Other Resources > Maintenance, Mechanics, & Tools

Carbon-repair process of my TFSA (SL6 clone) frame

<< < (3/3)

bxcc:
Awesome for saving the frame. For future repairs, here's a few unsolicited tips.

1) You mentioned this already but do multiple layers. In this instance, you'd want to start with maybe a strip that is 1 inch wide and do one wrap with a bit of overlap. Second strip should be roughly 2 inches wide and the overlap of this layer should not sit on top of the overlap of the first layer. Keep the strips growing in width until you have plenty of coverage over the entire repair. This makes the cracked area have the most layers for strength and each additional layer helps transfer the loads to the good material.

2) If using a weave, change the direction of the weave between layers. Carbon weave is strongest in certain directions so alternating the layup can help even out the stresses put on the repair.

3) Always make sure the carbon weave is fully saturated with epoxy before laying it on the frame unless you are going to vacuum bag the repair. If not, you could end up with some dry spots in the carbon repair. A good portion of the strength comes from the epoxy so it's critical that you have proper saturation.

4) Before cutting your sheets to the size you need, leave them a bit big and lay them flat inside a plastic bag, I like to use plastic zip-loc bags but if you have to do larger pieces, any plastic can work. Pour a bit of epoxy on the carbon and close up the bag with little to no air in it. Use a squeegee to force the epoxy into the carbon fabric. This will make it "pre-preg" carbon fabric. Before removing the carbon, layout the size of the piece you need with a marker on the bag and cut it out with scissors. When you're ready to do the layup, you can carefully remove the two pieces of plastic off of your cut piece.

5) If you ever read an article from an expert that says to start with large patches and go smaller with each layer, you should REALLY question there credentials.

Either way, great job and this should work perfectly for an indoor bike.

 

TidyDinosaur:
Thanks for the tip.

I put the bike back together again this afternoon, and now I kind of regret ordering a new frame...   ::)

Serge_K:
Very nicely done, and thank you for sharing your process.
A big advantage of these chinese frames is that if you crash it, you have 500 eur at risk, not 5000. It's the sort of thing that helps sleep better at night.
Good luck with your recovery. Collarbones seem to break like matches.

TidyDinosaur:

--- Quote from: Serge_K on August 03, 2023, 08:19:41 AM ---Very nicely done, and thank you for sharing your process.
A big advantage of these chinese frames is that if you crash it, you have 500 eur at risk, not 5000. It's the sort of thing that helps sleep better at night.
Good luck with your recovery. Collarbones seem to break like matches.

--- End quote ---

Thank you. Recovery is going great. I never expected it to go so fast. After 2 days I did not need the sling anymore and on the fourth day I was riding indoor (with my sling) at a low wattage for 45 min. We are now 2 weeks further and stitches are removed so I have been doing some heavier work (still indoor) since a couple of days... Checkup with the doctor on the 14th and after that I hope I can start riding outside again.

The bike is holding up fine. A bit of a shame to just use it indoors, but it is what it is... The new Hygge frame should arrive in the next few weeks so than I can build me a new bike for the road.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page