Crackling or crazing of paint under clearcoat?

[Frank]

I was looking very closely at the paint on a celeste Bianchi ChromoLite I have built up. The paint looks like it is crazed or crackled. It doesn't appear to be that way on the clearcoat because it feels smooth and glossy, but the paint underneath is not smooth looking. Almost looks like shattered glass.

I never noticed this until the light hit it just right and I started to look real close. I have also never noticed it on the older celeste Bianchis I have seen, but this is the newer metallic type Celeste. I also don't believe I remember ever seeing paint do this on other bikes.

Anyone else have this issue with their Bianchi paint, or on other bikes?

[William]

I was looking very closely at the paint on a celeste Bianchi ChromoLite I have built up. The paint looks like it is crazed or crackled. It doesn't appear to be that way on the clearcoat because it feels smooth and glossy, but the paint underneath is not smooth looking. Almost looks like shattered glass.

I never noticed this until the light hit it just right and I started to look real close. I have also never noticed it on the older celeste Bianchis I have seen, but this is the newer metallic type Celeste. I also don't believe I remember ever seeing paint do this on other bikes.

Anyone else have this issue with their Bianchi paint, or on other bikes?

I had the same problem on a Reparto Corse SL Lite Aluminum Bianchi. Clear coat looks fine but had a crystal craze thing going on with the paint. I posted a question as well on the forum, do a search and you'll likely find it.

After many attemps to get a response from Bianchi about the issue, I finally got one response that said the bike was fine, just a paint issue. No other responses recieved on follow up questions as to why or for remedies.


William


PS: Link to original question at the bottom of the page.

[Ken Robb]

20 years ago this was fairly common in car paint. I think the problem was different rates of thermal expansion between the metallic base coat and the clearcoat. The car companies fixed it long ago.

I think the European Union has different environmental rules than we do regarding paints which might be part of the problem.