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aircraft stripper and CF?

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Old 05-20-09 | 03:52 PM
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Originally Posted by jim-bob
Yeah, but I'd rather be dead with a cool-looking fork than alive and riding on something stock!
hell yeah, f*** the man!
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Old 05-20-09 | 05:19 PM
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If I were you, I'd totally do it. **** the nannies.
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Old 05-21-09 | 03:37 PM
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I haven't done anything yet. Too busy with other things. Funny arguments, people who have had experience with it vs. people who read something and go with it. Along with CCC's post, there's been 2 other people who claimed to get good results from aircraft stripper, quote, "its not like you're leaving the stripper on overnight."

Anyone have any evidence/proof of what DOES happen negatively? Because I couldn't find any pics/stories.

BTW, its a cheap Specialized CF fork, I'm not really TOO worried about it. I do have another fork on hand.
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Old 05-21-09 | 04:24 PM
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Originally Posted by toezter
I haven't done anything yet. Too busy with other things. Funny arguments, people who have had experience with it vs. people who read something and go with it. Along with CCC's post, there's been 2 other people who claimed to get good results from aircraft stripper, quote, "its not like you're leaving the stripper on overnight."

Anyone have any evidence/proof of what DOES happen negatively? Because I couldn't find any pics/stories.

BTW, its a cheap Specialized CF fork, I'm not really TOO worried about it. I do have another fork on hand.
CF is held together by the exact thing that the stripper is able to remove. It's your teeth/life on the line here.
If the fork is going to be trashed one way or another, maybe you send it to me because you won't ruin it with stripper?
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Old 05-21-09 | 09:07 PM
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I think carefully sanding the paint with 400 grit paper would be alot safer...
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Old 05-21-09 | 09:12 PM
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Wow.

On the plus side, there is the potential to remove obviously defective genes from the gene pool....
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Old 05-22-09 | 06:53 AM
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https://www.google.com/search?q=stripping+paint+from+carbon+fiber&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-USfficial&client=firefox-a

not one mention of chemical stripping in the 60sec or so of research i did for you.

https://www.calfeedesign.com/pages/price_refinish.php

call these guys and ask them what they think about chemical stripping. i hear they know a thing or two about carbon. actually, $65 for a complete professional fork refinish (scuff/spray) sounds like a bargain.
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Old 05-22-09 | 09:30 AM
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It is basically the equivalent of using a plasma cutter to remove the paint from a steel frame.

Nobody uses aircraft stripper on cf it because it is dangerous.

CF is a resin/epoxy/fiber mixture. Aircraft stripper will eat it up, just like paint. Is it that hard to understand?

Spraying down a fork and having it evenly remove the paint is next to impossible, if you have ever used stripper on a steel/aluminum frame, you will know this....
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Old 05-22-09 | 11:28 AM
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wait. i didnt catch that.

Originally Posted by chase.
you're talking about putting a product (aircraft stripper) designed to soften or dissolve catalyzed epoxy, enamel, or resin on a product (carbon composite fork) structurally made out of catalyzed epoxy or resin. do you see the problem here?
Originally Posted by ianjk
The people saying no realize that aircraft stripper will eat through paint AND the resin/epoxy that holds carbon fiber together.
Originally Posted by ianjk
Do not use chemical paint strippers! They will attack the epoxy resin that holds your part together. Acetone, alcohol and other solvents are okay, but they don't remove paint.
Originally Posted by Shimagnolo
About the only common chemical that will hurt carbon fiber is paint remover (which attacks the resin between the fibers).
Originally Posted by j3ffr3y
CF is held together by the exact thing that the stripper is able to remove. It's your teeth/life on the line here.
CF is a resin/epoxy/fiber mixture. Aircraft stripper will eat it up, just like paint.
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Old 05-22-09 | 11:44 AM
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Originally Posted by adriano
wait. i didnt catch that.
Apparently the OP didn't either. Hence the repetition.

Let EVERYONE use stripper on their carbon forks says I. The gene pool could use a good cleaning, and Fixie Kids seems like a good place to start.
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Old 05-22-09 | 01:39 PM
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Using the aerosol Aircraft paint stripper you will find at the local autoparts store on carbon fiber is a bad idea. Go to https://www.kleanstrip.com/ and look at the removers section. The aircraft paint remover clearly states that it is effective against epoxies. This is not what you want. If you're dead set on using a chemical stripper, try the Aircraft Fiberglass paint remover.

Realistically, what is the goal of removing the paint? Unless the fork is only partly painted with solid color and there is visible cosmetic carbon weave that you can see, there is no point in stripping the fork. If the fork is fully painted there is not going to be a layer of woven carbon underneath. Raw carbon is going to look like a matte black. You might as well save yourself the mess and cost by sanding it with some 400 grit and giving it a matte black paint job.

If you do go the chemical route, I recommend doing it outside. Get gloves that come part way up your arms and wear long sleeves/pants. The stardard aircraft paint stripper really sucks to get on your skin.
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Old 05-22-09 | 02:34 PM
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Originally Posted by PlatyPius
Apparently the OP didn't either. Hence the repetition.

Let EVERYONE use stripper on their carbon forks says I. The gene pool could use a good cleaning, and Fixie Kids seems like a good place to start.
Fine. As long as they don't go down in front of me.
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Old 05-23-09 | 02:29 PM
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Originally Posted by jmartinez
If you're dead set on using a chemical stripper, try the Aircraft Fiberglass paint remover.
SUBSTANCE DESCRIPTION PERCENT
----------------------------------------------
TOLUENE 30-- 35
ACETONE 20-- 25
METHYLENE CHLORIDE 20-25
METHANOL 20-25
------------------------------------------------
not sure how these will work on cf, but wouldn't be willing to take the chance.
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