Carbolift: works, perhaps too well. Ruined frame?

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Ellingferd
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by Ellingferd

Well, given the complaints that carbo lift does not work I am a little surprised at the results I have just had with my 2009 bmc team machine slt01 (al lugs, carbon tubes). It definitely works, and to the point where when I unwrap and scrape off the paint with a plastic spatula I am taking off carbon. The frame is uni carbon, and I am scraping off strands of carbon along with paint. I haven't gotten too deep to see what is going on out of fear, but here is a picture. It can't be good......

http://i.imgur.com/P4WunKp.jpg

kevosinn
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by kevosinn

that is really weird....kinda the reason I went the razor blade route on my frame. Hopefully there isnt more damage :(
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xena
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by xena

I doubt that is due to carbo lift. I have some and when I first tried to use it , it was very patchy. It certainly was never strong enough to damage like the carbon in strips like your photo.



When I stripped my Trek with a razor I went to deep a couple of times and the results looks like your photo . My frame is fine and the area where the strips came off are still intact as well.
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Ellingferd
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by Ellingferd

According to the carbolift dude there is a "cosmetic layer" of carbon. I know this is usually the case with frames that have a woven finish, but not with uni frames. Not sure I buy it. Why would the makeup of a cosmetic layer of carbon, assuming there actually is a "cosmetic" uni layer over the existing uni structure, be affected by carbo lift? Wouldn't this layer also be laid up with the same resin?

Not really sure what to do. I am having a hard time trusting that nothing is wrong with the frame at this point....

glepore
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by glepore

Uni frames have a cosmetic layer, its just uni.
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Ellingferd
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by Ellingferd

Well, good to know. I'll keep going then! Out of curiosity, why would the cosmetic uni layer be affected by carbolift but not the structural uni? Is the cosmetic layer not put applied with the same epoxy?

xena
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by xena

Take a look at my Trek https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

you can see loads of marks and scars where I went to far with the razor....you can also see some big marks where I drilled holes to make internal cables [ didn't work unfortunately] ...the frame has held up fine. Some bits of carbon lifted up with the paint ..stuck to the paint.

try not to damage the join areas ,,, otherwise you should be fine..
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CharlesM
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by CharlesM

xena wrote:I doubt that is due to carbo lift. I have some and when I first tried to use it , it was very patchy. It certainly was never strong enough to damage like the carbon in strips like your photo.



When I stripped my Trek with a razor I went to deep a couple of times and the results looks like your photo . My frame is fine and the area where the strips came off are still intact as well.




:up: ... Yep.

I don't think this was the carbolift.

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Ellingferd
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by Ellingferd

Well thanks for the boost in confidence. I've continued to carbo lift the rest of the frame with similar results, but not shying away from removing some bits here and there that don't seem to be structural. I'll post a pic when I'm done, but before I paint the lugs!

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