carbon fiber painting question.

[pitbull]

The carbon fiber bits on my 2001 900ie are looking pretty beat up after many touring miles and days spent in the sun.

I'd like to do a cheap, satin black, rattle can paint job on them and could use a little advice. I don't need it to be perfect, but don't want it to look like garbage either.

any advice would be very much appreciated.

[teddy037.2]

just the basics. prep sand, primer, paint, clear. it'd be like painting fiberglass

 

[mojo]

If you are going to be sanding on CF, I would definatly wear a respirator.  Carbon fiber is very nasty stuff if you inhale any of the dust.  I would recommend wet sanding to keep the dust down.

[pitbull]

thanks very much for the advice guys.

[teddy037.2]

prep shouldn't go deep enough through the resin, but yeah, that is a consideration... wet sanding should be fine.

[Jarvicious]

Prep prep prep prep.

After you finish wet sanding make sure that thing is %100 oil/grease/ dust free.  I jacked up a bicycle frame that I put a lot of work into just because I didn't get all the junk off the surface.  A paper towel and some mineral spirits work great.  Keep cleaning until you wipe the whole thing down and the paper towel is still white. 

[He Man]

Watch out for pinholes too

[ducrider45]

Watch out for pinholes too

+1 I found many pinholes when I did mine. I used some body filler to fix them.

[Dannog]

Can you do the prep and then re apply the clear coat to make the CF look like new again?

Has anyone done this. My carbon is looking faded and I'm hoping that a fresh coat of clear will make it look like new again.

[ducpainter]

Can you do the prep and then re apply the clear coat to make the CF look like new again?

Has anyone done this. My carbon is looking faded and I'm hoping that a fresh coat of clear will make it look like new again.

You can restore the gloss.

If it has discolored re-clearing won't help.