Cf can be one of two things:
1. Gel/epoxy coating: Yellows and is somewhat hard, but polish as you normally would
2. Clear coated: Does not yellow and polish like you would paint
Other than knowing what the top coat is it is nothing different then polishing paint, just keep heat a little lower so you do not induce stress cranking in the epoxy.
There are two general categories of Carbon Fiber components,
1. Straight Resin
2. Clear coat paint
over resin
If you're working on Straight Resin, be it some type of polyurethane, polyester, or epoxy resin, it will be susceptible to oxidation.
If you're working on clear coated resin, then it's like working on a clear coated car, you're working on paint and the problem won't be oxidation, but swirls.
Anytime you're working on a Carbon Fiber component that has an automotive clear coat finish, you want to treat it like a clear coat finish on the rest of your car and that is to use non-abrasive products starting with the least aggressive product to get the job done.
Most carbon fiber components are straight resin as that's the less costly way to make a component. Taking a component and spraying it with a layer of clear paint is like taking a car to a body shop to get a paint job, there are more steps, more material and more labor involved.
Just a general observation is that a lot of people buy hoods and wings and such, usually the straight-resin type, and don't do any maintenance until the surface of the component starts to turn white with severe oxidation or the clear fails and starts to peel off.
So if you have a carbon fiber component, keep it clean, polished and sealed with a wax or paint sealant just like you would for a car you care about.
