Rabid Koala

I have started to work on a chrome Paramount frame, Nov. 1970 serial, that I am building up for Mrs. K. It has Nervex lugs, and surprisingly, a Nervex BB. The frame is stripped of decals. I could see the remnants of the red lug linings but they were 95% gone. I recalled from some past thread that you could use a paint pen, available at craft stores such as Michael's to line lugs.

Figuring that if it did not work out, lacquer thinner would wipe the whole mistake out, I gave it a try. I don't have any artistic ability, can't draw a straight line, and making it worse I am left handed. All that notwithstanding, the results were great!

I bought 3 paint pens on sale for about $2 each and gave 2 of them a try. The fine line one worked best.

I recall reading somewhere that the person who lined the Paramount lugs died sometime in the early 70's and was never replaced. My late 72 Paramount has no signs that it had lug lining, my late 71 did.

Amani576

Looks good.
-Gene-

thenomad

Sweet. I was thinking it'd be cool to line the lugs on my old Trek just to let them stand out and give the bike some class. I see that it can indeed work. Nicely done.

mkeller234

That turned out really nice, great job!

jan nikolajsen 

Awesome job and thanks for the great tip on make, type and size pen to use. I love lug lining on seventies frames, and yours live up to my expectations. Cool.

Jan

quaycur

Excellent! DecoColor pens are great. I'm going to do this to the bike I'm currently building up.

Kommisar89

Wow! Very nice job! One question, you mention you used the fine pen but you show the extra fine in the picture - which one did you use?

VonCarlos

That looks really really nice!
Do you know if the paint in this pen is colorfast??? If it isn't, exposure to sunlight over time will fade it until it becomes invisible. I do know that you can buy pens like this at automotive supply stores that are expressly made for outside exposure. And they come in many colors.

Rabid Koala

I started with the fine, then washed the first lug off and went to extra fine.

Rabid Koala

I don't know, but if it fades it would be easy enough to redo. I have an auto paint store near my office, I'll have to stop by and ask them.

JJPistols

looks great!



does the paint flow in all positions or did you have to keep the pen pointed straight down the whole time?

mixtemaniac

looks good! might give this a try for some older lugged-french mixtes I have laying around

Pompiere

DaVinci was left handed, and he did okay. I think that left-handed people become better at manual dexterity because we are always having to figure out how to make right handed stuff work for us.

I have used a paint pen for lining lugs before, and I had similar results. I wasn't able to keep the pen's tip from drying out after the first use. But for $2, it's no big deal.

steppinthefunk 

Hey! what a coincidence. I just did the same thing with a gold paint pen for my Falcon build. I'm going to clearcoat the finishwhen I'm done.

A word of caution though... As I was experimenting with the paint pen and clear coat I learned that you need to lay down the clear coat in a very fine/thin mist for the first coat or else the lining will start to bleed.

jimc

nice job---only the second chrome paramount frame I have seen with nervex bottom bracket---Mine is also a 1970----Mrs K is going to have a nice looking ride----Jim

thenomad

Darn! They only sell right handed paint pens!?

VonCarlos

I checked online to see if these pens are lightfast/colorfast, and they are.

Here is the website for the company that makes them : https://www.marvy.com/about/Default.aspx

They make a lot of different types and colors, including glitter! And they have a good color chart.

gamecat

I've had decent luck w/paint pens, and I'm left handed. I'd be pretty nervous using one on a frame that nice, though. Did the paint come off easily when you switched pens?

Glennfordx4

NO NO not true I have a lot that I just got in of left handed pens but they are just a little expensive at $10 each,how many do you want

gamecat

Hilarious, but paint pens have to be held at a certain angle for the paint to flow from the barrel into the tip properly. They do have a certain "handedness" to them, especially since maintaining the correct angle makes it easier to drag the side of the left hand across the paint. Mess it up and you get a big glop of paint where you don't want it.

T-Mar

+1. That's been my observation.

Mr_Christopher

Here's a link to the specific pens noted in this thread. Do you suppose these would work as well on a powder coated frame that will not be getting any clear coat over the top?

and I simply Googled "DECOCOLOR® PAINT MARKER, EXTRA FINE" and found several online stores that carry them. My order has been placed!


Chris

gamecat

Many arts/crafts/hobby stores will carry them as well. Some big box office stores, too.

Zaphod Beeblebrox 

I did the lugs on my Super Course with a pinstriping brush, and pinstriping paint. I like your results a bit better than mine for the accuracy and cleanliness of the linings.

Pinstriping paint flows differently and creates a kinda different shaped bead of paint, but this looks really good.

Dr.Deltron

Sword, quill or liner brush?
A striping sword would be the least likely to do a good job on lugs, as it's made for long lines on a flat surface, such as your car.
A lettering quill or liner brush is going to be much better, but some tight lugs shapes, as in your SC, need a shorter bristle to maintain line thickness.


Would that be One-Shot lettering enamel? Or you got something else?