Has anyone had touch-up paint mixed?

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wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Predictably there are some chips I'd like to address on a couple of bikes.

The Genesis has a RAL paint code, but nobody seems to cater for this particular range versus more popular codes. The Fuji is anyone's guess.. and I've saved a small flake that fell off the front dropout in the hope that it can be matched.

Has anyone had touchup paint mixed for their bike before? If so, who did you use / how much did it cost / did you have it done from a sample and if so how big was the sample submitted?

Not really got any idea which way to go currently - thinking of trying either framebuilders such as Mercian, or automotive paint suppliers..

Ta :smile:
 

tyred

Legendary Member
Location
Ireland
I have had it done for cars in the past. A proper motor factors that sells paint to the trade should be able to help, although I am not sure what might be restricted with health and safety legislation nowadays.

The only thing might be volume. They'd probably want to sell you at least a litre to make it viable for them.
 
OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
I have had it done for cars in the past. A proper motor factors that sells paint to the trade should be able to help, although I am not sure what might be restricted with health and safety legislation nowadays.

The only thing might be volume. They'd probably want to sell you at least a litre to make it viable for them.

Thanks - hadn't considered the quantity angle but you might be right; I suspect matching from a sample is probably a bit more of a pain / requires far more expensive kit than mixing to a code..
 

slowmotion

Quite dreadful
Location
lost somewhere
Thanks - hadn't considered the quantity angle but you might be right; I suspect matching from a sample is probably a bit more of a pain / requires far more expensive kit than mixing to a code..

Even if you have an accurate RAL code, my guess is that sunshine and age will fade the paint tone over time.
 

Fastpedaller

Senior Member
I know they get a lot of criticism, but when I bought my On-One Pompino frame from Planet X, it had a small chip on the fork. I tried a Humbrol, but it wasn't close, so I emailed PX telling them my dilemma and that I could get a tin matched at my local Travis Perkins, but it was £12. They reimbursed me when I sent a scan of the receipt. A super response.
I have enough to paint the frame a few times :laugh: It's a bit softer, but fine for smallchips. I used the painted 'plastic protectors' which were on the cantilever bosses with the frame as the colour sample which TP scanned to mix the paint.
 

Jameshow

Veteran
For a paint mixer it will be an easy job, they will use thier paint colour analysis thingy to "read" the paint and give you a matching colour. The body shops usually come in with the petrol flap! Sit down for the price though. Obviously single pack is cheaper than two pack.
 

presta

Guru
When I was at Copt Oak hostel I got chatting with the warden because he'd just bought a Dawes Galaxy as I'd bought my Horizon. He was saying that he got a small pot of touch up paint from them, and asked if I had. It wasn't easy, they kept giving him the runaround and fobbing him off, then finally gave in just to get rid of him.

My guess is that he'll have found it had gone solid by the first time he needed to use it.
 

T4tomo

Guru
I think my Bianchi came with a touch up pot of celeste, although could well be hard by now if i could locate it. Easy for Bianchi though when every bike is the same colour!
(ok they do other colours reluctantly)
 

Moon bunny

Judging your grammar.
If the chips were small I would mix my own using acrylics.
Post a couple of photos and I'll try to give you a starting point.
 
OP
OP
wafter

wafter

I like steel bikes and I cannot lie..
Location
Oxford
Cheers folks!

Even if you have an accurate RAL code, my guess is that sunshine and age will fade the paint tone over time.

Perhaps; however I think chasing such changes is the path to madness and even I'm not that OCD :tongue:


If the chips were small I would mix my own using acrylics.
Post a couple of photos and I'll try to give you a starting point.

Thanks for the offer! Seems I might be able to get some mixed at a decent rate; but I'll maybe drop you a PM if I get no joy :smile:



Thanks - sadly mine's not on there however..


So.... I approached a local place and they've stated that they can mix to a RAL code (it is a queer one though), mix to a sample and that a 50ml touch-up pot is less than a tenner. Will take the Fuji in there when I get time and see how much of any of that turns out to be true...
 
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