Stupid Spraypaint

A consistent downpour all weekend has kept me indoors again, so today I had plans to install the bottom bracket on the Takhion Restoration.  The person asshat that decided to rattle can this poor frame sometime ago never bothered to tape off key areas, like the headset bearings...or the BB threads.

SERIOUSLY!?

There was some concern during the restoration of this frame in using harsh paint removal or anything chemical, so while the BB had some of this paint removed there's still a little bit that remained stuck in the threads.  I've removed leftover paint in bottom brackets before with a bit of elbow grease, so I thought I could tackle this one.

Better, but still a bit of remaining paint.

Try as I might, I could not get these threads clean enough to get the BB cups on all the way.  Cross threading wasn't the problem - I could get each cup a little over halfway on, but then they would get stuck in BB thread gunk.  I'd pull the cup, reclean the threads, and try to remove more paint, but with no luck.  

Whatever crazy formula for spray paint that was used on this frame has defeated me.  These threads need to be re-tapped.

I don't happen to have Italian threaded bottom bracket taps, so I'll be taking this frame over to Velotech for a proper cleaning and re-tapping, and the actual BB installation itself (Suntour Supere Pro, of course).  

A bit of a bummer and a dumb mistake to make on my part for not getting this taken care of prior to the painting, but at least I can learn from this and not repeat it next time.  Ironically enough, I was concerned about using chemical paint removal on the BB threads because I didn't want to have to retap them.  

Aside from that, I spent the rest of this rainy Sunday watching Paterek framebuilding DVDs.  Guess I can't complain too much.