Carbon Fiber clearcoat repair

[avbcon12]

I have a carbon fiber road bike frame that has a couple spots where the clearcoat has chipped. My question is, how can I tell if its chipped from structural fatigue (frame bending/ stressed) and if its just a superficial/ cosmetic thing? Second, whats the best way to repair these areas, a resin of some sort?

Thanks!

This is the worst line (over the 'E' to the 'A', the others are stone chips.

 

[avbcon12]

I can feel the line with my fingernail but nothing is flaking up or off.

 

[my89notchback]

Where on the frame is the chip/crack? Looking at the frame and the location will lead you to whether or not that location is susceptible to twist or tube flex. Did it take an impact from a fall? Typically those bikes are engineered so the triangle shapes in the construction remove all of the locations where a bending moment would occure and transfer them to the joints. I myself wouuld find it hard to believe that the lower tube would fracture.

You can use automotive touchup clear coat and then wet sand it to smooth it out and buff it back up with rubbing compound. I would start with 1000 or 1500 paper and then switch to 2000. Becareful, it will go thru the name painted on there in a heartbeat. Good luck!

 

[avbcon12]

Its in the top tube. Ive gone down once but not hard and never hit that spot.

 

[my89notchback]

Even if you took a hit to the front tire, the fork would flex rearward, and the top tube would be pulled in a linniar forward in a linniar fashion. Tough place to break a carbonfiber bike frame. Even a linniar impact from the front or rear would cause the tube to crack on the bottom and not the top. Just doing mental FEA annalysis here. LOL

 

[avbcon12]

I had the same thoughts and with it not flaking I think its just flex that has caused the clearcoat to stretch/ crack. The 'Ping' test still sounds like its intact.

So any regular automotive clearcoat spray can will work? I dont have to use some sort of resin/ hardener etc? Ive never doen any sort of carbon repair.

Thanks!

 

[moneypit]

just use clear nailpolish, carbon doent get weak it breaks