Removing & replacing damaged lacquer on carbon frame.
In April I retrieved my year-old Planet X SL Pro Carbon from the garage, where it had been hiding from the weather since October.
While giving it a once over I noticed some damage to the top tube, near the front cable stop.

I contacted Planet X and they replied
"This can occur when there is a chemical reaction that can happen when salts in particular sweat accumulates on the join between the carbon and the alloy"
Adding that the damage was cosmetic and not structural, it was a not a design or manufacturing fault so was not covered by the warranty.
The frame has been cleaned with nothing stronger than water and no more abrasive than old t-shirts. The bike was only used April-October 08 & never used on a turbo trainer.
So I have three questions for the combined knowledge of the group.
1. How to stop the damage spreading? From the images the damage appears to be spreading both to the left and right.
2. How to remove the damaged lacquer?
3. What to use to achieve the previous smooth glossy finish?
Any help appreciated.
LeeG.
higher-res images 3264x2448 approx 1.6M
Big Image 1
Big Image 2
While giving it a once over I noticed some damage to the top tube, near the front cable stop.
I contacted Planet X and they replied
"This can occur when there is a chemical reaction that can happen when salts in particular sweat accumulates on the join between the carbon and the alloy"
Adding that the damage was cosmetic and not structural, it was a not a design or manufacturing fault so was not covered by the warranty.
The frame has been cleaned with nothing stronger than water and no more abrasive than old t-shirts. The bike was only used April-October 08 & never used on a turbo trainer.
So I have three questions for the combined knowledge of the group.
1. How to stop the damage spreading? From the images the damage appears to be spreading both to the left and right.
2. How to remove the damaged lacquer?
3. What to use to achieve the previous smooth glossy finish?
Any help appreciated.
LeeG.
higher-res images 3264x2448 approx 1.6M
Big Image 1
Big Image 2
0
Comments
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Firstly, you are being ripped off by planet x.
The cable stop is bonded to the bare carbon fibre frame, it is then sprayed with laquer to provide the finish. As such the laquer has 'bridged' the join between the cable stop and the tubing. The' bridge' has failed and let moisture in - cold garage, moisture, condensation? etc, hence the pattern shown.
Planet X are trying it on - to say that " the damage was cosmetic and not structural, it was not a design or manufacturing fault so was not covered by the warranty"
So what they are saying is that cosmetic damage is a design feature, i.e. was designed in to the build - bullshit!. Simply put, a one year old frame should not disfigure. A freind with a Trek/Lemond frame is on his second warranty frame because of the same fault.
The only wayto fix, to answer your questions, is to strip and re laquer the frame - or bits affected. Re-finsihers such as argos cycles can do this for a price...0 -
"This can occur when there is a chemical reaction that can happen when salts in particular sweat accumulates on the join between the carbon and the alloy"
This does seem a little tenuous to me.
Have you tried talking to PX on the get satisfaction site? http://getsatisfaction.com/planetx
Surely a warranty covers cosmetic defects?Mens agitat molem0 -
Looking at your Picture Lee337 Some of the spots are colocated to the metal /Carbon interface but not connected. This suggests that the reaction is not between the the Aluminium and the Carbon.
Carbon fibre is supposed to be inert, one of its advantages.
This also appears to be similar to an affect when spraying metal known as orange peel Which is usually caused by bad surface preparation.
My suggestion would be that this a bike has problems with the surface preparation, I agree with Bazbadger that this should be covered by warrently workNorthernManUK0