can someone offer some advise and suggestion on how to fix minor scratches on interior carbon fiber parts and keep it nice and shinny? thanks tomf-1
If the scratches won't polish out using metal polish on a damp rag then the part can be re-lacquered, i.e., take it off and have it painted with clear lacquer.
All of the shiny carbon fiber finishes you see is a clear top coat that is added after the part is removed from the mold. In most instances this is an acrylic or urethane clear that can be treated just like paint. As such you can get scratches out using varying degrees of paint polishes as well as wax. For stubborn scratches you can wet sand with 2000 grit paper and then buff to a perfect shine. Treat the carbon just like paint and you will have no problems. For this reason I do not recommend metal polish. When done, a coat of car wax will really make the carbon shine. Good luck with the repairs.
Not all carbon fiber is clear-coated. In fact, most is not. If it is, as recommened before, use auto polish/wax. If not, getting it clear-coated might help. Use multi-part urethane for best results.
I agree. Not all carbon is clear coated. It is however fairly obvious what has clear and what does not have clear. Here is a quick primer: Clear coated: Carbon is shiny and appears 'wet' or gives the indication that it is under a coating of plastic. Examples are the interior bits of most cars including Lambos and Ferraris Non coated Carbon: The carbon weave is visible but the part looks dull or not highly shiny. These can be waxed a little but scratches normally affect the fibers of the carbon and are hard to get out. Examples of non coated carbon would be the Challenge Stradale airbox lids or any race car tub.
thank you for everyone's input. could you recommend a specific urethane brand? thanks formerly "TomF-1".
its best you take it to a body shop, as getting the proper mix and equipment to make it come out properly would cost you and arm and a leg . besides most urethanes come in gallons only. i just purchased a gallon kit of sikkens , and it was 400.00 jobber price. q body shop would do it for you much less i f you hand it to them .
its best you take it to a body shop, as getting the proper mix and equipment to make it come out properly would cost you and arm and a leg . besides most urethanes come in gallons only. i just purchased a gallon kit of sikkens , and it was 400.00 jobber price. q body shop would do it for you much less i f you hand it to them .
I use duPont ChromaClear catalyzed urethane, and it's available in quarts from automotive paint suppliers for about $50 for both parts. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Not necessarily. It can be a gelcoat. Metal polish is very good at removing scratches as is jeweler's rouge. I have used both these many times with great success on decorative cf. BTW they are also good for freshening up your taillights - polishes the plastic nicely.
We use Carbon fiber panels in our Medical equipment. You can buff it using a automotive compound. A buffer can be used but keep the speed down to around 1500 rpm. A soft cloth can be used for small scratches but keep all movements in one directions and clen the compound and use a wax polish to finish. We use a local bodyshop to buff larger 14"x17" panels and they charge about $25 a piece. They are in Torrance so PM me if you need the info. Hope this helps.
I agree W/Mike-- the Chroma Clear is the way to go. There is another Dupont second brand that works real well too--Nason. The Nason is less expensive and I really can't tell the difference in the finished product. I'm sure it would be ok for an interior part. My recommendation would be to use a HVLP gun. Harbor Freight has a nice little HVLP touch-up gun for about $40. The siphon equipment has a lot of overspray and is harder to clean. This paint is really toxic--don't breathe anything after the hardener is mixed. A respirator will not prevent the isocyanides from "getting" you. You should use a fresh air mask, gloves, long sleeves, etc. The urethane is fun to use, but quite different than lacquer; it is thick like oil and you need to put it on real wet. It kicks in about 15 Min and because you need to put it on thick, it can run. With a small part you can prevent runs by rotating the part as it dries (I understand this is how they paint Lexus'). Mark
Yes, I should have mentioned that. The Nason is less expensive, and for this application, just as good in the end result. The main reason it is less expensive it that it has slightly fewer "solids" than the Chroma, but all that means is that it takes a couple of extra coats to build up the same thickness of clearcoating.
thank you, mark. i assume Nason can be purchased at any automotive supply store? where can i buy a HVLP gun? thanks to all.
Either/both can be purchased at an automotive PAINT supply store, NOT somewhere like Autozone. But as previously mentioned, Harbor Freight (or if you don't have one locally, then www.harborfreight.com keyword HVLP) is a low-cost source for the HVLP gun, though you can also get them at Home Depot and Lowes.
For light surface scratches and general wear and tear, you'll be totally amazed at what some Black shoe polish will do for your carbon fibre panels. Just polish it the exact same way you do your shoes....
I agree with ferrarifixer about the black shoe polish idea - if there are any small voids they'll get filled with black instead of white like you'd see with regular wax. This won't be an issue on most clear-coated parts, though.
