Does anyone know of a quick and dirty way of fixing a small carbon crack, I heard that you can use 2-pak epoxy, does that mean araldite would work? (the repair does not need to be structural).

Super glue, baking soda then sand it. An instant quick fix. Keep some in the car you can fix **** at the beach before riding.

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Plummet said..
Super glue, baking soda then sand it. An instant quick fix. Keep some in the car you can fix **** at the beach before riding.

thanks plum but looking for something a bit more sophisticated than the bush mechanics, but not spending hundreds. I would not put any trust in super glue, and what does the baking soda do?

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what does the baking soda do?

Stops odours in the fridge!

DEVCON makes various high-quality liquid steels and liquid composites.

Start Sanding the crack, add chop strand fibre glass to epoxy or vinster resin mix and lay over crack and wait. Sand it smooth and should be ok for a while

How big is the crack?
All the above are good, but conversely all have their limitations depending upon the size and location. eg Devcon filler is not clear, but jeebussss it is strong . Araldite and similar are glues are not designed for continuous immersion.
If its tiny, superglue will seal it (and all you are trying to do is stop water ingress.)

If it is hairline, a bit of superglue, clear tape etc will work.

But if you can jam your fingernail in it, it may need a bit more as yeah it might not be in a structural area but does need a bit more integrity to the filler to ensure it does not fall out and thus water gets in eventually.

BTW, carbon or fibreglass or basalt, or innegra fibre etc does not matter. For a small crack the repair will be the same, carbon ain't special


So, show us your crack....

Depends on where it is, and what board, if its a TT and you hit a rock, just plug it with any old glue or resin, if its a stress fracture due to flex, nothing is going to work long term, so use some thing soft like araldite.

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NickT said..

what does the baking soda do?

Stops odours in the fridge!

Cures the glue immediately. Also adds a bit of volume.

Don't discount the super glue method. It's perfectly fine for non structural small repairs.

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Mark _australia said..
So, show us your crack....

You asked for it

We all assumed board.....
That one depends on how it is loaded up (direction, how much...)

I'd say gently expand with pliers etc, , insert superglue or epoxy, let it spring back closed. Maybe a hose clamp on it to add a bit of pressure. Let it cure. That's step one for similar on windsurf masts.
Then sand gently and clean, wrap with epoxy and glass, with a tight wrap of electrical tape over the top to squeeze out excess resin. You will add a couple of mm dia, but will be as strong as before.