and bottom bracket shell...pooling  on the concrete floor.

Mercifully, this hasn’t contaminated the colour coat and can be deftly dismissed but serves to illustrate the importance of warning your frame builder or spray shop, should you suspect a frame has something oily sloshing around inside.

The boys take it all in their good humoured stride, blowing the frame through with compressed air. Demon purged and our next dilemma is whether to start the grey as a solid, or gradually fade it in atop the blue.

Solid effects involve masking, which in this context, risks permanent “tan lines”; so we take the latter route. Unlike wet sprays, powders can be blown into new shapes, or reused. Meticulous in their approach, Graham revises this three times before progressing round the rear triangle.

Moments pass, tension mounts as his eyes painstakingly scan every last particle. To my relief he nods again before spiriting it into the oven once more.  Finally, my beloved frame is given an acrylic clear coat, which adds further protection, while accentuating its rich, glossy lustre.

Right, time to introduce some fresh home brewed frame preserve and helicopter tape to abrasion prone points; then I’ll build it up before October’s through.

Heartfelt thanks go to the team at Maldon Shot blasting and Powder Coating for undertaking this transformation www. http://ctc-powder-coating.co.uk/.

Trevor (Father and MSBC MD) has asked me to point out that cost for this kind of specialist effect varies wildly depending upon several factors. This includes colour choice(s), post blast remedial works and whether decals/other detailing are required.