Best wax or sealant for carbon fibre ?

Best wax or sealant for carbon fibre ?

Author
Discussion

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Can anyone recommend the best wax or sealant for new carbon fibre wings - the car will be outside most of the time.
Many thanks in advance

Edited by onward on Sunday 28th September 18:47

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Getting them professionally lacquered by a paint shop would be the best option. I say professionally over a rattle can job.

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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So would the ones supplied by cc not be lacquered ?

k20erham

372 posts

125 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Sometimes they get sent out with just the gel coat on,and the water gets under and they go milky, the motorbike stuff is normally mat finish.

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
My previous wings went milky when it lived outside all year, no cover. Rear carbon light blocks, carbon indicator pods, the whole lots has been renewed.

New indicator pods I've had pro lacquered. Still the wings front and light blocks to do. Also got rear wings in carbon hopefully coming, I'll do these two I think to hopefully give them a long life.

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
That's what I'm worried about. (Going milky) who pro lacquered them - any body work shop ?
Cheers so far

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
A paint sprayers. They went were tagged on the end of lacquering a Mac F1 tub.

V7SLR

456 posts

185 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
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Don't get rear wings lacquered, it will chip just like paint and once it's been lacquered there's no going back. Fine for the nose and front wings because they're not as prone to stone chips. A protective wax such as Autoglym High Definition Wax will help keep the water out.

Gingerbread Man

9,171 posts

212 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Ahh okay. I might wrap the rears in a stone protection wrap. Not had carbon wings before, do they stand up to stones head on, or really require a guard/ protection?

V7SLR

456 posts

185 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Plain carbon has a much better stone protection than any paint or lacquer and doesn't always suffer with the milkiness effect, the trouble is you don't know when it's going to happen! I'd never had any issues until this summer when it sat outside overnight in North Yorkshire, the result being a slight milky spotting on a CF headlight bowl and a front wing.... another 7 was the same and likewise had never had a problem previously. I concluded there had to be something different to the rain we usually get in Cheshire!

The Autoglym HD Wax adds a hard wax layer that doesn't simply wash away like most soft waxes so should give you a better protection.

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Sunday 28th September 2014
quotequote all
Definitely going to try the autoglym HD wax first then. Thanks scratchchin

Eugene7

739 posts

193 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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I have tried Autoglym, and gave up on it... really not as good as it suggest it is.

I now use Gtechniq - you really can't beat it!

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
Eugene7 said:
I have tried Autoglym, and gave up on it... really not as good as it suggest it is.

I now use Gtechniq - you really can't beat it!
Which product is it you use from Gtechniq ? There's loads - is it just a body wax?
Thanks

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Monday 29th September 2014
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Regarding the GTechnique stuff, I like using the Liquid Crystal as my top coat. Water beads nicely off it and it keeps the paint looking clean. Very easy to apply too. I've been using their Clearvision Smart Glass on my windows for years - brilliant stuff!

V7SLR

456 posts

185 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
Eugene7 said:
I have tried Autoglym, and gave up on it... really not as good as it suggest it is.

I now use Gtechniq - you really can't beat it!
Which Autoglym product?

scottracing

35 posts

124 months

Monday 29th September 2014
quotequote all
it depends on the resin system used, all carbon parts that are lacquered need to be with a decent UV resistant material otherwise they go milky in colour pretty quickly.


onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
framerateuk said:
Regarding the GTechnique stuff, I like using the Liquid Crystal as my top coat. Water beads nicely off it and it keeps the paint looking clean. Very easy to apply too. I've been using their Clearvision Smart Glass on my windows for years - brilliant stuff!
Hi Andy
which Liquid crystal do you use?

Gtechniq Exo v2 & Gtechniq C1 Liquid Crystal Kit - £60

or

Gtechniq C2 - Liquid Crystal v3- £6 (100ml)

thanks

framerateuk

2,730 posts

183 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
Gtechniq C2 - Liquid Crystal v3- £6 (100ml)

The other is a much more complicated application which bonds to the clear coat to give a strong protective layer. The one I use is just applied like a wax. I'd be too afraid of getting the application process on the other one wrong!

Eugene7

739 posts

193 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
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V7SLR said:
Which Autoglym product?
I have tried them all - none last as long as suggested, and none provide a finish that I am happy with.

Gtechniq is the opposite, and outperforms expectations.
I started with the C2v3, but now use the C1 Crystal lacquer.
Very simple to use, and amazing results - with C2v3 as a final application on-top.

And to get the initial surface clean and shiny use P1.

All very, very impressive!

onward

Original Poster:

168 posts

201 months

Tuesday 30th September 2014
quotequote all
👍nice one guys ! Very helpful 👍👍👍