TRADITIONAL ☆☆Quasi-Motobike: ODDJOB AWARD WINNERS pg 20!☆☆

Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum

Help Support Rat Rod Bikes Bicycle Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I totally agree, BFTD! I have a strong suspicion that is the route I will likely take.

Presently,I'm on 'the road less traveled'. Stay tuned!
I completely forgot you had those sweet wood block pedals too, so I think a wood tank would really tie the rack and pedals together nicely. Whatever you use to make your tank, be it metal, wood, cardboard or whatever, I bet it's going to look sweet! Looking forward to seeing what you do!
 
I may do the same to these grips if I ever get an old frame.
How did you age them?
bars.jpg
 
@Wildcat , here is an outline of my process, on these grips, and generally how I proceed on the RaT-ina / faux tina process. @Uncle Shish , this could be a guide for some of your work if you go rust-ina on your build as well.

First, I get a really good look at what I want to match, in this case the saddle. How many, and what colors / hues do I see? What are the shades of red, there is a little orange in there, black, and the transition to black which is gray. Then I gather those paints, from my stash and buy new if needed. I have used rattle cans over the course of 3-4 years in a lot of cases. Warm the old cans in hot water and shake well before each use. (a hint I picked up on here from @GuitarlCarl )

Second, I start with a light coat of whichever color I want as a base, which will usually be the color I want to see the LEAST of in the finished product. In this case of the grips, that was the Satin Cinnamon. Again, not complete full deep coverage, but some Cinnamon on all parts of the grips.

patina paint satin cinnamon.jpg



Then, the main color I saw in the saddle was kind of a deep reddish brown, and standing in the aisle at HD, this Behr (a new rattle can brand for me, but I've used their house paints extensively) Deep Espresso Satin caught my eye. So I applied that to the grips, in the same fashion, coverage all over but not complete.

patina paint deep espresso satin.jpg


Finally, there was some black worn in to the middle part of the saddle where dirt had been ground in, leather oil build up from treatment, and pressured from the seated rider and imbued it into the leather. I did a VERY light and spotty few shots from the Multitextured Aged Iron black color to simulate that. I should mention that I let each color dry, but not completely - still a little tacky, between each coat.

paint patina multi colored aged iron.jpg



What saw after all this, was that the paint (remember Satin still has a sheen) was too shiny. And how to take care of that? Nothing is older than dirt. So I rubbed a fine grade scrubbie in the dry dirt at my feet, and lightly rubbed / brushed it on. Then I used my hands to slide back and forth to get the big specs of dirt grains off, and then rubbed it by hand some more to bring out some of the Cinnamon undercoat in spots. After that, I got out the Dead Flat Clear, and shot a couple of light layers, again from about 2-3 ft away, of that on as a final finish. And yes, the clear does stick to dirt!

paint patina dead flat clear coat.jpg


After it was all said and done, this is what I ended up with. A grip that looks a little bit like old leather, with hints of the colors in the original, 100 yr old saddle.

paint patina grips finished.jpg


grips and saddle.jpg



RaT-ina is not an exact science. But it has become a fairly systematic 'recipe' if you will over the years for me. All from trial and error, and watching what others have done on Youtube vids. Two rules to keep in mind:

1. Keep going! It might look like c.r.a.p. at points along the way, but keep your vision and press on!
2. STOP before you think you are finished! If it looks good enough, it probably is. Don't second guess yourself!
 

Attachments

  • BAG design 2.jpg
    BAG design 2.jpg
    201.1 KB
The tank is still in process, so I headed out to the BACK40 to do some RaT-ina on the grips I got from @ifitsfreeitsforme , Thompson Classic Components, These are the new PVC ones, which take to the patina process really well!

These came as a dark gray. An hour or so later, we have a decent match to our original Troxel leather saddle.

View attachment 265313View attachment 265314View attachment 265315View attachment 265316View attachment 265317
and it just keeps getting better
 
@Wildcat , here is an outline of my process, on these grips, and generally how I proceed on the RaT-ina / faux tina process. @Uncle Shish , this could be a guide for some of your work if you go rust-ina on your build as well.

