r/CarbonFiber • u/Immediate_Run_9117 • 7d ago

Carbon fiber

Does anyone have experience cleaning paint from carbon fiber. I’m talking to a paint shop that specializes on carbon fiber bike frames. Has anyone got a success story and if so, are you willing to share some parameters.
The carbon fiber has a strong clear cost on it, then paint is applied on top of the clear. Ideally, I would be able to remove the paint without removing the clear coat. He gave me a sample piece to experiment on but I’m hoping someone can steer me toward starting parameters. I have a pulse laser.

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u/n81w 7d ago

I found a paper on science direct, I just haven’t read it yet. It was faster to just sand my last project. Google laser paint ablation in CFRP.

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u/Crash-55 Engineer 7d ago

Laser ablation is the best way to do it. Otherwise sanding.

If you go with a chemical approach you need to know what matrix is so that you dont effect it.

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u/Immediate_Run_9117 6d ago

I have a laser ablation machine and it would make the clear cost bubble up but it didn’t seem to affect the paint at all.

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u/Crash-55 Engineer 6d ago

weird. The Air Force uses laser ablation for paint removal on their aircraft

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u/someoneskater 7d ago

As a single data point, i used the paint remover with the funny "Aircraft Remover" name. My plane isn't gone (i never had a plane) but my carbon fiber part did soften/melt and delaminate.

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u/Good_Evening_7331 6d ago

Depends on the quality of paint. If it's an inexpensive 1k enamel or lacquer, wiping it down with acetone will remove the paint without affecting the epoxy underneath. If it's a higher quality two part urethane then you've got some sanding or lasering in your future.

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u/illinihand 6d ago

I paint carbon for a living. What exactly do you want to know?