£1 Voodoo - Voodoo Hoodoo project
- Thread starter Osella
- Start date
Osella
Senior Retro Guru
Interesting is one word for it.. Not sure about impressive as I have no taste... =P
Next pics to follow, but having spent hours on end removing the paint & polishing the steel back to it's bare look I decided painting it would be a real shame - and having seen some of the 'raw' bikes both on here and for sale (occasionally) by smaller bike companies (On-One raw finish 456s, Dark Supernova etc) that I decided to go with a clearcoat instead..
My thoughts on Voodoo have always been (and it's mostly my age) that they had one of the best 'brands' - though I hate that word! - and brand identity, so I wanted to do something that fitted with it; not just to make 'a bike' or a 'retro' bike etc, but to make a Voodoo bike. To me, that means psychedelic but with dark undertones to make that contrast of light & dark. One of my other influences on it is the old 'Shadowman' comics & videogame from around the same era as the frame itself - but perhaps less OTT than that!
So what I did was to get a metallic flake paint, and a transparent 'pewter' paint and clearcoat. Pewter paint on first, virtually as an undercoat, then metal flake, then satin clearcoat over the two.
Parts-wise I already had, for a previous project (which fell down badly when the frame got nicked!) a whole bundle of green parts, which made their way onto another frame, but were then re-purposed to the Voodoo..
But first, the frame..
Next pics to follow, but having spent hours on end removing the paint & polishing the steel back to it's bare look I decided painting it would be a real shame - and having seen some of the 'raw' bikes both on here and for sale (occasionally) by smaller bike companies (On-One raw finish 456s, Dark Supernova etc) that I decided to go with a clearcoat instead..
My thoughts on Voodoo have always been (and it's mostly my age) that they had one of the best 'brands' - though I hate that word! - and brand identity, so I wanted to do something that fitted with it; not just to make 'a bike' or a 'retro' bike etc, but to make a Voodoo bike. To me, that means psychedelic but with dark undertones to make that contrast of light & dark. One of my other influences on it is the old 'Shadowman' comics & videogame from around the same era as the frame itself - but perhaps less OTT than that!
So what I did was to get a metallic flake paint, and a transparent 'pewter' paint and clearcoat. Pewter paint on first, virtually as an undercoat, then metal flake, then satin clearcoat over the two.
Parts-wise I already had, for a previous project (which fell down badly when the frame got nicked!) a whole bundle of green parts, which made their way onto another frame, but were then re-purposed to the Voodoo..
But first, the frame..
Osella
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
Pewter coat:
Then metal flake, decals & satin coat added afterwards..
The frame then just looks plain grey (mostly) in the shadows, but get a real metallic zip to it in the sunlight
The choice of the paint coats is so that you can still now see through the translucent & clear coats down to the steel - so you can still see the brazing work around the disc mount, the welding on the BB, tubing etc so you can still see down to the 'soul' of the bike.
While it's not as hard work/impractical as just having polished steel, the frame will still gradually rust underneath with it showing through gradually under the coatings.
Having seen some pretty impressive unpainted ratbikes, I didn't want to go the full rat, but taking inspiration from the bikes already quoted, the gradual patina under the translucent coats means the frame will never be static - the bike will be in a living state of wear, patina & decomposition. Still shiny & metallic on the surface, still able to see down to the metal and gradually the dark side of rust will creep through..
The practical advantage being that it won't take too much work to see if there's any corrosion getting to a dangerous point, or too much to re-strip & recoat in a few years' time if I need or want to.
White & blue Voodoo & Skull decals were again repurposed from the previous project for an Erzulie and were of course from Gil_M.
Hoodoo decals were obtained from a great place on Ebay that had a matching font to the original but were able to produce them in metallic finish. The Hoodoo decals then blend into the frame unless they are in shadow when they show up black or in the light when they are reflective.
Pewter coat:
Then metal flake, decals & satin coat added afterwards..
The frame then just looks plain grey (mostly) in the shadows, but get a real metallic zip to it in the sunlight
The choice of the paint coats is so that you can still now see through the translucent & clear coats down to the steel - so you can still see the brazing work around the disc mount, the welding on the BB, tubing etc so you can still see down to the 'soul' of the bike.
