Carbolift

General Composites Discussions Products Talk
#1

Hi,

does anyone have experience with Carbo-Lift? I’ve tried contacting the maker for a source in EU but they haven’t bothered to reply.

[ol]
[li]Does the product work?
[/li][li]Are there any alternatives?
[/li][li]Is there a source in the EU (Germany)?
[/li][/ol]

I’d like to do some tests stripping paint off of CF bike frames.

Thanks.

#2

Mike, it’s amazing.

Either buy paint stripper for gelcoats, in boat stores, or use oven cleaner (Mr. Muscle). Part in plastic bag, spray over part, close bag, next day rinse and do another time if required. Mr. Muscle does not even attack model car plastic (ABS or PS).

There is also a paintstripper called “peel-away” which looks like this material.

#3

So these products allow the stripping of primer/paint/clear off of carbon components leaving the original uneffected carbon laminate? They don’t destroy the resin matrix?

#4
  1. I don´t know
  2. This one I recently tested on a Canyon carbon bike frame This works really good, the primer and clearcoat it seems to struggle, but it does dissolves it and I was satisfied with the result. The product did not solve any matrix. http://www.ebay.de/itm/1-Liter-Abbeizer-NEU-umweltschonender-Entlacker-/330863302822?pt=DE_Haus_Garten_Heimwerker_Farben_Lacke&hash=item4d08fd58a6
  3. carbolift have an EU source listed on their webpage, but customer service in general is lacking, I´m still waiting for a reply!!
#5

Thanks for the ebay tip. I just ordered some and will test as soon as it arrives.

Herman, I couldn’t find Mr Muscle at my local Kaufland. Might be sold under a different name in Germany. I’ll look in Roemond next time I go to buy coffee :slight_smile:

I’m still open for other suggestions. I’d like to try a few different ones to see which works best. Will post results here.

#6

The mother company is Johnson, from the floor wax.

Indeed I could not find a german website with Mr. Muscle. Must be sold under a different name.

#7

First feedback: I couldn’t find any product from Johnson here locally so I bought 2 different brands of oven cleaner. One from Henkel and one generic. Both did not work. I sprayed a Cube frame and wrapped the area loosely with plastic. After 12 hours no effect. The paint wasn’t even soft. I haven’t given up and will get some Mr. Muscle the next time I’m in Netherlands.

The other product should arrive today.

#8

Another Update: I tried the ebay product and it was partially successful. I applied it to a white Cube frame in an area that had several colors. White with blue and red pinstripes next to clear coated carbon. There was also the Cube lettering over the carbon. I put a generous amount of the product over the area per manufactures recommendations. The white and clear were completely unaffected even after 12 hours. The pinstripes and lettering came of easily after the wait time. Next I will try to sand the surface of the white with 80 grit and see what happens.

I had expected the product to dry up after a few hours. Since the maker didn’t suggest wrapping it in plastic I didn’t and it turns out it isn’t necessary. Even after being left open over night the product applied to the frame stayed in it’s gelled consistence without noticeable change.

I still haven’t made it over the boarder to get Mr. Muscle.

#9

I think Mr Muscle has been changed recently. I had a hard time using it to clean my oven… Perhaps not enough patience…

#10

They have recently stopped using one of the main ingredients previously found in paint stripper here in the UK. What it has done is made the lifting effect not so good.

Perhaps this compound was also used in oven cleaners, sorry but I am not sure exactly what the compound/chemical was that has been removed.