Drillium Dude 

Ha ha ha ha ha! I would expect nothing less of you, Kurt, than to be thinking along those lines

And I owed you one - now we're even

Glad you enjoyed the final result!

DD

rccardr 

It’s a Selle San Marco, from the late 90’s. Might have been a Euro-only issue, never seen one myself.
Pic came from the catalog that accompanied my NOS Rolls Due from Belgium.

Beautiful job on that carbon saddle, Jeff!

Drillium Dude 

Ah, cool - I could just barely make out 'Selle' above the rectangular box logo on the nose flank, but nothing else to help with identification.

And thanks! Laying down the clearcoat went much smoother than expected, considering the wind we've been putting up with lately. Only had to make one minor clean-up due to a foreign object affixing itself to the 5th layer while shooting the clear. Guess I'm getting experience in more ways than one during my experimentation with these saddles.

Have a fun - and safe - ride with Bob, @bradl, and @joesch in Houston! Color me green with envy

DD

pastorbobnlnh 

If I ever need something clear-coated--- I'm commissioning @Drillium Dude for the job!!!!! Jeff, your Flite looks ready to launch on SpaceX. Makes me want to schedule a trip to PHX to see it in person!
@cudak888 your witty comments have caused the loss of so many keyboards across the C&V universe--- you deserve some payback.
@rccardr you can't tease us with JUST an advertisement of a jet-powered, turbo-blasted, hot-gassed, rocketassed-torpedo sled. Now you must produce the real McCoy.

Drillium Dude 

For sure, Bob - I'd give it a go; but again, I know this Krylon stuff isn't as long-wearing as it should be for a saddle-butt interface. Btw, I received the shoes today (a rainy one, hence no FW test yet):





Yet more shiny carbon fiber - not to mention shiny Microfiber - to match the saddle! The cleat placement limits moving the cleat further aft than I need with medium toe clips, so I'll need to find a pair of large. But they fit perfectly - and are almost too beautiful to use

Perhaps I should try out a pair of modern, clipless pedals in an effort to keep these looking shiny and new. Hmmmm...have to sit back and have a think about that.

DD

northbend 

AdventureManCO 

How do bikes even get this nice? I just cannot even understand or comprehend it!

Drillium Dude 

IKR?

But seriously, these are too nice to scrape up the toe-box with a clip. One pair of clipless pedals for use exclusively with these shoes wouldn't be sacrilege - or would it?

DD

Drillium Dude 

Well, it helps to not start with a Huffy...

DD

AdventureManCO 

Yeah but did you see the Le Grande commercial?!

This is why I can't have nice things (because all I want are not nice things)


In admiration of your fantastic collection!

Drillium Dude 

Test ride conducted this morning. It was a short one, as I was also testing a different 6-speed FW - and experienced some issues...

Anyhoo, the Krylon clear held up fine for the 10 miles, although the last layer is already assuming an an imprint from the Lycra pattern - basically a fine mesh-like finish has evolved. No biggie. What I'll likely do is shop around for something more substantial after lightly sanding the top coat once again in preparation for additional coats. Should be able to find some compatible polyurethane clear with more gusto.

If anyone has suggestions, I'm all ears.

Anyhow, I got a couple/three pics - and the last one is a doozy

Test shot for focus before the first of two 10-second delay photos (note the American flag decal I affixed to the bottom of the BB shell):



Of course, I wore the appropriate jersey for the maiden ride:



Well that photo-op didn't turn out quite the way I planned!



After pressing the shutter release (and the 10-second timer began counting down), I moved along the pool deck a little too quickly (I was obliged to dodge around a dolphin water feature; don't ask...) - and lost my balance. My cat-like reflexes abandoned me for a couple seconds - which was all the time it took to go toppling headlong into the pool for my first swim of the year.

At least I was wearing my Sub - and not wearing my brand-new Nalini Carbonio shoes

DD

xiaoman1 

Soles on shoes next..........

to complete the set........
Best, Ben

Drillium Dude 

Oh, man - now you've gotten me thinking of more Crabon Fibber Beautification!

Where's that paint?! We've got some more work ahead of us...

DD

cudak888 

How about one of those 2K clears in a can, with the hardener built into the rattlecan? Easy enough way to put a tough-as-nails clearcoat on top, though any errors will require copious wetsanding.

Plus, 2K is isocyanate-cured, so it's dangerous stuff. Some folks risk spraying this with a respirator alone, but based on what I've read, this stuff will get absorbed through the skin and can be deadly depending on one's tolerance to it. Some argue this isn't as much a problem out in the open vs. a paint booth, but you'll get a gazillion opinions if you ask it on any forum.

I haven't risked it myself and probably won't unless I'm wearing a full suit.

-Kurt

Drillium Dude 

Sounds right up my alley. After spraying so many coats on this thing, my skills have definitely improved; errors will likely be avoided if I ensure there's no wind blowing stuff around when I go to town. The hardener is the component I'm most interested in, for sure.

