Clear coat crack?

[ANAO]

I'm considering buying a bike with a crack in the clear coat.

He tells me he's raced on it for 2 months this way and it hasn't changed in any way since TSA mishandled the frame. I'm not nervous.

But, if I do pull the trigger, how do I go about repairing the clear coat? I assume I don't need to do much, but am admittedly inexperienced in this department.

TIA for the tips.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xpa1/v/t34.0-12/10934603_10100374770439541_103708354_n.jpg?oh=e080 46c127edb50f7fc915822a452667&oe=54CC6670&__gda__=1422674209_3a5b0b5874355881dbb14e8191c7006 3

[thegunner]

Eli, we've got this, buy a nice quality automotive clear coat, bring me a pizza and I'll fix that ···· right up haha

I'll bring the saddle too

[ANAO]

Eli, we've got this, buy a nice quality automotive clear coat, bring me a pizza and I'll fix that ···· right up haha

I'll bring the saddle too

Nachman I'm slightly nervous. Need I not be?

[8aaron8]

That shouldn't be too big a deal to fix assuming you have access to a paint gun. There are a few quality spray cans of automotive clear but they will run you upwards of $30 a can. This just needs some wet sanding to make everything smooth and a layer or 2 of the clear, let it harden, a little more wet sanding and polish.

[thegunner]

Nachman I'm slightly nervous. Need I not be?

nah, i refinished a bunch of scuffed carbon bits (and at one point the first addict i owned)

That shouldn't be too big a deal to fix assuming you have access to a paint gun. There are a few quality spray cans of automotive clear but they will run you upwards of $30 a can. This just needs some wet sanding to make everything smooth and a layer or 2 of the clear, let it harden, a little more wet sanding and polish.

spot on, even if you don't have a paint gun - if you take stupid high grit wet sandpaper and do 2 or 3 coats between each sanding (finishing with 3200 or 4000), i doubt you'd notice. seriously.

[Craig Ryan]

You need to feather back the chipped areas to where you know you have good paint adhesion, which may be harder than one thinks. It may continue to chip and flake on you as you move out. 500 paper will be fine, but you may need to go stronger. Don't go too deep. I suppose you could get "clear in a can" or some kind of spray paint to cover it with, but those products aren't to be confused with what a painter would use. It will take more than one session with sanding between to get it leveled up. After the final clear, you will have an overspray area on either end which will need some buffing out. You could probably do it by hand with a cloth, compound, and polish. If you don't want to get it looked at by a pro, I'd have at it. The worst you can do is ruin the frame. Don't get hold of a catalyzed clear and shoot it in your basement.
Craig

[thegunner]

You need to feather back the chipped areas to where you know you have good paint adhesion, which may be harder than one thinks. It may continue to chip and flake on you as you move out. 500 paper will be fine, but you may need to go stronger. Don't go too deep. I suppose you could get "clear in a can" or some kind of spray paint to cover it with, but those products aren't to be confused with what a painter would use. It will take more than one session with sanding between to get it leveled up. After the final clear, you will have an overspray area on either end which will need some buffing out. You could probably do it by hand with a cloth, compound, and polish. If you don't want to get it looked at by a pro, I'd have at it. The worst you can do is ruin the frame. Don't get hold of a catalyzed clear and shoot it in your basement.
Craig

or go with the guy who does it for a living :hello:

[nicrump]

if that is a matte or satin finish, you'll have a very hard time making it look good. the pic on my monitor looks a little satin.

put a campy sticker on it and ride it.

[Craig Ryan]

if that is a matte or satin finish, you'll have a very hard time making it look good. the pic on my monitor looks a little satin.

put a campy sticker on it and ride it.

There you go! Save yourself some grief.

[Peter P.]

Even if you repair the defective spot, what makes you think that won't occur on other spots of the frame? You may be chasing your tail on this.

I had a new frame powdercoated, with a clearcoat covering the decals. I don't know whether the clearcoat was wet paint or powder. Anyway, the fork started doing exactly what your top tube was doing within weeks of taking delivery of the new frame, and it appeared to spread.

The builder was nice enough to take the frame back and have his contract powdercoater do it over.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2790/4280610760_67f7239b42_z.jpg?zz=1

[ANAO]

Even if you repair the defective spot, what makes you think that won't occur on other spots of the frame? You may be chasing your tail on this.

I had a new frame powdercoated, with a clearcoat covering the decals. I don't know whether the clearcoat was wet paint or powder. Anyway, the fork started doing exactly what your top tube was doing within weeks of taking delivery of the new frame, and it appeared to spread.

The builder was nice enough to take the frame back and have his contract powdercoater do it over.

https://farm3.staticflickr.com/2790/4280610760_67f7239b42_z.jpg?zz=1

The top tube wasn't just "doing" this...it was dinged. If I ding it, I expect some clear coat flake. But I'm generally careful with my bikes. Until I crash.

[pbarry]

Peter, that's definitely wet over powder. Glad it was sorted out.