Learning to paint near Pittsburgh

[Michael Slater]

I keep building frames to practice my fabrication techniques. Then I build them up, unpainted, so that I can mess around with altering braze-ons, etc if I need to. If I really wanted, I could pay for a good quality wet paint-job here in Singapore, but I"m not that inclined to. I'd rather learn how to do it myself. Since these frames are not show pieces, they'd be good candidates to learn with.

I'm going to be visiting my folks in Pittburgh PA, sometime during the first half of July. I'm wondering if there is anywhere within driving range [250miles?] (I'd like to avoid a flight if I could) that I could pay to teach me the basics of wet painting a bike -- preparation, base color, clear-coat. Advance finishing techniques I can save for another time. I have two frames (at least) that I can bring as test subjects.

Regards,

MIchael Slater

[Andrew R Stewart]

Michael- Only painter that also teaches that I know of is Doug Fattic. Very
good and painter and very experienced teacher. More then 250 miles from
Ptown though. There use to be a part time builder and painter in Pittsburg.
Terry Bikes use to use him. Andy.

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Andrew R Stewart
Rochester, NY

[Doug Fattic]

Michael,

I do teach frame painting classes occasionally. Most of my students were
already established builders but a couple only wanted to learn how to
paint. All of them are presently painting frames for themselves and
others. I schedule painting classes when time allows around my
framebuilding classes. I learned the principles of painting when I was
apprenticing to be a framebuilder at Ellis-Briggs in England in the 70's.
Their 2nd floor was the location of both the framebuilding and painting
rooms and we would hang out together during coffee breaks and lunch.

Where my shop is located in Niles, Michigan is just a few miles north of
the Indiana toll road (at the Notre Dame/South Bend exit) which is an
extension of the Pennsylvania/Ohio Turnpike that goes through Pittsburg.
So it is a straight Interstate shot and according to Mapquest under a 6
hour drive. Although to be blunt, while the convenience and expense to
travel to a school should be a factor in deciding where to learn (other
things being nearly equal), if a person put more emphasis on ease of
arrival over quality of education, I wouldn't want them as a student. It
is unlikely they are driven enough (or smart enough if that was their
priority) to understand how to get to be really good.

Over the years I've developed techniques to teach painting. One word of
caution is that painting requires greater hand coordination then brazing
or filing and the expense of equipment is really high.

By the way for those listening in, we sometimes paint frames at the end of
my 3 week framebuilding class. It depends on how fast a student has
completed his frame which is related to how quick they catch on and if
they have chosen either materials or methods that require extra time to
complete.

I have a pretty full July schedule but some time in there may be available.

Doug Fattic
Niles, Michigan