Bike20000

Hi all,

I am repainting my frame.

I have sanded the clearcoat surface of my CF frame with 600 grit.

So now I should use degreaser to clean it? Or not necessarily.

Then I should spray a layer of paint then wait until it dries and spray clearcoat and wait until it dries then another layer of clear coat?

Thanks

unterhausen

I think I would worry more about compatibility between the old paint and new

taras0000

This. Also, an acrylic primer would help a lot with compatibility. 600 grit is also pretty coarse for paint work. You'll want to work that down to 1000 grit wet sanded before priming and a light wet sand in between coats. With a good clearcoat, you can make a rattlecan job look professional using this technique.

fietsbob

I'd ask a custom car forum, One working with carbon fiber..

Bike20000

Thanks for all the information. Some says primer is not needed since the surface already had that thin layer of clearcoat. They say primer is only to get the surface ready for steel frame?

Bike20000

That's a great idea. Thanks!

Bike20000

What would be a good brand for clearcoat?

fietsbob

got info from the car forum yet?


Major brand name...Du Pont.

duane041

I can help, but I'll need a bunch more info:
-brand of bike and how far you "sanded" the clerarcoat (are you painting over decals/lettering/logos)
-what type of paint you plan on using (spray bombs, base/clear)
-type of degreaser you plan on using
-do you have spray equipment?

Schwinn me

600 wet sanding good! Use a sealer then top coats.


Good info for you here


How To Schwinn Lightweight Show Quality Paint Job Start To Finish | The Classic and Antique Bicycle Exchange

Bike20000

Hi, I sanded slightly for most part but the are deep scratches where I sanded right to the CF. No decal no lettering

I will paint my frame white and then some red on top of white using spray can.

I will probably just use pure alcohol as degreaser.

No painting equipment.

duane041

Deep scratches will need to be either sanded out, or filled. They WILL show up in your final finish unless you either remove them or fill them. Paint is a film, and will not fill in large scratches. You could use a high-build primer prior to doing your color, but be prepared for a lot of sanding.

Alcohol will work OK as a degreaser but not great. If you do use it, make sure to get the isopropyl version, not rubbing alcohol.

Spray cans can provide a good finish, but rarely is is great. Prepare for a ton of waiting time between colors. Unless you can find lacquer paint (which dry very quickly but can be brittle), what you'll wind up with is enamels that dry very slowly.

Bike20000

I actually did a lot of sanding and sanded some spot down to carbon fibre. The frame surface is smooth now. I found enamel and lacquer paints. How many type of paint are there in spray cans and which ones I should avoid?

Btw I can have access to a air compressor and a spray gun but don't know where I can get paints.

duane041

You're probably better off with spray cans. If you start to get into spray equipment, the cost for material will start to add up very quickly. Plus, you'll also have to get into safety equipment, which would mean a respirator, nitrile gloves, and a spray suit. Stick with the spray cans.

Enamel dries slowly, but is more durable than lacquer. Lacquer dries quickly, can be highly polished once dry, but is rather brittle. Also, if you plan on using both, DON'T use lacquer over the enamel. The solvents in the lacquer will most likely lift the enamel.

And give the paints plenty of time to dry between colors. If you've gone down into the bare carbon fiber, that could hold spray paint solvent for a longer period of time. Honestly, I'd probably give it at least 48 hours between colors, too allow any trapped solvent to evaporate.

cavediver

Good information. I used to paint for a car dealership about 40 years ago. what he said should work. Prep work is the way to a great finish. There are no short cuts.

Bike20000

Yes I am getting some very good advices here. I spent 7 hours sanding the surface. Just got the vinyl decals cut. Starting my painting soon

Bike20000

We don't get a lot of good paint brand here in Canada. The guy from can tire asked me to use automobile clear coat instead of regular clear coat. Not sure if that's a good idea

taras0000

automobile clearcloat wil be much tougher than your average clear coat from a rattlecan. Where are you located? There are better places to by paint than Crappy Tire.

WheelNut2

I buy my paint from a Napa Auto here in Edmonton that also carries autobody supplies. Check with your local Napa store to see if they have auto paints. The shop here will do any automotive paint in a spray can, but they also have primers and clear coats in cans already. I've used epoxy primer on metal frames and the adhesion is quite good, and I would assume it would be good on carbon too. You can get epoxy primer in a one time use spray can also. Another tip for a fellow northerner: Make sure your painting area is warm! 25C at least. I painted my last frame in my garage in March and the clear just would not dry until I brought the frame in the house and stuck it in a small room with an electric heater. So, if you're spraying in an unheated garage make sure to use a heater and get the area as warm as possible throughout the whole process.

Bike20000

I am from Vancouver. I went to Duluxe paint and they told me to go crappy tire.

Bike20000

Ah thanks for the tips. It's getting cold in vancouver now, I shoulda started earlier lol