cervelo frame? can you please post some pics of your end result?
The material that the frame is made out of will be a big factor. You might want to provide that info.
I’m looking at doing the same for a 2011 Dogma. Any suggestions on where to start? My search has come up short so far.
Unless your existing paint is failing I would not strip it. Sand with 600 grit wet paper and scuff pads and go from there.
From my research, paint stripper for fiberglass
Haven’t done it, but thinking bout it
Let me know how it goes
.
There is a product out there called Carbolift, that is supposed to be perfect for this purpose - a stripper made for carbon fiber. I have tried contacting the company a couple of times to buy some, but they have not returned my e-mails or phone calls, so I’m not sure if they even exist anymore. TriRig.com did a review of it, and it seemed pretty effective.
I did find a couple of places that sell it:
http://store.trainingfx.com/Carbo-Lift-500ml (the prices are Canadian Dollars, by default)
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/carbol.php
As a disclaimer, I can’t say that I have any experience with it, so I have no idea how much you need for a frame, if these guys actually have it in stock, how well it works, etc. If you do get some, I’d love to hear how it all worked out for you.
I’ve been a automotive painter for over 25 years. Do NOT strip the original finish off a carbon frame!!! This will destroy your frame especially if you use a chemical stripper.
Best way to refinish a carbon frame is to lightly sand the original finish and that’s it. If you’ve never done this before leave it to a professional, you will be saving yourself time and money.
From my research, paint stripper for fiberglass
Haven’t done it, but thinking bout it
Let me know how it goes
I have worked in the composite industry for 10 years. Please don’t use paint stripper or any other type of chemical to remove the paint, it will attack the resin system and basically destroy your frame. Best is to use fine sandpaper.
This is definitely not a DIY project. Any recommendations on professionals to turn to for painting a carbon frame?
Not a DIY project. Your likely to do more damage than anything else and will cost you a lot more in the long run to repair your mistakes.
Painting a carbon bike frame is no different than spraying a automotive part so find yourself a body shop that will sand and spray it for you.
Not a DIY project. Your likely to do more damage than anything else and will cost you a lot more in the long run to repair your mistakes.
Painting a carbon bike frame is no different than spraying a automotive part so find yourself a body shop that will sand and spray it for you.
Thank you Marcel. I am also an automotive painter. It’s hard to talk people into and out of what they should and should not do.
That Carbolift sounds a bit sketchy, product description:
"Use to safely remove finishes from fragile work pieces and hard to reach areas. Carbo-Lift is:
An opaque gel, tenacious, does not off gas,** can survive being shot (don’t ask**), **actions can be halted immediately by use of water - just like a good employee **Sensitive to temperature and prefers warm weather 24 degrees C + (although it will work down to 2 degrees C, if you have all the time in the world!). Manufactured from the tears of our chemists in a special process which asks clear coat, paint and primer alike to sod off - in a gentle Canadian way which does not negatively effect the underlying substrate.
What it Does and Doesn’t Do
Does not cook you breakfast, does allow you to go and enjoy breakfast while it works for you. Don’t eat, although so non-toxic it can be safely wiped off with your hands, who knows where your product and its paint has been! Do keep it warm while it works, (remember Oompa Loompa’s like the heat) optimum temperature is 24 degrees C to 35 degrees C. Do wash Carbo-Lift off with water when you are happy with the amount of finish removed.
As an automotive painter, do you paint many carbon bike frames?
Yeah, the attempt at humor doesn’t really do much to make you feel good about the product, does it?
To the OP - you’re getting a lot better advice from other folks with real experience, so please disregard my post. I apologize for offering some bad (or at least questionable) advice.
Do not use any sort of chemical or paint thinner. It will destroy your frame. To remove paint and decals from a carbon frame, you have to hand sand the entire frame. We wet sand. It certainly takes some time.
We reached out to Carbo-lift given the nature of our business about their product, but never heard anything back.
Check out the weightweenies forum. There’s lots of threads documenting people’s frame stripping projects using various methods (sanding, Carbolift, razor blades). From what I’ve seen, it’s a TON of work. Maybe it would be a better project for the off-season.
Also, stripping the frame can reveal all kinds of imperfections (bump, dips, pinholes, irregularities in the CF weave) that are hidden under paint or filler. This would not a big deal if you plan on repainting the whole frame a solid colour.
I did a DIY project on my Specialized transition this winter. I ordered Carbolift and found out it does not work all that well even when following the instructions to a ‘T’. I ended up using 600grit sandpaper and was overly cautious taking it down to the bare carbon. Took a while with the sandpaper, but didn’t have any issues. Once i got it to the carbon i lightly sanded with 1200 smooth it out. I was very happy with the results even though I found out I am not the best at taping! I posted some pictures of it in the specialized thread.
hottubes.com is your solution.
Not a DIY project. Your likely to do more damage than anything else and will cost you a lot more in the long run to repair your mistakes.
Painting a carbon bike frame is no different than spraying a automotive part so find yourself a body shop that will sand and spray it for you.
Thank you Marcel. I am also an automotive painter. It’s hard to talk people into and out of what they should and should not do.
Yes Kevin, some folks just don’t get it! The other thing is that prepping & painting frames is not a money maker for us.
The other thing is that every time I gave a quote for labour and material I always got a puzzled look and “Why so expensive?”. So for that reason I don’t even bother giving quotes anymore, just not worth the hassle.
I disagree that this is not a DIY project - I did it myself with no prior spray painting experience:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3488048;search_string=nickag%20p2;#3488048
Paint job is still going strong.
I posted the process in this post:
http://forum.slowtwitch.com/gforum.cgi?post=3465120;search_string=nickag%20p2;#3465120
Basically, did not chemically remove the original paint, I sanded/scuffed the clearcoat to give the new paint something to adhere to.