How to remove paint from Carbon fiber chassis?

[Tamiya Era 778]

Hi,,

Any one can advice and guide me in how to remove the paint from the back of the lower chassis deck?

The paint on the chassis there for almost 15 years.heheheh

Photo Up-date:

Thanks

[bromvw 744]

Hi,,

Any one can advice and guide me in how to remove the paint from the back of the lower chassis deck?

The paint on the chassis there for almost 15 years.heheheh

Thanks

Having worked in a body/paint shop i dont know of any adviseable way to do this after 30 years experiance . Whatever you use will soften the resin in the cardon weave . best advice is to flat sand it with wet and dry and to over paint it .

[Tamiya Era 778]

Having worked in a body/paint shop i dont know of any adviseable way to do this after 30 years experiance . Whatever you use will soften the resin in the cardon weave . best advice is to flat sand it with wet and dry and to over paint it .

Thanks mate, but this will not weaken the Deck. right?

the problem is, the carbon fiber is vwry difficult to deal with for such cases..

But will try....

Cheers

[94eg! 836]

I would just sand it. If you get a polishing kit from your hobby store, it should contain about 6 grades of fine grit sand paper. I use these to sand & polish carbon fiber bits all the time. Just work very carefully in the spots with the paint. Once you cut through the paint to the carbon plate below, start switching up to the finer grades. If you use every grade of grit, the end result will be a high gloss. If you want a matte finish, simply stop at the appropriate grit and clean it off.

I also find working the sanding clothes with soapy water gives a nice even matte finish. Work in circles so you don't develop a grain. You'll spend most of your time cutting that paint.

BTW: A uneven finish carbon plate looks better than one with paint on it...

[Tamiya Era 778]

I would just sand it. If you get a polishing kit from your hobby store, it should contain about 6 grades of fine grit sand paper. I use these to sand & polish carbon fiber bits all the time. Just work very carefully in the spots with the paint. Once you cut through the paint to the carbon plate below, start switching up to the finer grades. If you use every grade of grit, the end result will be a high gloss. If you want a matte finish, simply stop at the appropriate grit and clean it off.

I also find working the sanding clothes with soapy water gives a nice even matte finish. Work in circles so you don't develop a grain. You'll spend most of your time cutting that paint.

BTW: A uneven finish carbon plate looks better than one with paint on it...

many thanks bro.............

[TamiyaDan 8]

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[Tamiya Era 778]

you can use acetone on carbon fiber no problem.

place a paper towel over the chassis, soak acetone into the paper towel and let it sit on the chassis then use the paper towel to remove the paint and also any CA glue or double sided tape glue that might be on it.

don't soak the chassis in acetone, I've left carbon fiber exposed to acetone for over an hour had no problems, but i didn't take the chassis and soak it in a bath of acetone, just papertowel to hold the acetone to the surface of the chassis and slow down the evaporation.

great, but it doesn't have side effects over time. right? cos my chassis is 23 years old and u know........very hard and expensive to get one these days specially the chassis is not like the avante 2011, it is Egress's chassis...

[TamiyaDan 8]

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[94eg! 836]

...sand paper will damage the chassis much worse.

Hmmm... That's odd... This is what my Tamiya carbon fiber came out looking like after all kinds of sanding. Before polishing, the edges were rounded with a file, sanded with medium grit, then sealed with CA glue. Then I started with a 3600 grit cloth and worked up to 12000 in 6 steps (polishing kit from the Hobby store for enamel paints in the model car section).

[Tamiya1/10 382]

I don't think is carbon fiber if is 23 years old. Tamiya put out FRP several years back as hop ups, which is fiber re-enforced plastic. I would guess sanding would be the best choice or test our with a real carbon fiber or some old frp to see if chemical would weeken the plates.

[94eg! 836]

I don't think is carbon fiber if is 23 years old. Tamiya put out FRP several years back as hop ups, which is fiber re-enforced plastic. I would guess sanding would be the best choice or test our with a real carbon fiber or some old frp to see if chemical would weeken the plates.

In 88 Tamiya released the carbon fiber hop-up chassis for the Avante. Don't worry it's real carbon fiber with a 1x1 weave...

[Tamiya Era 778]

i dont want to see this chassis.......every time i see it, my heart hurts.....

i want to cry...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

impossible to get it..

huuuh

hehe

[WillyChang 1816]

hasn't longer CF chassis plates already been re-released under the Vajra truck body?

[94eg! 836]

hasn't longer CF chassis plates already been re-released under the Vajra truck body?

