Frame polish

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Yeti Dan

Likes Dirt
Is there anyway of polishing a matte carbon finish? I got a couple of minor shuttle rubs on the down tube of my frame. They're not deep and appear to just be surface marks but it's really getting to me. I've been told a nice car polish would work well, but I'm reluctant to try it without first identifying if there are any bike specific products on the market.

Cheers
 
Freediver

Freediver

I can go full Karen
You could by a bike specific polish but it would just be car stuff put into smaller cans and sold at a higher price, just wash, use a light cutting compound then wax and polish. Just like you would with a car if you weren't as lazy as me.
 
Flow-Rider

Flow-Rider

Burner
You can't polish a matte finish paint without it having the wet look or becoming shiny. Matte black is normally easy to touch up without being too conspicuous.
 
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trickbooter

Likes Dirt
My carbon bike and rims are covered in scuffs and scrapes. It has never been shuttled. Just riding around the Sydney trails presents enough rocks to the down tube, seat tube and stays to mean it is unavoidable.

Don't get me wrong, I'd love to have a pristine bike but I don't see how it is possible if you ride off-road on anything other than a soft pine forest.
 
beejay

beejay

Likes Dirt
Korbzy said:
Use nail polish remover, acetone works wonders. You're welcome!
Click to expand...
It will also soften the clear coat and potentially damage the paint, or worse if it gets into the carbon and damages the adhesives. I would steer clear of acetone for the purpose that the OP was looking for.
 
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Korbzy

Likes Bikes
Other alternatives are wd 40 and petrol.


Yes its a paint thinner, it will remove a small part of clear coat but will be no issue to paint and wont affect it unless you spend all day rubbing.

Regards to carbon, im not sure how it would affect it, it would have to get through the paint first anyway and lkke i said that would require a lot of rubbing to go through paint. Clear coat is very thick, you only rub away a small amount. Ive used it on all my cars and bikes to remove black scuff marks
 
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Jeffgre_6163

Jeffgre_6163

Likes Dirt
Both my roadie and Norco sight have matt black carbon frames.
Try CRC 808 silicone spray, does an amazing job of getting the frames looking new again.
Just watch the rotors
Available from any auto parts or hardware store.
Otherwise known as new bike in an aerosol can!
 
S

SummitFever

Eats Squid
The proper way to remove such rub marks on a matte frame is to lightly sand with wet and dry (something like 500 grit) to remove any surface imperfections and then recoat the area with a UV resistant polyurethane matte clear. If you're in Canberra, get some in a spray pack from Fibreglass Supplies out in Fyshwick. You cannot "polish" out a matte frame without polishing the whole thing to be gloss. To restore a matte finish you need to recoat with a matte clear.

Having said all of that, its a MTB frame, so I wouldn't bother unless I'd rubbed through the the fibres, in which case it needs a UV resistant clear coat to prevent the carbon degrading in the sun.
 
A

Airedale

Squid
I've used toothpaste before. Very mild abrasive that will not harm the fibre and remove very little if anything from the surface. I did this on a frame that had developed a bubble in the clear and it worked quite well.
 
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