Whether you have recently created a masterpiece in Carbon Fibre composite or, are working on an older piece that is perhaps an integral part of an expensive supercar; there are always going to be occasions where you will be faced with the prospect of removing light marks from the surface of the composite.
The good news is that light swirl marks, surface scratches and stain marks can, for the most part, be easily removed with some careful polishing. It should be noted however that polishing will not remove deeper marks, holes or imperfections within the resin itself; for deeper marks we would recommend investigating the use of a dedicated Carbon Fiber filler….check out our article on filling holes in carbon Fibre for more information.
Required Tools
As with any job, before you get started it is good practice to make sure you have the right tools and consumables on hand to ensure the best finish possible. To achieve the best result for polishing lightly marked Carbon Fibre we recommend the following:
- Quality electric polisher such as the Rupes Bigfoot
- Clay Bar
- High Quality, high gloss polish such as 3M Imperial Machine Polish
- High Gloss polish pad – 3M High Gloss Foam Pads
- Polishing cloth
Polishing Carbon Fibre
Before you begin polishing, ensure your work surface is as clean as possible. If you are working on a new part then this shouldn’t be an issue, but if it is an older part that has been exposed to the elements you should try to remove as many contaminants from the surface as possible. Working the surface over with a good clay bar will ensure your surface is as well prepared as possible.
Now that your surface is free of contaminants you can begin the polishing process:
- Apply 4 dots of polish at equal distances apart on your polishing head
- Using your polisher dab the head over the surface of the area you will be working on, to spread out the polish as evenly as possible
- Using a low-speed setting, use your electric polisher to evenly move the polish around your work surface
- Once you are happy with the spread of polish across the surface area, increase the polisher speed to setting 5 or 6 and begin the polishing process
- Using only light pressure, slowly work the surface until the polish has broken down to a clear state
- Remove the electric polisher and wipe the surface over with a clean polishing cloth to remove any polish residue
You should find that your light marks are now removed and your Carbon Fibre workpiece is left with a deep gloss shine.
If during this process you have discovered any deeper marks in the Carbon Fibre you may want to consider reading our article on filling Carbon Fibre for a possible solution, using bespoke fillers, designed to work with carbon fibre.
Alternatively, call or email us direct on 02380 251100 / sales@dtc-uk.com if you would like to discuss the best products for your polishing application. Not only do we have experts on hand to offer advice, we also run regular offers and discounts on polishing products, so be sure to ask us for information on all the latest deals.
