I just finished the first clear coat.  Considering it is a garage job, it's pretty darn good.  After it cures for a bit, I will take it out in the sun and take some pics so the pearl and metallic will show up better.

Spent a couple of hours this morning masking for the red.  Many small pieces of tape.  The pearl white looks very good, it tightened up nicely.  We need to determine the head badge style soon.

 Applied the White Pearl and unmasked.  I find that demasking as soon as possible leaves a cleaner paint edge and doesn't leave tape marks in the substrate paint.  The spec said I could mask after 20 minutes, but playing with a cowbell that I also painted left finger prints.  So the red logo will have to wait until the A.M.

A shot of Cougars econo cross tubular wheelset.  1360 gms. and with the strength of 32 spoke 3X.  Not bad, especially since I have figured out how to initially dish to the drive side a few mm and then pull it back with the NDS spokes to reach the 100kgf tension I wanted.

Masked and ready for the Winter White Pearl.

The transition stripes are masked and the metallic gray applied.  It went quite swimmingly, two good wet coats and a dry drop coat.

Here you go Dave.  The Swift Red for the transition stripes between the Gray Metallic and Winter White Pearl.  I haven't sprayed a metallic or pearl in over 40 years.  Gonna be exciting. 

Update on the carbon rims for Craig.  Same problem on the rear that I had with Devos.  Approaching 100kgf., the heads started shearing off the alloy nipples, even with lubricating the nipples seats and threads.  However, I was finally
 able to bring them up to a fairly consistant tension and true.

While the prime is curing, I am building up a set of Half Fast Velo themed wheels for Craig. The quality of these Xpace rims is far better than the set I built for Devo. The Circus Monkey hubs look good also.

Time to prime.

Off to be glass beaded prior to epoxy prime.

The cables guides arrived last evening as I was enjoying a cool one on the front porch.  The radius is a little too tight, so I will open them up to conform to the top tube better.
Now to braze on the seat stay guides.

Beginning to ream the seat tube to 30.6 mm.



Finish it up with the ball hone





And here is what you get.



End of the day and still no braze ons.  It's in the 90's, I'm going to ride down to the pub and fill my growler.

A simple yet effective fixture for brazing the eyelets.  It's hard to see, but I relieved the dropouts about 1.5 - 2 mm for the eyelets to sit in.  It looks better and increases the contact area.  Now just to determine where to put the other two.  The rest of the braze-ons haven't shown up yet, so I'm starting the frame prep.

 Daves alignment after brazing on the right seatstay.  It all looks good.

He has decided on using a Llewellyn Limpet for his rear derailleur cable stop.  Very clean looking and you don't use a ferrel.  The fender mount is brazed on in the back ground.  The rest of the cable mounts should arrive from Paragon tomorrow.  So maybe all the brazing will be complete if it doesn't get too hot in the garage.

Although Major Daves frame is progressing with the stay bridges, etc., It doesn't make for very interesting pics.  And since he lives a couple of houses down the alley, he can see it when ever he desires.  But, Danny stopped by the paint shop and took some phone shots of his frame mid paint.  It is going to be a striking looking frame!  I believe all that's left is the black lug lining, reshoot the Edge logo on the fork, and clear coat.  Looking forward to the Di2 assembly. 

 

Before and after shots of the drive side seatstay braze on.  Even though I use an alignment fixture to set the stays relative to the front triangle, I like to use a true and centered wheel to tack the ds stay.  paranoia, I guess.  I set the stays as wide as possible on the seat tube lug and still be considered fastback.  Dave wants lots of room for wheel and fender clearance.  Also, you will see a fat silver edge at the seat post port.  I like to put a radius or a chamfer  there, just think it looks good.