Just picked up a pair of new, but shopsoiled pair of carbon bars for a VERY good price.

The reason they were cheap is that the (very thin) lacquer is marked in a few places (the carbon underneath is untouched).

I’m thinking that blowing a fresh coat of lacquer over the top would be no bad thing, but not sure what’s best to use – obviously don’t want any solvents that’ll affect the carbon/epoxy.

Ideas?

Thanks!

Jon

A scoot over with matt or gloss lacquer would do no harm but lacquer from a rattle can will never be as tough as a professional product and I’d be concerned about the stem clamp area. Will the marks really show once the bars are on the bike?

not sure I would bother. You could end up making clamps a tight fit and the new lacquer will probably flake off a lot quicker.

If that doesnt deter you then you need to rub back the areas being sprayed with fine wet and dry and de-grease it with IPA. Then use something like a PU wheel lacquer spray from halfords or plastikote. Or just stick some heli-tape over the exposed areas when you have the controls all in place.

try a good cut/polish first. you might be surprised with how well they will come up

Carbon bars seem to mark up really easily – I wouldn’t worry about it.

The stem area is heavily gritted, and I’d mask off grips & stem anyway.

Mostly it’s about sealing off the open edges – the current lacquer seems very fragile – I can scrape it away with my fingernail quite easily, and I can believe once it starts getting wet and covered in crap it’ll start peeling off in bigger chunks. It’s a matt finish, so I’d rather not just touch it up with nail varnish.