paint & refinishing options
We offer a variety of Paint options to work with your needs & budget:
- no paint or clear coat over repair options for the (fastest, cheapest)
- modified paint to work around design and cost limitations
- factory finish restoration of paint and graphics (where possible) full custom resprays
Paint processes
Prepping the Carbon Fibre
- Carbon repair ready to be sanded smooth and to shape
- We then apply undercoat or clear coat as the base
- No body fillers are ever used.
Paint Process
- With the undercoat and sanded smooth and fair.
Add base colour or graphics colour (job dependent)
Apply graphics masking
Apply main colour
Removing graphics masking
- Remove graphics masking
- Repeat process for multiple colours or graphics
Apply clear coat over final finish colour and graphics
Clear coat applied.
Polish frame to class A finish – no orange peel
Class A finish
TECH TALK – PAINT PROCESSES
General
Relative Costs of Repair & Painting.
Paint processes are often more expensive than the carbon repair, due to the number of processes involved, along with the need to allow for drying times between processes. Surface preparation (ie sanding), producing logo files/ cutting graphics and masking is a precise and time-consuming activity.
Special Effects
Paints such as chrome finish are extremely expensive. The cost of the paint and the number of processes involved contributes significantly to the cost.
Fluorescent Finishes.
The colour of these finishes rapidly deteriorates in sunlight (UV) and because of this fact, Carbon Bike Doctor does not use these finishes. The fluoro finishes are not colour fast/ or durable. It is for this reason we choose not to spray them, as we want our work to last.
Issues to be Addressed before Paint Process commences
Is the frame finished in matte paint?
Unlike gloss finishes, matte paint does not allow a small local area to be re-sprayed. There will be a ‘blend line’ between new and old paint, that cannot be polished out. Steps can be taken to minimise the visual effects. Often face to face discussions result in a workable solution that can avoid the re-spraying of the complete frame which results in a reduction of the overall repair cost. We can offer a seamless paint repair with matte and satin, though it requires spraying the whole frame and often the fork, so everything matches perfectly.
Is it possible to reproduce the graphics in paint?
Yes, most of the time. Any small print / fine detailed graphics may not be possible to paint. The machine that cuts out the masking graphics for the paint/ graphics process has limitations of how small it can cut. Discussions at the time of bike drop-off will determine if a loss of these graphics can be lived with, or not. Printing of graphics on a sticker printer is not a feasible option. Access to the special screen printing machines that the factories use for the bike brands, is simply not available locally.
Does the Frame utilise Heat or Water Transfers?
Latest graphics are now likely to be applied by heat transfers or water transfers, rather than graphics painted on. In the event that a carbon repair encroaches these graphics, we do not have a satisfactory way of restoring these graphics. Replacement graphic transfers are not available on the open market, nor do they seem to be available direct from the distributors of the bikes. The only option is total removal and replacement with painted graphics of the Customer’s choosing.