Clear Coat Carbon

Depending on the manufacturing process carbon fibre parts can come out of a mould with a mixture of finishing requirements.  Pin holes are often a problem and the need for a clear coating that can build thickness quickly is essential to getting the job done on time and fit for purpose.

Durepox High Performance Clear (HPC) has good build, fast curing, strong bond, excellent UV and stability. Keying the carbon correctly is key here as HPC bonds really well but over sanding can affect the all-important weave pattern.

System

1. Optional: HPC (sometimes rolled or applied with a spreader to help it into badly pin holed areas.
2. HPC Sprayed and sanded with P320.
3. Optional: HPC repeated as required. This completely depends on the surface dut if sanding through then repeated.
4. Optional: For marine applications it is popular to recoat with a known marine Acrylic urethane. This is to make polishing easier and match the boats finish.  Awlgrip, Awlcraft 2000 clear is very popular and successful.

Hint & Tips

1. When pin holes a prevalent spray guns can struggle to get paint into them. We find it useful to roll, brush or squeegee the clear coat into them.  The accelerator is a useful tool here.  Some will leave this coating to cure and sand and some will wet coat with a spray gun as soon as the hand applied coating has tacked off.  Both works well.
2. Worth noting if there are a lot of pin holes an elevated post cure can help force any shrinkage out and help prevent witnessing at a later date.
3. Clear coat carbon much like wood work does need updating every now and then, even Durepox doesn’t last for ever.
4. Durepox clear is really tough and it can be polished but its not easy hence to use of a polishable top coat like Awlcraft 2000 clear.