Deep scratch in top tube structural?

[ukracer]

Hi , picked up a new frame already knowing it had a large scratch on the top tube .
However was told it was just paint but when received it seems to be a lot deeper than just the paint layers .
I'm taking it to a carbon repair shop today for inspection but would be interested to know people's thoughts ????

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[ukracer]

There are know visible cracks from or around the area and tapping with a coin doesn't seem to make a different sound anywhere

[kgt]

It is not just a paint chip IMHO. Someone tried to fix something in a very amateur way. It looks like the bike fell from its left side and hit something. So a crack is possible.
The carbon repair shop will tell.

[tarmackev]

Looking at the pics I’d say just paint.


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[kode54]

Looks like a deep gouge to me...paint plus a bit of carbon. I'm sure it can be fixed.

[Bridgeman]

With a scratch that wide you should be able to see if the carbon was included with magnification and different light angles.

Also, if you have a carbon expert near you they can advise pretty quickly I would think.

[youngs_modulus]

That gouge goes a few layers deep into the carbon laminate. The bad news is that the damage is structural. The good news is that it would be a quick and relatively cheap repair.

But to be clear: I wouldn’t ride the frame until it has been fixed. I also think you have a strong case to get your money back from the seller—if they said the damage was only cosmetic, then that frame is not as described. Of course, depending on where the seller is, getting your money back might be easier said than done.

But if you like the frame and the fix is cheap, go for it. Honestly, I’d expect the carbon repair cost to be less than the cost of repainting the frame or even just repainting the repaired area. If you can handle it aesthetically, you’d probably save money by leaving the repaired carbon exposed. I’m sure the carbon repair shop could make the exposed area look nice.

Speaking of that repair shop, have you head back from them? What did they say?

[ukracer]

Carbon repair shop confirmed it was a layer of carbon that had been removed.

They said it looks like the paint was chipped and probably exposed a strand of the carbon which was then removed maybe for a closer inspection.

They did say it was not structural and could be repaired relatively cheaply £80

I have agreed part refund with the seller