Jeff Hamann's Mt. Bike

Jeff Hamann has a business called Forest Informatics. He writes brilliant code using algorithms that calculate timber yields given sets of variables. His website is on the rear triangle lower stay opposite the chain. I would think that might make this a tax write-off.

The right side top tube has a pinstripe, turning into saplings, then into medium sized trees, mature trees, stumps, then a skidder dragging away a couple trees, turning back into a pinstripe.

The rear triangle part of the frame had cracked. The replacement came in a different color and maybe even needed a small modification. Jeff made a decision to strip the entire bike and have it powder coated. After my artwork, he wanted a clear coat on top, covering the whole frame.

Here's a logger dude with hardhat, standing on a big ol' stump, leanin' against his big ol' chainsaw, enjoying his pipe. At the bottom is my signature.

We brainstormed these silly concepts with silly cartoon characters. I started hand painting the artwork with a very small lettering quill trimmed down even smaller. I honestly struggled with the smallness. Lettering enamel is wonderful in that you can wipe it off and start over so easily. I borrowed a pair of jewelers magnifying lenses (that you wear like a visor) from my competitor (more like compadre) Sid Beam. They helped immensely.

The 'Tree Amigos' with arms hooked, dancin' a jig. The one on the left holds a bucket, the middle one an ax and the right one a shovel.

We had to work out a few things before starting this project. 1) Was the high temperature of the powder coating oven going to screw with the tempering, or the quality of the aluminum frame. 2) Was the second trip to the oven for the clear powder coat going to burn, discolor, crack, wrinkle or reduce the quality of the lettering enamel in any of a bunch of possible ways. The 1st was answered with a phone call. The 2nd; no idea where to go for this information, we just winged it and had perfect success. Enamel paint, sandwiched between powder coats, baked at 400 degrees. You've seen it here.

The opposite side has a pinstripe, turning into progressively larger trees, to stumps, to a loader and truck, back to a pinstripe.