Carbon Rim Home Job Repair Advice

harringtonp

Looking to try a repair on the attached rim to see how it works out. A friend suggested filing down the edges, sealing against water and then filing down the varnish to get as smooth a finish as possible.

1) Has anyone done this before and can offer any advice ?
2) Would I be best to start filing with sandpaper or a metal file ?
3) Any recommendations for a particular varnish, preferably an exact brand which I can pick up in a local hardware store or an online link ?

Background on how this happened can be seen in the currently running blowouts thread.

Eamonnator

My advice would be to bin the rim!!

koutoubia

Bin.That.Rim

Kaisr Sose

What you are seeking to do seems so wrong on many fronts.
- some of the rim outer edge is gone
- you are proposing filing some more off it
- you want to apply a laquer to it that can be bought in a local hardware

My thoughts
- the outer edge is no longer round, the contact point between rim and tyre bead may be weakened
- getting it smooth may make it look better but unless you can add more carbon (which you can't) it's not a repair.
- Special abrasives required for carbon. Watch the dust. It's not healthy to breath in.
- a local shop won't have a specialist laquer for carbon. If you apply the wrong laquer, you may end up causing more damage to the carbon weaves/ existing resin.

Considering the damage arose from a blowout, would you or how could you ever trust this rim again? You may be looking at a wheel fail leading to substantial injuries if it happens at speed/wrong time and place.

Eamonnator

What makes you think, that you won't get another blow out, if you repair the rim?

What make are the wheels?

AmberGold

Would never feel comfortable riding that rim even with a professional repair. Can you not source a new rim for a rebuild.

Cee-Jay-Cee

I would bin the rim, those carbon fibre shards are razor sharp and you run the risk of puncturing the tube everytime you hit a bump in the road, it's simply not worth the risk.

harringtonp

"Bin the rim" is the easy response guys.

Disappointing when the wheels were over 700 euro (all in with spare spokes) and used less than 10 times. There is no fault with the wheels as you'll read in blowouts thread, tyre exploded and slid to a stop on bare rim. Got on to the wheel builder and his response verbatim is:

"That is a very impressive amount of tyre damage!
The rim itself looks as though the clincher edge has started to split where it has hit the ground. If you can squeeze the edges with your fingers and see movement in the carbon layers, the rim isn't safe to use.
The warranty doesn't cover this type of damage but the crash replacement policy would be applicable. Carbonal (through us) will supply a replacement rim at a reduced cost of £115 + shipping.
We can rebuild the wheel for you, but it may be quicker and cheaper (when shipping is factored in) for us to send a rim and for your LBS to do the build.
Mark
Spokesman Wheels"

There is no movement in carbon layers when squeezing edges, hence looking to see if a patch job could work. As regards risk its a case of weighing up risk of coming off the bike on a rear wheel tyre failure (and I didn't when it happened) against coming off in a race.

115 stg for a repair will end up near 200 euro when you factor in 2 way postage and Marks labour charge.

You see he suggested LBS but there are not many LBS mechanics I'd trust. Can anybody recommend a good wheelbuilder in the Limerick region ?

Gerry

It will cost a lot more to fix yourself if that rim fails or causes a high speed puncture on a descent.

Kaisr Sose

You came asking for advice....

When you factor in the loss incurred if you dump the rim (age does not matter, it's just bad luck) don't forget to put a price on your health if a damaged rim fails. Is it worth it for €200-300?

harringtonp

Gerry wrote: »

It will cost a lot more to fix yourself if that rim fails or causes a high speed puncture on a descent.

Yes that is very true. Its also a fact anybody who races has to live with. At the end of the day I will probably go for a new rim and keep away from latex but am exploring options here.

ford2600

harringtonp wrote: »

You see he suggested LBS but there are not many LBS mechanics I'd trust. Can anybody recommend a good wheelbuilder in the Limerick region ?

Tony O'Mahony Dungarvan builds/rebuilds low spoke count wheels for a lot of the Carrick lads.

He's mad enough to be good at doing it.

Eamonnator

harringtonp wrote: »

"Bin the rim" is the easy response guys.

Sometimes "easy" is correct.

Homer1798

When you say "VARNISH", instead of "RESIN, that for me is enough to say bin it, or risk serious injury.

magicbastarder

€200 to fix that rim via replacement seems a no-brainer to me.

Gerry

Of course a rim can just go without any previous issue, but to start off with something questionable, particularly if racing is just stacking the deck against yourself. I think the 200 is quite reasonable.

magicbastarder

may be worth noting that it was your friend who suggested filing and sealing to 'fix' the wheel, rather than your wheel builder, who does not seem to have suggested a way of salvaging it.
to be fair, he did say 'if X is the case, it's not salvageable', which one might read as 'if X is *not* the case, it *is* salvageable', but that could be/would be reading too much into a comment.

Kaisr Sose

harringtonp wrote: »

Yes that is very true. Its also a fact anybody who races has to live with. At the end of the day I will probably go for a new rim and keep away from latex but am exploring options here.

If your rim fails during racing because it was deficient, that's not a normal racing accident....

I would chalk it up to bad luck and cut my losses at the replacement cost. The issue with the latex tubes is astonishing. Of Contenental don't recommend that's good to know.

jntsnk

No regard for other people either if you plan racing with a ****e wheel. You could take down a load of guys with you. It was worth asking always, no harm, I think you got plenty of sound advice.
What make is the wheelset.

jntsnk

No regard for other people either if you plan racing with a ****e wheel. You could take down a load of guys with you. It was worth asking always, no harm, I think you got plenty of sound advice.
What make is the wheelset.

C3PO

I feel your pain OP but replacing the rim really is the only reasonable option!

ednwireland

Resin doesn't have any structural strength that comes from the fibe and it's orientation. It will just crack off even if somehow you managed to get the right compound.
Very hard to put structural strength into that area you would somehow need to combine new and old fibres.

New rim seems like a good deal even if it is painful.

AmberGold

Cycling for some is not a cheap sport especially when using top of the range kit like carbon wheel etc.

I've had a few offs where the repair bills ran into the '00's never mind medical bills.

€200 is not a lot to pay for peace of mind. Consider yourself lucky you haven't had a serious smack and you're using wheels that can be rebuilt.