Issue link: https://ppgrefinish-na.uberflip.com/i/323124
When it comes to handcrafting custom- made bicycles, Independent Fabrication, owned by Gary and Toni Smith, is earning an international reputation. The husband- and-wife team stresses old world craftsmanship combined with today's advanced metals and building technologies. "Our bikes are completely custom," Toni says. "We don't have stock bicycles." Independent Fabrication customers include cross-country road racers, mountain bikers, cross cyclists and weekenders looking for a nifty cruiser. "Every rider goes through a process to be fit for a bicycle, then we build a bike around those dimensions," Toni says. Suspension, stance and other ride qualities also can be tailored to preference. The paint scheme, not surprisingly, is one area that owners love to get creative. On Independent Fabrication's featured palette, customers will find a number of VIBRANCE COLLECTION ® colors. "We stock all the candies, pearls, flakes and liquid metals," says painter Chris Rowe. "We spray a couple of Vibrance Collection bikes at least twice a week." Independent Fabrication relies on the DELTRON ® paint system because it gives them the durability and performance they need. "It covers well in few coats," Chris says. "Our graphics often use multiple colors." He also appreciates the overall ease of use and fast dry times. Independent Fabrication produces some 600 custom bikes annually. What's more, the Newmarket, N.H.-based company receives half their orders from overseas, meaning the IF crew is busy all year long. After all, somewhere around the world, it's riding season. To see more Independent Fabrication creations, go to www.ifbikes.com. IS BEAUTIFUL "Blue Baller," a spectacular, retro- styled bike conceived by renowned motorcycle builder Bill Steele and his team at Steele Kustoms in Oakdale, Pa., took 2014 Bike of the Year honors at the Easyriders Grand National Invitational Finals in Columbus, Ohio. The radical ride features a shovelhead motor, plenty of chrome touches and a stunning PPG silver-flake and candy-blue finish. Shop metal master Josh Hart shaped the bike's pieces while Steele and painter Phil Williams tackled the finish. To achieve the dazzling, intricate paint scheme, Steele used a range of PPG products including ONECHOICE ® SX1071 Etch Prime, ENVIROBASE ® HIGH PERFORMANCE ECP15 A-Chromatic Surfacer and ECS25 Chromatic Sealer, Deltron DBC DMD1687 Toner, DITZLER ® BIG FLAKE ™ VM4421 and VM4402, Deltron DC2000 Clearcoat, Vibrance Collection RADIANCE ® II DMX216 and DMX220 toners and dyes and Deltron DC4125 CERAMICLEAR ® . The result: a guaranteed head-turner. BLUE STREAK INDEPENDENT PPG GALLERY 33 32