Shad Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 http://s1.proxy04.twitpic.com/photos/large/390436544.jpg Just the result of rain being allowed to dry in the sunshine. It's a pain when I can't dry it off in time. How can I remove the marks and get it looking good again? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 Have you tried something like Mer Bumper & Vinyl cleaner - keeps mine looking good. Not sure if it will recover such damage when the water has got into the weave ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 I've tried using Back-to-black in the past but it ends up giving it a browny/blackish stain which looks just as bad. I'm guessing that's similar stuff to the Mer product? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Harry Flatters Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 I've had some success with 'milky' stains in c/f resin using black 'T'Cut. On the basis that the water got into the weave at some point, then it should be possible to 'leach' some other liquid in there. Not a very precise science though, I'm afraid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R300 Posted September 5, 2011 Share Posted September 5, 2011 i used black printer ink with some success put a little bit on a cloth then rub it in until the stain dissappears then polish with clean cloth Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted September 5, 2011 Author Share Posted September 5, 2011 Success! I had the Rain-X out from cleaning my visor earlier so thought I'd give it a go, couldn't make it any worse really. Low and behold a bit of gentle rubbing with a soft cloth and the marks have gone! Both half-doors now looking better than ever 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EFA Posted September 8, 2011 Share Posted September 8, 2011 Use nothing but Mer bumper polish. All the others leave a residual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
prangerman Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 Is the Mer bumper cleaner/polish the same as Mer bumper gel which is all I can find? Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C7 DFH Posted September 19, 2011 Share Posted September 19, 2011 I hope so because that's what I used yesterday and the carbon has come up a treat Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA Posted September 21, 2011 Share Posted September 21, 2011 Without doubt the best stuff to use on carbon is " wood silk" furniture polish no joke! its 100percent bees wax no silicon ,you can get it in most supermarkets its in a yellow spray can with a plastic yellow cap that looks like a bee hive I started using it years ago by accident my mother was using it on her oak kitchen and thought lets try that on the carbon wings. I took a can to an International Kart meeting at Buckmore Pk and used it to shine up our Tony Karts, chassis , plastic the lot at the next meeting everyone was using it Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 You and your Wood Silk ....... I have only one thing to say to you ....... Woweeeeeeeeee 🥰 😶🌫️ Edited by - Stationary M25 Traveller on 1 Oct 2011 20:47:37 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BSA Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Good init ! 😬 😬 😬 😬 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 RAIN-X NO! NO! NO! NO! NO! I thought I would give it a try. My wings were very milky after being rained on several nights on holiday. So much so that I had to resort to T-cut. (which I don't like to as it abrades the epoxy away) I then treated the rhs wings with Rain-X, the lhs with Autoglym super gloss protector. Both looked good on application. Today as I washed the car using my normal car shampoo, the Rain-X treated wings went milky before my very eyes about 5 secs after wetting. I had to T-cut again The AG SGP did a good job, but not perfect. Just tried s different product to make another comparison. Will report back. Will also try the Mer bumper treatment. KEEP THE RAIN-X FOR YOU WINDSCREEN OR VISORS! P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shad Posted October 1, 2011 Author Share Posted October 1, 2011 Interesting... I've not exposed mine to water and sunshine yet so can't say if the same happens for me or not. However, for me at least it was never about preventing the milky marks but just fixing them if they appear. Isn't the root problem to do with the finish on the carbon having worn? Or not having any lacquer on? ETA I am going to try the Wood Silk stuff tomorrow hopefully Edited by - Shad on 1 Oct 2011 17:38:58 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Yes, the root problem is the bare epoxy resin in the wing reacts to both water and UV light. As it reacts it goes milky. This can be a surface bloom (cleans off relatively easily) or a deeper dullness in the resin. Every time there is a reaction, a microscopic amount of the epoxy is "used up". On my wings the carbon weave is at the surface in places. The ideal product to protect it would be water repellant and give some kind of UV barrier. I have found a product which claims to do both to specifically protect expoxy resins and gel coats. When I have verified its performance I'll report findings on here. Unfortuately....... No sign of rain at the moment so have to be patient 😬 Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I wonder if it gets in from the underside ? I have coated mine with a couple of coats of underseal to stop stone impacts. Maybe this has also sealed the unlaquered side ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuncanW Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I polish mine up with WD-40....lovely! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
C7 DFH Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Peter, try Mer bumber and vinyl cleaning gel : here Dominic Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anthonym Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 water repellant and UV protection? Anyone tried sun lotion? Various brands to go at. I have some stuff from RiF which as yet I have not used, still on the web site when I last looked, some time ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stationary M25 Traveller Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Anthony - you need some Wood Silk ... let me know if you want some sent ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 Dom Yes, on my list of things to try on my mobile test bed of tired cf ! Ian M25 The water does not seem to be getting in fron underneath. The only marks I've ever seem directly correspond to water/sunlight from above. One of the great advantages of the cf wings, not often mentioned, is that they do not have a gel coat so are immune to starcracking, so not sure of the benefit in undersealing. Ant The "stuff from Rif" was tried. It may be ok for new Rif cf, but on the CC Tillett cf it could not remove or prevent either of the two types of discolouration. Was also leaving smeary marks when tried to shine up. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmmarsh Posted October 1, 2011 Share Posted October 1, 2011 I have been trying to get some large marks off my. CSR fromt wings that were out overnight in the rain a couple of weeks ago. The carbon has gone White where the water had pooled on top of the wings. I got some stuff at the Kit Car show from one of the guys who make carbon for the 7 but i can't remember his name. It has helped, but the water marking is clearly visible. As has been noted above, once they are affected by water it seems that every time they get wet it gets worse. If anyone knows why this happens and how to stop it please shout. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
6speedmanual Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 I believe that when UV hits the epoxy, it breaks up the surface at a microscopic level. This the allows water to "soak" in to the resin. So UV initiates the problem making the resin more sensitive to water. Polishing the marks away grinds the surface making it break up further and eventually exposing carbon fibres. I think to stop the problem, a substance which providea a uv barrier and waterproofing would work. This must also NOT melt or disolve or grind the epoxy when applied or it is effectively washing it away. Continuous polishing is not viable or the matrtial will be worn away. For me, regular application, eg each time car is washed would be ok if it was a simple wipe on product. Question is..... What??? I'll keep experimenting. Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sjmmarsh Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Thanks peter. The odd thing is that I was away at the end of August when we had torrential rain. The car was out overnight and only had very slight water marking on the carbon wings. A month later, I left it out overnight and it rained again. This time there are very noticeable marks on the top - almost like a White liquid had dried on the surface (except it isn't on the surface- it seems to be just under the surface). The marks aren't like the problem I have on my indicator pods which is more like a blooming within the resin than a dried-in residue. So.. Either the rain in London is chalkier than the rain in Norfolk, or the wax I am using (carnuba) is only offering limited protection that breaks down over time? Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Stone Posted October 4, 2011 Share Posted October 4, 2011 Turtle Wax Extreme tyre wall gel works well for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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