First, I get a really good look at what I want to match, in this case the saddle. How many, and what colors / hues do I see? What are the shades of red, there is a little orange in there, black, and the transition to black which is gray. Then I gather those paints, from my stash and buy new if needed. I have used rattle cans over the course of 3-4 years in a lot of cases. Warm the old cans in hot water and shake well before each use. (a hint I picked up on here from @GuitarlCarl )

Second, I start with a light coat of whichever color I want as a base, which will usually be the color I want to see the LEAST of in the finished product. In this case of the grips, that was the Satin Cinnamon. Again, not complete full deep coverage, but some Cinnamon on all parts of the grips.

View attachment 265411


Then, the main color I saw in the saddle was kind of a deep reddish brown, and standing in the aisle at HD, this Behr (a new rattle can brand for me, but I've used their house paints extensively) Deep Espresso Satin caught my eye. So I applied that to the grips, in the same fashion, coverage all over but not complete.

View attachment 265410

Finally, there was some black worn in to the middle part of the saddle where dirt had been ground in, leather oil build up from treatment, and pressured from the seated rider and imbued it into the leather. I did a VERY light and spotty few shots from the Multitextured Aged Iron black color to simulate that. I should mention that I let each color dry, but not completely - still a little tacky, between each coat.

View attachment 265409


What saw after all this, was that the paint (remember Satin still has a sheen) was too shiny. And how to take care of that? Nothing is older than dirt. So I rubbed a fine grade scrubbie in the dry dirt at my feet, and lightly rubbed / brushed it on. Then I used my hands to slide back and forth to get the big specs of dirt grains off, and then rubbed it by hand some more to bring out some of the Cinnamon undercoat in spots. After that, I got out the Dead Flat Clear, and shot a couple of light layers, again from about 2-3 ft away, of that on as a final finish. And yes, the clear does stick to dirt!

View attachment 265407

After it was all said and done, this is what I ended up with. A grip that looks a little bit like old leather, with hints of the colors in the original, 100 yr old saddle.

View attachment 265408

View attachment 265412


RaT-ina is not an exact science. But it has become a fairly systematic 'recipe' if you will over the years for me. All from trial and error, and watching what others have done on Youtube vids. Two rules to keep in mind:

1. Keep going! It might look like c.r.a.p. at points along the way, but keep your vision and press on!
2. STOP before you think you are finished! If it looks good enough, it probably is. Don't second guess yourself!
Thanks! How timely after reading your post on my thread. I will spend some time looking for video tutorials.
 
That tank is "Great Stuff" . Very cool and unique idea.
Great grip work too.
 
@Wildcat , here is an outline of my process, on these grips, and generally how I proceed on the RaT-ina / faux tina process. @Uncle Shish , this could be a guide for some of your work if you go rust-ina on your build as well.

First, I get a really good look at what I want to match, in this case the saddle. How many, and what colors / hues do I see? What are the shades of red, there is a little orange in there, black, and the transition to black which is gray. Then I gather those paints, from my stash and buy new if needed. I have used rattle cans over the course of 3-4 years in a lot of cases. Warm the old cans in hot water and shake well before each use. (a hint I picked up on here from @GuitarlCarl )

Second, I start with a light coat of whichever color I want as a base, which will usually be the color I want to see the LEAST of in the finished product. In this case of the grips, that was the Satin Cinnamon. Again, not complete full deep coverage, but some Cinnamon on all parts of the grips.

View attachment 265411


Then, the main color I saw in the saddle was kind of a deep reddish brown, and standing in the aisle at HD, this Behr (a new rattle can brand for me, but I've used their house paints extensively) Deep Espresso Satin caught my eye. So I applied that to the grips, in the same fashion, coverage all over but not complete.

View attachment 265410

Finally, there was some black worn in to the middle part of the saddle where dirt had been ground in, leather oil build up from treatment, and pressured from the seated rider and imbued it into the leather. I did a VERY light and spotty few shots from the Multitextured Aged Iron black color to simulate that. I should mention that I let each color dry, but not completely - still a little tacky, between each coat.

