carbon frame mods...

[curby]

i will likely get my frame painted to match the team kit, can anyone recommend methods for modifying the frame? are there kits you can buy to 'epoxy' a cable stop onto to carbon or anything like that? I would like to add a number plate and also thinking about filling some holes that held headtube cable guides (my Look 565 had them screwed on to either side of the headtube just below the downtube junction, but I removed them since one was loose)

all tips, advice, warnings welcome!

curby

 

[tafi]

A decent two-component/epoxy glue should be fine for this sort of thing. Something lke that was/is used to replace Trek dropouts on the old madone or 5000 series frames.

As for gluing bosses or number-hangers, just be careful about how the glue would react with any laquer on top of the carbon. Discolouration or surface bubbling isn't pretty.

Apart from that I wouldn't go adding any holes where they aren't already.

 

[curby]

thanks, i got a reply from Calfee Designs and they say 'no mods' basically, but they would be willing to fill in the holes left behind from the shaky cable housing guides that I removed...

 

[alfeng]

i will likely get my frame painted to match the team kit, can anyone recommend methods for modifying the frame? are there kits you can buy to 'epoxy' a cable stop onto to carbon or anything like that? I would like to add a number plate and also thinking about filling some holes that held headtube cable guides (my Look 565 had them screwed on to either side of the headtube just below the downtube junction, but I removed them since one was loose)

all tips, advice, warnings welcome!

CALFEE is the go-to guy with regard to CF frame "repair" ...

BUT, what you describe isn't actually a repair ...

AND, as tafi suggests, you can certainly "fill in" the holes with some JB WELD (you could have used it to secure the cable guides, BTW) and many other epoxy compounds ... presumably, if Calfee did the work they would also do the cosmetic touch up with regard to the paint, too, for whatever they would charge.

It comes down to the fact that the "lay" person shouldn't do mods to a CF frame because if you (that's a generic "you") do it wrong, you'll potentially be degrading the integrity of the frame's fibers & resin ...

If you want to DRILL any holes in a CF frame, then you will need/want to use (i.e., should probably use) NEW tungsten-carbide drill bits so that you actually cut into the material rather than shred it ... think of it as being akin to drilling into a ceramic tile where if you do it wrong, then the tile is ruined -- IF you understand the latter AND have previously demonstrated the discipline to drill into ceramic tile without cracking it (a special bit is used, BTW) then you possibly (absolutely no guarantees that the "skill" is transferable!!!) can drill into your carbon fiber frame ...

Regardless, you don't want to try to epoxy onto the frame's paint/lacquer/clear-coat ... you'll need to scrape away the paint where you want to mount the cable guides & number plate tabs AND use the fore mentioned JB WELD because it is more than strong enough for what should be non-structural, relatively low stress bonds -- consequently, a superficial bond is probably all you need to do AND drilling to set a pin/screw/whatever should not necessary.

 

[Bob Ross]

There's a reason god invented nylon tie wraps...