Mending a Dent and a Quick Touch Up
This Platypus had some paint chips that happened during shipping. Even with good packing and a few fragile/this way up stickers, it happens. We try to keep a few warranty replacements on hand just in case.
We sent the customer a fresh one but as this one came back I think the box was used as a trampoline—resulting in this pretty nasty dent.
I used an old Riv-Trick™ to cover it up. A 25.4→26 shim reinforces the dent - or at least makes the tube smooth - and a clean tape/twine/shellac job makes it nicer to look at.
You and I know the dent is there—sure. But I think it's more unique and beautiful in a way because of it.
It's a reminder of shipping negligence and how it's easy to dent a steel bike with thin walled tubes, but it also shows that with a little work you can turn something unsightly into a point of positive attention.
I continued sprucing up this bike by filling the paint chips with nail polish. The color looked super close when it was in the bottle, but once it hit metal it looked a little blue-er. This kind of patch job is less aesthetically pleasing but if I get tired of the color, I'll just repaint it—just like getting a manicure. It's called 'Let's Talk' by Sinful Colors - not our usual Sally Hansen.
Nail polish is a fun way to cover up or even bring attention to bare metal scabs. It's also a way to personalize a bike in a semi-permanent way sorta like stickers.
-James