While it's not as hard work/impractical as just having polished steel, the frame will still gradually rust underneath with it showing through gradually under the coatings.
Having seen some pretty impressive unpainted ratbikes, I didn't want to go the full rat, but taking inspiration from the bikes already quoted, the gradual patina under the translucent coats means the frame will never be static - the bike will be in a living state of wear, patina & decomposition. Still shiny & metallic on the surface, still able to see down to the metal and gradually the dark side of rust will creep through..
The practical advantage being that it won't take too much work to see if there's any corrosion getting to a dangerous point, or too much to re-strip & recoat in a few years' time if I need or want to.
White & blue Voodoo & Skull decals were again repurposed from the previous project for an Erzulie and were of course from Gil_M.
Hoodoo decals were obtained from a great place on Ebay that had a matching font to the original but were able to produce them in metallic finish. The Hoodoo decals then blend into the frame unless they are in shadow when they show up black or in the light when they are reflective.
Osella
Senior Retro Guru
Re:
Build was initially made up with parts I had obtained over a year or so for a 'green' build. Hard to get hold of decent green parts!.. With the Hoodoo however I slightly changed that theme to go more psychedelic; so Grey, Green & Purple became the theme..
Wheels were nicked off my Weight Weenie Magura Test Bike - allowing the Magura to get new, lighter wheels and giving the Easton EA70's to the Voodoo. :xmas-cool:
8-Speed drivetrain comprised of LX shifters & M569/M570 mechs.
Braking was provided by Purple Hope floating rotors secured to the wheels with oil slick Ti rotor bolts and brakes being Hope Mono Minis in black & silver with braided hoses.
Seatpost 27.2mm Thomson topped with my Troy Lee Flaming Eyeball saddle (about as psychedelic as you can get I reckon) and then Purple Hope seatpost clamp & Team Green skewers; Crank Brothers Iodine Pewter bars & Ragley Green 60mm stem.
It did have a basic set of Lasco 4-arm cranks on a UN71 BB with green Azonic 420 pedals & Aerozine triple chainrings.
Forks were another steal as they were being sold as spares or repair, so it ended up with Magura Ronin 110mm forks in Grey. Incredibly stiff tracking, robust forks; and finishing it off Geax Barro Mountain 2.3 tyres.
Disappointingly the bike came in at a touch under 12kg; which for a 26" hardtail is a liiitle on the porky side but the frame...wow..
It just kicks when going uphill, but has that lovely pliability and soft touch over rough rocky ground. You can just throw the forks at obstacles & while they soak up the big hits (and needed, as with all Maguras, a little tuning to get the best out of smaller washboard surfaces) the rear of the bike just eats it up.
I've got one Alu frame that does the same thing, and I've got a very similar 853 Raleigh which has the suppleness, but it doesn't climb & accelerate like this one.
Whatever the 4130 tubing mix, & diameters/profiles were on this, they are a fantastic design. No wonder they stopped using Reynolds if they could do this with their own mix.. The closest thing I can describe it as is it rides like a Titanium frame, but with more zip.
Build was initially made up with parts I had obtained over a year or so for a 'green' build. Hard to get hold of decent green parts!.. With the Hoodoo however I slightly changed that theme to go more psychedelic; so Grey, Green & Purple became the theme..
Wheels were nicked off my Weight Weenie Magura Test Bike - allowing the Magura to get new, lighter wheels and giving the Easton EA70's to the Voodoo. :xmas-cool:
8-Speed drivetrain comprised of LX shifters & M569/M570 mechs.
Braking was provided by Purple Hope floating rotors secured to the wheels with oil slick Ti rotor bolts and brakes being Hope Mono Minis in black & silver with braided hoses.
Seatpost 27.2mm Thomson topped with my Troy Lee Flaming Eyeball saddle (about as psychedelic as you can get I reckon) and then Purple Hope seatpost clamp & Team Green skewers; Crank Brothers Iodine Pewter bars & Ragley Green 60mm stem.
It did have a basic set of Lasco 4-arm cranks on a UN71 BB with green Azonic 420 pedals & Aerozine triple chainrings.