View attachment 265409


What saw after all this, was that the paint (remember Satin still has a sheen) was too shiny. And how to take care of that? Nothing is older than dirt. So I rubbed a fine grade scrubbie in the dry dirt at my feet, and lightly rubbed / brushed it on. Then I used my hands to slide back and forth to get the big specs of dirt grains off, and then rubbed it by hand some more to bring out some of the Cinnamon undercoat in spots. After that, I got out the Dead Flat Clear, and shot a couple of light layers, again from about 2-3 ft away, of that on as a final finish. And yes, the clear does stick to dirt!

View attachment 265407

After it was all said and done, this is what I ended up with. A grip that looks a little bit like old leather, with hints of the colors in the original, 100 yr old saddle.

View attachment 265408

View attachment 265412


RaT-ina is not an exact science. But it has become a fairly systematic 'recipe' if you will over the years for me. All from trial and error, and watching what others have done on Youtube vids. Two rules to keep in mind:

1. Keep going! It might look like c.r.a.p. at points along the way, but keep your vision and press on!
2. STOP before you think you are finished! If it looks good enough, it probably is. Don't second guess yourself!
Love this. I just got some new grips that were a little to shiny for my likes. I wondered how paint would stick but hadn't tried it yet. That dead flat clear is my favorite. Your grips look great.
 
Great stuff, OJ! Thanks for the grip RaT-ina tutorial. The video and procedure on the tank project is really cool too. That could be a good start to a fiberglass project too if someone wanted to go that route. :113:
 
Hopefully you didn’t get any of that foam on you. It’s super sticky. Like the idea of the light weight. Think you should go for a little contrast with the coloring.
 
Hopefully you didn’t get any of that foam on you. It’s super sticky. Like the idea of the light weight. Think you should go for a little contrast with the coloring.
Oh, I got some on my fingers for sure. And I've used it before, you'd think I'd learn. 🤔 :bigsmile:

I totally agree on the contrast color. Going for a look similar to the head tube and frame darts. We'll see how it pans out.
 
Slight diversion from my Quasi-Moto build, but relevant nonetheless.

Any ability I have in construction methods, troubleshooting fixes, and just general use of tools; I owe all to my father. I was his right hand man from day one, and we have many projects bearing our signature that adorn our family's homes past and present.

Any ability I have in artistic sense, putting things together that 'look right', and balancing objects and colors together for the right presentation; I owe all to my mother.

Today is the 99th anniversary of my dad's birth. He passed in 2012, a couple years before I began creating rat rod bikes. But I have felt his spirit during many of these builds, and he has been the direct inspiration for at least 2 of them. It is also two days before Syttende Mai, the '17th of May' , the Norwegian Constitution Day.
  • The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17, 1814. This constitution declared Norway as an independent kingdom, aiming to prevent its cession to Sweden after Denmark–Norway’s defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.
My parents are very proud of their Norwegian (and Swedish, and Danish, and German) ancestry, and so my mom made this display for us to place at his grave site yesterday.

dads grave side.jpg


Then we shuttled off to the nursery to pick up some flowers, tomato plants, etc and potting soil, and put together her little corner of the world at her condo. A belated Mother's Day celebration. And a thankful son for his still quite active 91 yr old mother and her love for the outdoors and gardening.

moms corner.jpg


A place for everything, and everything in its place. That might be a motto I have and will carry with me all the way through.

I have a couple ideas brewing for Quasi re: the faux tank project. One thing coming tomorrow that I need before I can move forward.

In the meantime, cherish what you have, and be thankful for what you've had.
 
Today is the 99th anniversary of my dad's birth. He passed in 2012, a couple years before I began creating rat rod bikes. But I have felt his spirit during many of these builds, and he has been the direct inspiration for at least 2 of them. It is also two days before Syttende Mai, the '17th of May' , the Norwegian Constitution Day.
  • The Constitution of Norway was signed at Eidsvoll on May 17, 1814. This constitution declared Norway as an independent kingdom, aiming to prevent its cession to Sweden after Denmark–Norway’s defeat in the Napoleonic Wars.
My parents are very proud of their Norwegian (and Swedish, and Danish, and German) ancestry, and so my mom made this display for us to place at his grave site
Road trip!

https://www.stoughtonfestivals.com/

5/18 is our wedding anniversary which we intentionally placed on Syttende Mai weekend, being deeply rooted Wisconsinites
 

Latest posts

Back
Top