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Matt Dralle
Site Admin
Joined: 08 Nov 2005
Posts: 26320
Location: Livermore CA USA
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 Posted: Thu Nov 20, 2008 9:26 pm Post subject: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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Dear Listers,
During the fitting of the Plexiglass canopy on my RV-8, I managed to put some pretty disheartening scratches in the windscreen section. You can see from the pictures that they looked pretty bad. A call to Van's revealed that a replacement canopy would be $640 + $250 shipping to California! Ack.
So what to do... A bit of surfing and I found this "Scratch Off" windshield repair kit for $35 on the Aircraft Spruce web site:
http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/scratchoff.php
Frankly, it just seemed too good to be true. Nothing for $35 could be that "magic" I thought, but what did I have to lose at this point....
Well, the kit arrived yesterday and I decided to give it a try tonight. In a word: WOW! In about 2 hours the windscreen looked as good as new - no kidding - AS GOOD AS NEW! The pictures really don't do the repair justice. It looks better in person.
There are basically two sponges in the kit with four decreasingly porous pastes. You just put some of the first paste on the sponge and buff it in with a drill at 1200 RPM or less. Then you wash everything down good including the sponge and windshield with warm water. Then you use the next finer paste and repeat the process. Etc, etc, until you've used the 4th paste that is kind of like car wax.
Frankly, the scratches were gone after the first application of paste - I started at #2 based on the instructions and the "observed severity" of the scratch depth.
So, the bottom line is, if you've got scuffs or mild scratches in your Plexiglass buy this repair kit. It works!
Matt Dralle
RV-8 #82880
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Matt Dralle
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icrashrc
Joined: 16 Mar 2006
Posts: 247
Location: Mishawaka, In
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 3:01 am Post subject: Re: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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Pretty impressive!
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Scott
www.ill-EagleAviation.com
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John Hauck
Joined: 09 Jan 2006
Posts: 4639
Location: Titus, Alabama (hauck's holler)
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:25 am Post subject: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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| Quote: | During the fitting of the Plexiglass canopy on my RV-8, I managed to put
some pretty disheartening scratches in the windscreen section.
|
| Quote: | Matt Dralle
RV-8 #82880
|
Hi Matt:
I imagine most all of us Kolb builders and flyers have Lexan windshields,
doors, and windows.
How does this product work on Lexan? or will it work on Lexan?
I tried to clean up a Lexan windshield, many years ago, with a product that
was highly advertised in aviation circles back then. Ended up trashing the
whole thing after the Lexan became cloudy and remained that way.
Lexan is much softer than Plexiglass, thus we can bend it to extreme without
fear of breaking.
john h
Marysvale, UT
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John Hauck
MKIII/912ULS
hauck's holler
Titus, Alabama |
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slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 6:56 am Post subject: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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John, the softness factor makes me wonder if you tried the scratch
removal at a very low temperature?????
It might affect the hardness of the lexan during the procedure.
You would have to spin the drill at a low speed to prevent heating.
Worth a try on a piece of scrap.
BB
On 21, Nov 2008, at 9:24 AM, John Hauck wrote:
| Quote: |
> During the fitting of the Plexiglass canopy on my RV-8, I managed
> to put some pretty disheartening scratches in the windscreen section.
> Matt Dralle
> RV-8 #82880
Hi Matt:
I imagine most all of us Kolb builders and flyers have Lexan
windshields, doors, and windows.
How does this product work on Lexan? or will it work on Lexan?
I tried to clean up a Lexan windshield, many years ago, with a
product that was highly advertised in aviation circles back then.
Ended up trashing the whole thing after the Lexan became cloudy and
remained that way.
Lexan is much softer than Plexiglass, thus we can bend it to
extreme without fear of breaking.
john h
Marysvale, UT
|
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http://www.matronics.com/Navigator?Kolb-List |
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herbgh(at)nctc.com
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:17 am Post subject: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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what I know from making a telescope mirror some years ago....
