I finally ordered my carbon peices and here they are. Carbonfiber trunk, wing, hood, and mirrors. As far as I know they are gelcoated and was curious if 303 aerospace protectant would be better for these over wax. Is there going to be a big difference in gloss and what not when its all said and don.
Wax or 303
- Thread starter oaevo8u
- Start date
Bill D
Hooked For Life
Sealant followed by wax would be my choice.
I agree and would make it much easier but I was using my samples of 303 to protect my dash and it said for use on gelcoat. Since carbonfiber has a history of yellowing in the sun I figured with this kind of protection I would be in the clear. Not sure if EX ot gw has any uv protection.
Bill D
Hooked For Life
The 303 doesn't last like a wax or sealant, it may wash right off if this car is exposed to the elements. I believe several sealants or waxes, probably Poorboys included, boast UV protection
BoxsterCharlie
New member
Probably a sealant, but if you want to try something different go with Plexus. It is the best product for hard, shiny plastic surfaces. It also has UV protection (it was originally designed for cockpit canopies).
togwt
The Old Grey Whistle Test
~One manâ€â„¢s opinion / observations~
You should be OK using a sealant / wax
Carbon Fibre:
Carbon fibre is a polymer, which is a form of graphite. Graphite is a form of pure carbon. In graphite the carbon atoms are arranged into big sheets of hexagonal aromatic rings. The sheets look like chicken wire, think of them as ribbons of graphite. Bunches of these ribbons like to pack together to form fibres, hence the name carbon fibre. These fibres aren't used by themselves; instead they're used to reinforce materials like epoxy resins and other thermosetting materials. We call these reinforced materials composites because they have more than one component.
This lightweight, strong composite can be used with polyester or epoxy, a composite material that can strengthen while adding minimal weight. When core material is used to double the thickness of a structure, the relative stiffness increases 7 times. The strength increases 3.5 times while the weight only increases 1.03 times. When core material quadruples the thickness, the relative stiffness increases an incredible 37 times, the strength increases 9.2 times, but the weight only increases a mere 1.06 times.
Plain weave is the most common weave style in which the fibre bundles alternate over one bundle and under one bundle, woven carbon fibre sheets are pre-cut, and easy to work with. Most quality carbon fibre that is used for automotive/marine/racing has a clear coat finish (to provide a seal for the fibreâ€â„¢s and UVR protection)
A problem could occur if there is insufficient reinforcement, as carbon fibre does not like to flex, if allowed to it causes delaminating of the gel. Detail carbon fibre like you would a paint film surface using readily available detailing products.
~Hope this helps~
Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
You should be OK using a sealant / wax
Carbon Fibre:
Carbon fibre is a polymer, which is a form of graphite. Graphite is a form of pure carbon. In graphite the carbon atoms are arranged into big sheets of hexagonal aromatic rings. The sheets look like chicken wire, think of them as ribbons of graphite. Bunches of these ribbons like to pack together to form fibres, hence the name carbon fibre. These fibres aren't used by themselves; instead they're used to reinforce materials like epoxy resins and other thermosetting materials. We call these reinforced materials composites because they have more than one component.
This lightweight, strong composite can be used with polyester or epoxy, a composite material that can strengthen while adding minimal weight. When core material is used to double the thickness of a structure, the relative stiffness increases 7 times. The strength increases 3.5 times while the weight only increases 1.03 times. When core material quadruples the thickness, the relative stiffness increases an incredible 37 times, the strength increases 9.2 times, but the weight only increases a mere 1.06 times.
Plain weave is the most common weave style in which the fibre bundles alternate over one bundle and under one bundle, woven carbon fibre sheets are pre-cut, and easy to work with. Most quality carbon fibre that is used for automotive/marine/racing has a clear coat finish (to provide a seal for the fibreâ€â„¢s and UVR protection)
A problem could occur if there is insufficient reinforcement, as carbon fibre does not like to flex, if allowed to it causes delaminating of the gel. Detail carbon fibre like you would a paint film surface using readily available detailing products.
~Hope this helps~
Knowledge unshared is experience wasted [each one / teach one]
justadumbarchitect / so I question everything/ JonM
I detailed a vehicle the other day that had a carbonfiber trunk and it was very neglected. I used VM with a green sonus pad and my pc and had very little results. Used PP and a oarnge pad and then followed up with VM and a green pad and it looked flawless except for the deep scratches. I then topped it with EX-P and it looked very good. Im always looking for a new way to do things but I guess you cant beat the tried and true.