Kit's not out yet. But those plates probably won't work with any of the bodies anyways. They are like the original Avante where the upper deck is larger than the lower deck.

i dont want to see this chassis.......every time i see it, my heart hurts.....

i want to cry...aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

impossible to get it..

huuuh

hehe

There is probably only 1 piece in the whole kit you do not already own...

[Tamiya1/10 382]

In 88 Tamiya released the carbon fiber hop-up chassis for the Avante. Don't worry it's real carbon fiber with a 1x1 weave...

I don't think carbon fiber is the same as carbon graphite. They are very similar but not exact. I think is more important to remove the paint on the carbon plate without damaging it.

[djmcnz 755]

I don't think carbon fiber is the same as carbon graphite. They are very similar but not exact. I think is more important to remove the paint on the carbon plate without damaging it.

Same thing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbon_(fiber)

It's all actually "carbon fibre reinforced <something>" and in applications such as this will almost always contain graphite. The "graphite" bit has just fallen out of common usage.

[Tamiya Era 778]

I would be so grateful if there are any instruction guide in how to do it step by step. Cos this will be my first time doing such thing and i want to do it perfectly...

[Tamiya Era 778]

Kit's not out yet. But those plates probably won't work with any of the bodies anyways. They are like the original Avante where the upper deck is larger than the lower deck.

There is probably only 1 piece in the whole kit you do not already own...

Yea,,, u r right...Only 1 annoying piece...

huuh

[94eg! 836]

I would be so grateful if there are any instruction guide in how to do it step by step. Cos this will be my first time doing such thing and i want to do it perfectly...

Here is a basic step by step. It kinda depends on your desired results:

http://rccarbuild.com/2010/12/10/chassis-preparation/

I do the following on touring cars:

- file exterior edges to round them

- file battery slots to sit cells low (not applicable with certain lipo packs or chassis plates)

- sand edges with medium grit to smooth the rounding

- run a bead of CA glue around all edges inside & out (or use a cotton swab)

- after CY has dried over night, sand entire chassis with 3600 thru 12000 grit cloth

It's a ridiculous amount of work and you may or may not want to bother. If your just trying to get the chassis plate back to "original", you don't need to do all this. Just sand off the paint and get it to an even finish you like. Use medium-light pressure while sanding under running water for a nice even finish.

[Tamiya Era 778]

Here is a basic step by step. It kinda depends on your desired results:

http://rccarbuild.com/2010/12/10/chassis-preparation/

I do the following on touring cars:

- file exterior edges to round them

- file battery slots to sit cells low (not applicable with certain lipo packs or chassis plates)

- sand edges with medium grit to smooth the rounding

- run a bead of CA glue around all edges inside & out (or use a cotton swab)

- after CY has dried over night, sand entire chassis with 3600 thru 12000 grit cloth

It's a ridiculous amount of work and you may or may not want to bother. If your just trying to get the chassis plate back to "original", you don't need to do all this. Just sand off the paint and get it to an even finish you like. Use medium-light pressure while sanding under running water for a nice even finish.

{{Just sand off the paint and get it to an even finish you like. Use medium-light pressure while sanding under running water for a nice even finish.}}

This whay i will do..

How about the running wayer, shout it be cold or warm, cos i think it will harm the chassis. right?

[94eg! 836]

Okay, you have a new problem. That is the fiberglass chassis and not the Carbon chassis. The fiberglass chassis is naturally a white/clear color and has a decorative black coating on it. Not only that, but the chassis has a texture to it as well. If you try sanding on this it's going to really mess it up. You will remove the texture in the spots you sand, and even cut through the decorative black layer.

Your best bet is trying to cut it with solvents as mentioned earlier.

Do you know exactly what type of paint that is on there?

[Tamiya Era 778]

Okay, you have a new problem. That is the fiberglass chassis and not the Carbon chassis. The fiberglass chassis is naturally a white/clear color and has a decorative black coating on it. Not only that, but the chassis has a texture to it as well. If you try sanding on this it's going to really mess it up. You will remove the texture in the spots you sand, and even cut through the decorative black layer.

Your best bet is trying to cut it with solvents as mentioned earlier.

Do you know exactly what type of paint that is on there?

It is Tamiya PS- ( black ) spray paint..

[94eg! 836]

It is Tamiya PS- ( black ) spray paint..

I don't know man, that stuff is impossible to get off. You may have to simply live with it. Just paint a new lower cowl, install it and be done. If the top of the chassis plate looks good, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

[Tamiya Era 778]

I don't know man, that stuff is impossible to get off. You may have to simply live with it. Just paint a new lower cowl, install it and be done. If the top of the chassis plate looks good, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

i think i will live with it...since my undercowel is black,,,so no worries....

Thanks for the all information, at least i got some experience in how to deal with such a problem in future...