If one has a deep scratch...it will never "polish" out.. at least
not in a reasonable amount of time...one has to start with a course
grinding (sandpaper) material and take a particular scratch to its
depth...then begin to use finer and finer grinding compounds til the
area is in a see through condition when wetted...at that point
polishing compounds,,,jewelers rouge, cerium oxide will begin to
work...and possibly will not work at all on Lexan?? Herb
polishing compounds are available at any lens makers...same for
grinding compounds... any lens makers left in the states???  Herb
At 08:56 AM 11/21/2008, you wrote:
| Quote: |
John, the softness factor makes me wonder if you tried the scratch
removal at a very low temperature?????
It might affect the hardness of the lexan during the procedure.
You would have to spin the drill at a low speed to prevent heating.
Worth a try on a piece of scrap.
BB
On 21, Nov 2008, at 9:24 AM, John Hauck wrote:
>
>
>>During the fitting of the Plexiglass canopy on my RV-8, I managed
>>to put some pretty disheartening scratches in the windscreen section.
>
>>Matt Dralle
>>RV-8 #82880
>
>Hi Matt:
>
>I imagine most all of us Kolb builders and flyers have Lexan
>windshields, doors, and windows.
>
>How does this product work on Lexan? or will it work on Lexan?
>
>I tried to clean up a Lexan windshield, many years ago, with a
>product that was highly advertised in aviation circles back then.
>Ended up trashing the whole thing after the Lexan became cloudy and
>remained that way.
>
>Lexan is much softer than Plexiglass, thus we can bend it to
>extreme without fear of breaking.
>
>john h
>Marysvale, UT
>
|
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slyck(at)frontiernet.net
Guest
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| Posted: Fri Nov 21, 2008 7:38 am Post subject: Plexiglass Scratch Repair... |
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Herb, I did that for a few years. (now the listers will groan).
Made a personal 6" reflector, hand parabolized with a Foucalt knife
apparatus for guidance.
Talk to you BC about it if you want.
BB
do not archive
On 21, Nov 2008, at 10:17 AM, herb wrote:
| Quote: |
what I know from making a telescope mirror some years ago....
If one has a deep scratch...it will never "polish" out.. at
least not in a reasonable amount of time...one has to start with a
course grinding (sandpaper) material and take a particular scratch
to its depth...then begin to use finer and finer grinding compounds
til the area is in a see through condition when wetted...at that
point polishing compounds,,,jewelers rouge, cerium oxide will begin
to work...and possibly will not work at all on Lexan?? Herb
polishing compounds are available at any lens makers...same for
grinding compounds... any lens makers left in the states??? Herb
At 08:56 AM 11/21/2008, you wrote:
>
>
> John, the softness factor makes me wonder if you tried the scratch
> removal at a very low temperature?????
> It might affect the hardness of the lexan during the procedure.
> You would have to spin the drill at a low speed to prevent heating.
> Worth a try on a piece of scrap.
> BB
>
> On 21, Nov 2008, at 9:24 AM, John Hauck wrote:
>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>> During the fitting of the Plexiglass canopy on my RV-8, I managed
>>> to put some pretty disheartening scratches in the windscreen
>>> section.
>>
>>> Matt Dralle
>>> RV-8 #82880
>>
>> Hi Matt:
>>
>> I imagine most all of us Kolb builders and flyers have Lexan
>> windshields, doors, and windows.
>>
>> How does this product work on Lexan? or will it work on Lexan?
>>
>> I tried to clean up a Lexan windshield, many years ago, with a
>> product that was highly advertised in aviation circles back then.
>> Ended up trashing the whole thing after the Lexan became cloudy and
>> remained that way.
>>
>> Lexan is much softer than Plexiglass, thus we can bend it to
>> extreme without fear of breaking.
>>
>> john h
>> Marysvale, UT
>>
>>
>>
>
|
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