Where at might I pick this stuff up? Sounds like a kind of specialty item, like car paint or similar hazardous sprayable stuff. Would I require something more substantial than nitrile gloves? I have access to a respirator, and an old pair of coveralls, too - even though this operation will surely be done in the great outdoors

Thanks for the info, Kurt!

DD

merziac

Industrial auto body and paint supply, the ones that custom mix car paint and also put it in two part spray cans.

Here in PDX, Industrial Finishes is the place to get it, the 2K stuff should be on the interwebz.

A disposable painters bunny suit may work and I might tape off the cuffs to the gloves.

cudak888 

Here it is. One-time use deal once you've kicked the hardener in:
https://www.amazon.com/Spray-Refinis...NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Heed what merziac suggests.

Here's just one thread of both good (and bass-ackwards) comments at the H.A.M.B. about using this stuff: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...yanides.78946/ and purplepickup's post here: https://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/...ough-ack.3726/

Note the following:

X2 on the disposable suit and taping off the gaps. Taking chances with 2K is taking chances with one's life. Not worth it when the equipment to protect yourself can be had as easy as the paint itself.

-Kurt

Drillium Dude 

I'm either too dense to understand what you mean by 'kicked the hardener in', or it's really, really late and my brain's shuttin' down (I've been up since 7am).

The Rustoleum clear I've been using states '2K' on the label:



This stuff doesn't seem to be hardening all that well. It took an imprint of the fiber pattern of my shorts in just 10 miles. Do I need to spray on a hardener after I lay the 2K coat? I'm a complete newb when it comes to paint and/or clearcoat beyond what I can find at my local Wal-Mart - or hobby shop.

Thanks!

DD

Unca_Sam

The label says 2X. 2K has a button on the bottom of the can to introduce the hardener. As mentioned earlier, you'll only get to use the can once, for around 30 minutes, before the hardener finishes hardening the paint wherever it is.

That said, the clear you're using will eventually harden enough not to stick, but you'll want additional time to cure and potentially some heat. Like car in the sun on a warm day heat. A flexible paint film might be more desirable on a saddle over a harder finish.

cudak888 

As Unca_Sam pointed out, that's "2X" - just a marketing term. "2K" (2-part) paint has s a separate hardener built in. This is usually mixed in as far as professional paint shops go, but there are 2K spray cans you can buy off the shelf with a separate hardener built into the can, which you activate with a button.

Otherwise, all other spray can paint you've ever encountered is a conventional "1K" paint. Sprays on with no hardener, takes six months to get anywhere close to drying, and still can be chipped off like it never existed four years later.

Once again though, read those HAMB threads first before putting your lungs in harm's way.

-Kurt

Drillium Dude 

Yep - I was up too late! Apparently I haven't shaken my dyslexia completely - or it just shows up when I've been awake for over 20 hours. I appreciate for the clarification - thanks!

In my defense, I've been prepping the house and bedrooms (washing sheets, pillowcases, and whatnot) in preparation for a short visit by my 21-year old niece - and five of her girlfriends - who are arriving today from Utah. The group is in town for tonight's Taylor Swift concert at Cardinal's Stadium. Pizza party here before the show, then, after Taylor's done entertaining them, they'll most likely spend the rest of the night awake and enjoying their slumber party.

Ah, to be young again (even tho, most days, I don't feel old)...

DD

Drillium Dude 

Thanks, Kurt!

See? I don't know a lot of things, and this is one of them. But! I know what an MSDS is, and how to protect myself from the evils listed in those documents. Think I'm gonna pass on the 2K - I'd have purchase a number of items specifically for what I understand is a window of only 30 minutes. Nope - not gonna happen!

Anyway, @Unca_Sam made an excellent point: since the 2K stuff will be 'harder' when dry, it might also be more brittle than the 2X. Since the Flite Evo flexes - the key to its comfort - the 2K finish might well develop cracks. I'd much rather sand/buff/add extra 2X layers than have to play around with refinishing with 2K every so often if cracks develop.

Best to leave well enough alone, huh?

DD

Lattz

Let's test it for a good time to see if it holds and gets better with time, if needs to be 'refreshed" too often, you can ask around car wrappers as an option. Modern protection foils come in various forms and materials just like the mobile phone screen protectors. Such a tiny and simple job like a saddle shouldn't be challenging for them and I guess the material price is also peanuzz compared to a full car.

Drillium Dude 

I agree completely regarding giving it some time to cure; after all, I've got other bikes to ride - and it's warming up fast here in AZ

Might put the bike outside in direct sunlight this week for a few days, see if that helps speed up the curing process.

However, I am thinking hard now about a wrap-job. Thanks!

I hadn't even considered something on the order of protective foils or clear wraps. If my cell's screen protector can last 5 years with nary a scrape - not to mention hold up to thousands of finger swipes - it might just be the ticket to give me a smooth and unblemished saddle-to-butt interface!

DD