[Baldy]

Hi Everyone,
What is the best product for maintaining the finish on the carbon fiber parts? I am told wax is no good.
Thanks,
Baldy

 

[monstervixen]

i've never had a problem with using wax ???

 

[Herb]

I re-sprayed my parts with automotive urethan. Looks much better, and has UV protection to prevent the dreaded dulling that seems to take place with carbon over a couple years.

 

[n2thatguy]

Some of the "fading" of carbon fiber is also a result of the cf absorbing water (salt water is the worst) Clear coating or applying a automotive urethan will prevent this also.

If your cf parts are a spotty white (from water absorbsion) there is a trick to removing it. Leave it in the over for a few days with just the pilot light going (DONT BAKE IT!!). Doing this will draw out the water imbedded in the CF.

 

[zeus]

I've also heard that a good sunblock with a high SPF should work well to rejuvinate and protect CF.
Haven't tried it yet.

 

[azmonster]

Try spraying it with semi-flat black Krylon. That's the only thing that makes CF look good. ;D
d

 

[capww8]

what on earth are you guys talking about? splotchy faded cf looks awesome! it's soooo punk rock... or maybe old school...

 

[niuginisbk]

Hit with 2 coats of 2K automotive clear & it'll look like it did when it came out of the box & stay that way!

Std. Acrylic Lacquer clears will loose gloss over time, best to stay away from them if possible.

 

[mdozier]

Hit with 2 coats of 2K automotive clear

sorry but i guess i'm an idiot - what the heck is 2k automotive? i've also heard that there are some marine varnishes or sealants that work well? is 2k a paint? clear coat?

tx

 

[niuginisbk]

TX,
2K stands for 2 Pack or 2 Component, meaning the material (clear) & the hardener are mixed together & a chemical reaction cures the coating.

Single pack (or 1K) are air dry. (no Hardner)

Two pack coatings retains their shine, last longer & are more durable than 1K (or single pack) coatings.

There are 2K & 1K marine clears as well. IMHO 2K is a far better choice.

 

[Juan]

I spray WD40 once a week and the cf looks fine all the time, now if I am doing something wrong here I sure like to know! This is what consersme :" Some of the "fading" of carbon fiber is also a result of the cf absorbing water (salt water is the worst)" .... casue my cf may be absorbing all that WD40 it may not be good after all.

 

[niuginisbk]

Juan,
in my experience WD40 is good for putting a shine on CF, Vinyl, plastic & all sorts of things, but as you said it's temperary. Quote,"I spray WD40 once a week"

the 2K clear option is more permanent, ie. only needs a wash like the tank & other painted parts.

I think you'll have to stick to the WD40 now though, because it would be very hard to get any paint to stick to it after your CF has soaked up lots of WD.

 

[Juan]

Thank you niuginimonster, you are gight, nothing is going to stick to my cf after all that WD40. :-X

 

[Assmaster]

I've gotta regiment that I've been doing for well over a year now and it seems to work well. I wax everything with some black (turtle wax, I believe) wax. By using the black stuff you don't get the little white dots from regular white wax that gets caught in the pin holes. Afterwards I give everything a good coat of "303 Aerospace Protectant" that I got from a marine supply store. It's a UV protectant in a easy to use spray bottle. I had to come up with a good way of protecting my CF as I've spent way too much money on all the stuff.... (tank, front fender, rear hugger, side panels, seat cowl, chin cowl, headlight, headlight mounts, ignition cover, sprocket cover, and dash) Some say I have a carbon fetish..

 

[Juan]

NO KIDDING! I only have the Ex/pipes