Working on Ratty

I've been stripping the paint off the C105 frame to get it ready for its "patina" job. I intend to get it a bit rusty and funky looking, then clear coat it. I've also made a few modifications to the frame, based on a quick sketch I did at lunch yesterday:



Working on the frame:


After the back fender chop, and adding a little spar to the main downtube. This is some 1-1/4""x1/8" strap with some 1/2" holes drilled in it. This is part of the theme of this bike.


Then I started the patina job, by doing a wash in muriatic acid with a bit of salt that was soaking in copper wires for a day. I used some copper from a scrap piece of welding wire:


The copper wires in the nacho cheese jar:



After a couple washings in the solution, I've rinsed off the frame with standard hose water. I've prepared a squirt bottle of hot water and salt solution that I can spritz on it every few hours over the next few days. I don't want it to have a crazy super rusty look. More of a light rust and weather natural steel look. We'll see how it turns out.

C'