Carbon Fibre refurb???

[jerryz]

The C/F on my S4 is fading in Thailands Sun ...I plan to wash it thoroughly with Thinners then with soap and water sand lightly with 800wet and dry and water , then spray acrylic clear coat several times un til it looks nice and shiny and dark again .


any other tips please
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MONSTERMAN

[muskrat]

 
I did the same thing.  It's a shame carbon costs so much and ends up looking terrible

[Speeddog]

You'll play hell filling all of the pinholes where the factory originally sanded/buffed through the clearcoat into the carbon. 

My paint guy figured out *some* way of dealing with it on the last CF fender he refurbished.

[lazylightnin717]

I will be doing the same to my fenders on the S4. Here is my game plan...

Remove fenders and sand lightly with 1000

Clean really well. Clean again really well.


Clean again.

Shoot some clear coat on the fenders.

Let dry and wet sand with 1000 then 1200 then 2000

Clean again

More clear coat

Repeat sanding process if need be. If not, I'll buff it out.

[erkishhorde]

Sounds like you know what you're doing but I'll add my comments for anyone that doesn't.

Paint thinner or denatured alcohol can be used to remove some of the clear coat. Be careful you don't use too much and no, a blue paper towels are not adequate for application in place of a rag. Also, don't rub one spot too much or hold your rag in one spot for too long or the clear will start to soften up and stick to your rag or create marks. Don't get too sand happy either or you get pinholes and have to do a shit load of coats to fill them.

Make sure the clear coat you're applying has a decent UV resistance or you'll be doing this all again in a little while. I think when I did mine, I used 1000 grit wet between clears and 1200 wet to finish it.

[akmnstr]

I'll add that you can go with a series of buffing compounds following your final sanding with 2000 grit.  Go from course to finest.  Available at your nearest auto paint store.  Final buffing should be done by hand. 

[ducpainter]

<snip>  Final buffing should be done by hand. 

Really?

[Ddan]

I used clear nail polish to fill the pinholes, then light sanding to smooth them out and more clear.  Seemed to work fine.

[akmnstr]

Really?

That is how I do it, with a hand polish.  I ain't a pro, like you. and it takes elbow grease to overcome my failings. 

[ducpainter]

That is how I do it, with a hand polish.  I ain't a pro, like you. and it takes elbow grease to overcome my failings. 

I use machine products.

You'd learn a ton with a 3M catalog at your disposal.

[lazylightnin717]

not everyone can be perfect like you DP......... 

[ducpainter]

not everyone can be perfect like you DP......... 

I'm far from perfect...trust me.

I've learned a few tricks over the years is all.

[ducpainter]

That is how I do it, with a hand polish.  I ain't a pro, like you. and it takes elbow grease to overcome my failings. 

I've found that most activated urethanes get too hard for hand buffing of sand scratches...even 2000 grit.

If you get on them too soon hand rubbing just dulls them.

If you're using unactivated products it might be different, and lacquer is definitely a different animal.

[jerryz]

Well.....so far I have done all the big parts both termi cans and the front mudguard and the hugger all look like New and shiny now ...brilliant !......., next items are the belt covers, side panels and the radiator side guards , all smaller so should be easy peasy .
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MONSTERMAN

[BoDiddley]

I used clear nail polish to fill the pinholes, then light sanding to smooth them out and more clear.  Seemed to work fine.

The pin holes stay holes because they never get full of clear and the more clear the bigger they get, (I no, Duh!) but i have used this trick before and it works for a piece that has a lot of holes.  For just a few holes Dan's method works the best. And "This only works" with a very cured top coat before you put any clear down.  Spray on enough clear to fill the holes, I mean spray until it is running of the edges and you can visibly see the holes are gone, "quickly" take a rag saturated with thinner and clean off the excess.  The holes are full then proceed.  A bit messy but it works.