Hiya,
so, was out riding today, a solo ride surprisingly turned into a group ride, as I picked up a few fellow cyclists along the way...
Anyhoo, after a particularly hard effort, I heard this "bang bang bang" sound, which didn't sound normal... so after thinking I mishifter or something... I stopped the bike after like 5 seconds.
To my dismay, I had picked up a screw in my front tire, which punctured it... and while the wheel was turning, it also managed to leave a scratch in my fork.
Upon inspection, the scratch is only clearcoat deep. Yes, My nail will catch on it, it is about 1mm wide, but I can still see blue paint underneath - no carbon.
So, what should I do about it? Will the clearcoat start to delaminate if I do nothing?
Should I cover it up with some nail polish, hobby paint, or? I heard a lot of people use nailpolish, but I cannot imagine it being hard enough... I can get model-grade hobby paint, but I was just thinking of some clear laquer from the car store... hm?
Thank you!
Picked up a screw... fork scratched - nail polish, or paint?
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antonioiglesius
- Posts: 290
- Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2016 9:08 pm
I put enamel paint on mine, but it still looks a mess. Good thing I can't see it while I'm riding.
I used to stick a bit of helicopter tape in that region. Then, unbeknownst to me, the tape came loose while cycling, and came into contact with the tire. It made a noise a lot like a punctured tire, and I spent much of that ride wondering why there's so much hissing but no flat tire.
I used to stick a bit of helicopter tape in that region. Then, unbeknownst to me, the tape came loose while cycling, and came into contact with the tire. It made a noise a lot like a punctured tire, and I spent much of that ride wondering why there's so much hissing but no flat tire.
Is it just a cosmetic "scratch" or a deep and distinctive "gouge" ?
If a gouge:
Wash the region thoroughly with dish soap and water. Really scrub out the gouge with a nylon or similar brush (toothbrush?).
Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Masking tape off the surrounding area.
Squeegee some 5 minute epoxy, available at any hardware store down into the defect and smooth off with an old credit card or similar.
Immediately, carefully remove the masking tape. Let cure thoroughly.
5 min epoxy will dry clear, hard as nails, and will hold tight. Other methods work too, but it is difficult to match the hardness and tenaciousness of epoxy.
Or, ....just paint some clear fingernail polish into it and don't worry about it. It probably really won't make a difference to structural integrity or reliability.
If a gouge:
Wash the region thoroughly with dish soap and water. Really scrub out the gouge with a nylon or similar brush (toothbrush?).
Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Masking tape off the surrounding area.
Squeegee some 5 minute epoxy, available at any hardware store down into the defect and smooth off with an old credit card or similar.
Immediately, carefully remove the masking tape. Let cure thoroughly.
5 min epoxy will dry clear, hard as nails, and will hold tight. Other methods work too, but it is difficult to match the hardness and tenaciousness of epoxy.
Or, ....just paint some clear fingernail polish into it and don't worry about it. It probably really won't make a difference to structural integrity or reliability.
