New life to old carbon.

**gillan900** · 28 Apr 08, 04:54 PM

Over the years I've had various carbon mudguards, huggers, cans etc. and after a while the finish does deteriorate. This is exactly what has happened to a carbon front guard I had on my SS. It wasn't an original superlight one but a pattern, but it did the job for a few years until I got a very good condition SL one to replace it. Since then it's been kicking around in a box waiting for me to either sell it or do something with. Well I was going to sell it on ebay...

But then I had an idea...

Now i've always liked the 916 vented carbon guards with the gold mesh in, you know the ones I mean, very nice

You can't get them for the SS, so why not make one up, it can't be that hard

So armed with a drill, hack saw blade and a file I set about the modification !

I made up a small paper template for the holes so that both sides would match, applied some masking tape to the area on the side of the mudguard I was cutting and marked out the shapes with a pen. I drilled an 8mm hole in each corner then cut out the shape between the holes using a fine hacksaw blade fixed into an old jigsaw handle. After a bit of filing and sanding I had the makings of a very nice mudguard.

While I was at it, I cut about 60mm off the back and reshaped the front profile to look more like the 916 one. Carbon fibre is quite easy to cut, you just need to be carefull, as it will chip and split if your not. If you apply masking tape first, mark your shape out with a pen or pencil onto the tape, it makes the finished job 100 times better.

I got some mesh off ebay,

It was an exact match to the mesh in the 916 ones, only in gloss black. I set about cutting it with some tin snips after again using a paper template to get the shape spot on. Using a rough scotchbrite pad I took the shine off the gloss black finish and sprayed them in gold aerosol wheel paint. Because the mesh is a fine steel weave you can bend it to fit the shape you need, perfect

.

Now this bit can be done to any old carbon part to give it a new lease of life, If you have any stone chips that go through the original lacquered surface, use the end of a match stick to put a drop of clear lacquer onto the chip, leave this overnight to harden then rub down again with 800g wet/dry until it's flat and you can't see where you put the spot. This should now leave the whole surface smooth and ready for spraying. I rubbed the whole mudguard down again with 800g wet/dry which gets rid of all the surface scratches and sprayed it in 2 pack clear lacquer. I use a spray gun for this but an aerosol clear lacquer would do the job, just apply 3 even coats, leaving for about 5-10 minutes between coats. If you get this bit right you won't get any 'orange peal' effect to your finish.

Leave to dry overnight...

A quick trip down to the local nut and bolt shop for some stainless pop rivets and washers and the mesh is fixed into place. I used a bit of araldite on the back of the rivets just to stop any 'rattle' and Job done

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So if anyone is thinking of replacing that old carbon part, think on, you might be able to refurbish it or better still adapt it into a one off custom part.

**Ghost** · 28 Apr 08, 04:59 PM

That does look effective well done. But why use a steel mesh that will eventually rust as there are anodised alum meshes available??

**gillan900** · 28 Apr 08, 05:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ghost

That does look effective well done. But why use a steel mesh that will eventually rust as there are anodised alum meshes available??

It is stainless Ghost but it was finished in a gloss black coating.

**Ghost** · 28 Apr 08, 05:08 PM

Jolly good, it will always look good then.

**geo7863** · 28 Apr 08, 06:37 PM

Rather jolly good old chap... looks like the doggies swingers..

**brian91cfr** · 28 Apr 08, 08:29 PM

yes very nice neat and tidy job that looks great.

brian

**geo7863** · 28 Apr 08, 10:02 PM

In the next installment I will be turning this ugly old NASCAR air intake scoop into a sexy little air intake for the headlight fairing, to enable me to fit cooling ducts to the rear cylinder.

Dont know exactly how yet, but it will involve a dremel, some glue and a smattering of rivets...

**gillan900** · 28 Apr 08, 10:08 PM

I wait in antisipation George, thats going to take some doing.

how bigs this new fairing of yours ?

**geo7863** · 28 Apr 08, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gillan900

I wait in antisipation George, thats going to take some doing.

how bigs this new fairing of yours ?

I have a plan so cunning you could stick a tail on it and call it a weasle... to paraphrase someone a long time ago!!..

This NASCAR jobby is a tad too long, not a problem... but 2 1/2 times as high as it should be.... dremel time... the outtakes... if thats what they are called are 7cm dia, I want them 5cm dia... so they will be a little ovalish sort of.. when I have finished with them.

My headlight fairing is a standard... carbon... one so they will bond if I want them to, might just rig up a couple of small aluminium holders and bond them to the fairing bit.

Might end up ok... might not.. nothing ventured nothing gained, and I need something to do whilst I am waiting for my engines to come back... could be polishing my forks and triple tree clamps to a high glossy shine like yours... but I am a lazy bugger at the moment.

Could be polishing my lovely 1000 ss ds swing... but ditto... so its bodge it time with some old carbon fibre instead.

And might I add if it ends up anywhere as nice as your mudguard i will be a happy chappy indeedy!!

**gillan900** · 28 Apr 08, 10:26 PM

Go for it my son !
As long as it doesn't end up looking like prof' Pat Pendings van in wacky racers

**Pax** · 30 Apr 08, 06:15 PM

That mudguard looks rubbish that does.

Wanna sell it

**geo7863** · 04 May 08, 06:11 PM

Ian where did you get the mesh from mate?

**gillan900** · 05 May 08, 10:49 AM

A guy on ebay, it's stainless but has a gloss black coating, i'll see if I can find a link.

**Imola Duke** · 05 May 08, 09:11 PM

That mudguard looks the biz

**Wrecked 748sp** · 05 May 08, 09:44 PM

I have the pleasure of acting as a consultant engineer to a carbon fibre manufacurer, so obviously I know nowt about it. But what i do know, is that certain compounds used in the manufacturing process are highly (as in deadly for some of em) toxic, carcinogenic,respiratory irratants and damn bad for your health if breathed in, ingested through the skin etc. So if you going to muck around cutting cf, wear a mask, keep you skin covered and be careful brushing up residues. I didnt last year when i was reshaping some of my fairing panels and got awfull cf rash on arms and hands. It makes fibreglass rash seem insigificant.