Forks were another steal as they were being sold as spares or repair, so it ended up with Magura Ronin 110mm forks in Grey. Incredibly stiff tracking, robust forks; and finishing it off Geax Barro Mountain 2.3 tyres.
Disappointingly the bike came in at a touch under 12kg; which for a 26" hardtail is a liiitle on the porky side but the frame...wow..
It just kicks when going uphill, but has that lovely pliability and soft touch over rough rocky ground. You can just throw the forks at obstacles & while they soak up the big hits (and needed, as with all Maguras, a little tuning to get the best out of smaller washboard surfaces) the rear of the bike just eats it up.
I've got one Alu frame that does the same thing, and I've got a very similar 853 Raleigh which has the suppleness, but it doesn't climb & accelerate like this one.
Whatever the 4130 tubing mix, & diameters/profiles were on this, they are a fantastic design. No wonder they stopped using Reynolds if they could do this with their own mix.. The closest thing I can describe it as is it rides like a Titanium frame, but with more zip.
Well the i got no taste opinion of yourself is certainly untrue and after seeing what you've accomplished thus far and the comments about the handling are rather impressive imho and your colour choice to me is unexpected to say the least but does really compliment the frame really well indeed and i'd just love to see that paint finish in full sun as i suspect from your comment that the paintwork just pop's in the sunlight 
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Thanks for the pic's as they were well worth the wait as far as i'm concerened that paint work really does bring the frame to life and the green and purple parts really do stand out well against that pewter . It's a shame you haven't got more pic's due to the old SD card failing but at least i can enjoy these you've put up thanks mate ..
..
Osella
Senior Retro Guru
Thanks! Wasn't expecting anything positive about an old junky Voodoo bought off the scrapheap with (possibly) terminal frame damage and dressed up in odd colours! 
It now of course looks nothing like that..
The frame is starting to develop its underlying bronze patina & worming under the paintwork and had had a severe reworking this year, finished last week...
I had to change out the brakes as the front hose was so short it wouldn't fit on wider bars, or a shorter stem, or any longer fork, etc etc.. It was either get the hose replaced or sell on the Hopes (which I never liked really!) and fit some Deores I managed to spare from another bike I converted to canti's..
The frame, wheels, headset, seatclamp, discs, front mech & handlebars are all the same but the entire drivetrain is now 2x9 instead of 2x8, it's wearing Schwalbes and has a new 'alternate' colour; now Purple & Blue rather than Purple & Green.
I'm still wavering between the Magura forks & a set of SID Blackbox WCs I've got that are currently fitted. It's not less of a crusher but more nimble and a bit more XC'd out with a 90mm stem, a more 'all-day' seat and better shifting kit.
I revised the theme to make it a bit more 'American' and it fits the Voodoo profile too, so it's picked up my AC crankset too as well as the various Easton & Crank Bros kit. At some point if the sun shows up for more than a few minutes & might get the chance to get a longer runout & see how well it all fits together after a couple of hours in the saddle rather than the short run it's had so far in its new guise..
It now of course looks nothing like that..
The frame is starting to develop its underlying bronze patina & worming under the paintwork and had had a severe reworking this year, finished last week...
I had to change out the brakes as the front hose was so short it wouldn't fit on wider bars, or a shorter stem, or any longer fork, etc etc.. It was either get the hose replaced or sell on the Hopes (which I never liked really!) and fit some Deores I managed to spare from another bike I converted to canti's..
The frame, wheels, headset, seatclamp, discs, front mech & handlebars are all the same but the entire drivetrain is now 2x9 instead of 2x8, it's wearing Schwalbes and has a new 'alternate' colour; now Purple & Blue rather than Purple & Green.
I'm still wavering between the Magura forks & a set of SID Blackbox WCs I've got that are currently fitted. It's not less of a crusher but more nimble and a bit more XC'd out with a 90mm stem, a more 'all-day' seat and better shifting kit.
I revised the theme to make it a bit more 'American' and it fits the Voodoo profile too, so it's picked up my AC crankset too as well as the various Easton & Crank Bros kit. At some point if the sun shows up for more than a few minutes & might get the chance to get a longer runout & see how well it all fits together after a couple of hours in the saddle rather than the short run it's had so far in its new guise..
