Pinstripe Restoration Tips

次回この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

Vintage Japanese bicycle enthusiasts may recall in  "Yamaguchi Maruwai-Go" and "Gold Mitsuuma  Junk or Jewel" the remarkable attention to detail, right down to the double-line pinstriping.

In this post, the restorer (H-san) shares how he recreates pinstripes.

It is said that in the past, pinstripes were painted freehand or with the use of simple jigs.  However, this is a skill that only a craftsman can do, and it would be impossible for the average person.  Here, we will look at an example of how to paint double-line pinstripes on a chaincase using masking tape.

0. Preparation
・Masking tape for curves (width 5mm, 3mm, 2mm)
・Masking tape for divider line (width 1mm)
・Gold paint for outer pinstripe (model paint, Gainotes brand)
・Green paint for inner pinstripe (model paint, Gainotes brand)
・Paint thinner 
・Brush
・Paint dish
・Water (it is good idea to add a small amount of surface active agent)
   * Apply masking tape with water to make it easier to adjust the position during application. This also makes it easier to
      peel off during removal.
・Sandpaper ( #1000 or #2000 grit)

1. Outer line
・Vinyl masking tape for curves.
・A width of 5mm is sufficient (it will still bend enough for the curvature of the entire chaincase), but if you want to paint with
   a fine brush, a width of 3mm is better.  Once you get used to it, you will be able to apply even 2mm width tape without
   painting outside the tape.
・First the outer gold pinstripe.
・Lay two lines of masking tape at equal space between them. Eyeballing it is fine, but if at anytime you feel the gap between
   the tape is unequal, stop and reapply (Photo 1).
・For the areas where the masking tape overlaps, use your fingernail to create a good seal. If paint seeps through any tiny
   gaps, these can be covered up with black paint later.
・When applying the gold pinstripe, gently lay it on.  Do not stroke the paint back and forth as it may dissolve the black base
   coat.
- Once it dries to a certain extent, apply a second layer.  Better to apply three layers (Photo 02).
・[Important] When removing the masking tape, peel it off at a very sharp, "hairpin'' angle (Photo 03). If you peel at a shallow
   angle, the paint tends to come off along with the tape.

Photo 1:  Masking for the outer pinstripe 


Photo 2:  Paint gold outer pinstripe


Photo 3: Masking tape removal (Key is to peel off at a sharp angle)

2. Inner line
・Next, paint the green inner pinstripe.
・It is important that the two pinstripes are equally spaced, so first apply 1mm masking tape as a divider on the inside of the       gold pinstripe. (Photo 04).
・Then apply 2mm or 3mm wide masking tape around curved surfaces for the inner pinstripe.
・1. Lay 2 or 3 coats of green paint in the same manner as 1 above, allow to dry, and peel-off masking tape.

Photo 4:  1mm wide masking tape on inside portion of gold pinstripe

3. Touch up
・There may be patches where the paint seeped through the seams in the masking tape. (Photo 05).
・After these have completely dried, first wet-sand them with sandpaper (grit size #1000-2000) and level them so
   that they are even with the surrounding area.
・Then, mask the gold and green lines and cover up the patches with black paint (Photo 06).
 ・There will be a difference in the border between the gold line and the green line after removing the masking tape, so use
　#1000-2000 sandpaper to wet and level it.
・Finished double-line pinstripes. (Photo 07)

 Photo 5:  Paint seepage



Photo 6:  Masked gold & green pinstripes to touch up seepage


Photo 7:  Finished pinstripes

Thanks to H-san for passing along tips on recreating pinstripes.

リア荷台

I'll be back with another English post soon until then stay trued and happy wheels. 

昭和自転車の多くの際立った特徴の 1 つは、リア 荷台です。

リア荷台は自転車の種類（車種）に応じてサイズが異ります。
軽運搬車や重運搬車には大型リア荷台。

実用車には中型リア荷台。

婦人用・紳士用自転車には細くて軽量の小型リア荷台。

基本的に大きさとは別に2種類あります。

ステー２本型

ステー4本型

昭和20年代後半～30年代前半の特徴の一つは、各パーツに マーク入り社名ロゴ（商標） が付き、小さな泥除けステー固定ネジにまでちゃんとした刻印があります。

リア荷台も例外ではありません。
商標・社名は2ヵ所以上のが少なくありません。

事例の一つを見ましょう。

1か所目→荷台の首に商標刻印（光）


2ヵ所目→横渡り板にくり抜いた「光」商標


3か所目→後ろのバッジ「大日本機械工業株式會社」

前回「黒エナメルスポーク」の投稿でも触れましたが、自動車、バイク、ミシン、電話、ノートパソコンなど、多くの製品は発売当初は黒で始まります。自転車も同様です。 ということで、当然リア荷台も黒でした。 そして、フレーム、泥除け、チェーンケースと同様に、場合によってはキャリアさえも黒に金線引きが施されていました。
（手描きが時代を物語ります。）

高級車にはリア荷台がクロムメッキされていました。


水谷セラフ号 


日米富士フェザー号

サスペンション付きリア荷台もありました。

私のように自動車使用が最終手段のような人（←変り者）にとってリア荷台は買い物、運搬などに不可欠です。