carbon fiber repair ...

[The Buddha]

I have some scratches on a CF part ... its just in the clear coat, very shallow ... is there a fix for it ... Someone was posting it earlier Dom ... or Dgyver ... one of the D's ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

I think it was me.

Depending on how deep it is I would start with either 600 or 1200 grits WET, then follow up with 1500 grit wet.  After you sand a little bit wipe it dry with a paper towel so you can check your progress.  Finish up with Meguiar's #9 Swirl Remover(any auto paint store).  On a small area you can buff it by hand or you can use a powered polisher/buffer but don't go over 1000 rpms.  

Is this on one of the WileyCo cans?  The kind with the textured CF surface?  The problem that I forsee is that the part that you sanded out will leave flat spots over the CF ridges and will be noticably smoother than the rest of the pipe.  It might look wierd in the sunlight.  This method would be ideal for CF that has a totally smooth surface.

Sooo....I would consider filling the scratch with some kind of thinned clear coat(maybe a laquer? :dunno: ) or resin but do it to the whole pipe.  It seems logical that the resins would bond completely to each other but anytime you put a solvent based clear coat or resin over a another it's a crap shoot unless you know exactly what was previously applied.

Also, you could just sand the whole surface of the pipe(if that's what got scratched).  If it IS a Wileyco pipe, I would remove the rear 6 pop rivits and slide the CF skin off the inner aluminium pipe...it would be alot easier to work on and you wouldn't have to worry about getting the little corners next to the end caps.

[The Buddha]

Its not that textured one ... Jetswing sent me a Beaut D&D smooth finish CF can whihc like a dodo I was wrestling on the bike and somehow in that process it prolly made contact with somehthing and got scuffed ... its smooth and the CF under is intact and I am very confident I will screw up and sanding I attempt ... Its been that sorta 2-3 weeks for me ... How about applying clear lacquer with a brush ... one of those artist painting type small sized ones ... its on the back facing the wheel ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

Ok skip the 600 grit.  Go straight to the 1200 wet.  It will take you longer to screw up that way  :lol:   Just kidding.  As long as you sand a little and wipe off the water it will be very hard to screw up.  The Meguiar's #9 is impossible to screw up with.

I forgot to tell you...ONLY SAND IN ONE DIRECTION.

Now that I know that the CF is smooth I would not suggest resin or a clear coat AT ALL.  You have much less of a chance screwing it up sanding than you do trying to apply a coat over it.  

Look at it this way, if you screw up sanding you can always clear coat over it.  But I think you will be fine...usually CF has a pretty damn thick final resin coat on it...far thicker than any clear coat on a car or bike.

Just take your time....and breath...

[JetSwing]

don't worry about it...no need to fix...unless it's bleeding real bad... :mrgreen:

[werase643]

Srinath....which one of your ugly high mileage turds are you so concerned about that you are worried about a scratch on the back side of a can.

[The Buddha]

Jetswing ... yes I might do that ... considering ... well duh I am a dodo ... or just having a bad month ... I cant tell anymore ... But hey bike shops open tommorow ... so whoo hoo ...
Werase ... It was Jetswings can ... a beautiful D&D Heck he prolly paid more for the can than I can hock the 47K mile bike for ...
Dom ... I am just afraid of making it worse ... Mostly The bike will get its share of these and similar marks in the first few 100 miles from stray rocks and crap flying about ... and this is on the back side towards the wheel ... I spray some on it and that eats or dissolves the clear coat or wrinkles it up and its totally going to suck ... Cant do the whole can ... its got riveted name plate on it ... unlike stick on that wiley co did whihc falls off easy ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

If it already has a mirror shine, GREAT!  Trust me.  1200 grit wet, followed by
1500 wet, followed by Meguiar's #9.  Works every time.  You will see your face in the reflection.  I guarantee it.

[The Buddha]

Well man ... the problem is not mainly in sanding it ... its what to put on it before I sand it ... I also know what caused it now ... the angle and the direction etc ... that stoopid clamp it had on it ... I loosened it but that clamp had taken the shape so it wasn't actually loose ... as I rocked it back and forth ... I sprayed wd 40 to help it slide ... but right under where it was sitting ... no wd40 obviously ... I never thought that will mark it though ... stoopid me ... but its also why it was so shallow and light too ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[The Buddha]

No I am gonna make this miserable day come to a grinding halt by going to bed ... bye guys ... tommorow is going to be a busy day ...
Cool.
Srinath.

[Dom]

Just sand the resin.  Don't add anything before you sand.  There should be enough resin there to sand before you start hitting actual CF.