dos007

My Feedback: (24)

How do you guys remove or buff dried epoxy or light scratches off your clear canopy?

f106jax

My Feedback: (16)

If plastic polish will not remove your scratch/glue, wet sand and spray with clear paint.

Aero65

My Feedback: (2)

Hi

I had to polish my Wife's cars light covers as they were oxidized very badly with the Turtle Wax headlight restoration kit.
Since it worked so well on the plastic headlights I thought id try it on my mb339 canopy. Worked great on a small section.
I was in a rush so there a still a few fine scratches but im sure if I took my time I could buff those out too.

The kit uses 4 grades of progressively finer abrasive pads to get the scratches out, then you use the included polish to buff out the scratches.
I only was able to use it on a small section that had some hangar rash type scratches so far. Be careful however and test on a piece that is hidden first.

Mikes method also works well, the finer the grit the better, more work however; but better results if you can go higher than 600 I have found at least.

http://www.turtlewax.com/detail-Head...rer-49-86.aspx

PaulD

My Feedback: (39)

A buddy told me about stuff called PlastX - Walmart sells it. I used it to clean up the canopy on my U L after I got a bunch of glue on it plus it was good for removing some scratches as well. Super good stuff. [8D]

http://www.meguiarsdirect.com/product_detail.do?q=4596

PaulD

dos007

My Feedback: (24)

Thanks for the suggestions! I am off to Walmart...I will keep you posted

Bob_B

My Feedback: (11)

There is plastic polish that is uesd for motorcycle wind screens and such.

http://www.novuspolish.com/

Works very well.

melvin

My Feedback: (3)

There is fine grit sanding cloths called micro mesh that you can purchase at woodworking suppliy stores. It starts out at 600 grit and progresses up to 12000 grit. wood workers use it to polish the acrylic ballpoint pen blanks they make while in the lathe. Also heard the military use it to remove scratches on military jet canopys.
Mel

cactusflyer

My Feedback: (4)

Believe it or not......Try using Future Floor Polish. I read about it many years ago right here on RCU. I was very skeptical about it. As described, I wiped it on the canopy with a lint free rag and let it dry. Absolutely amazing results. You can sand the whole canopy with 600 grit paper until it is completely frosty looking and then apply the Future. It turns out awesome. You could sand it and shoot clear instead, but that involves a lot more work.

Tailwinds,

John

cactusflyer

My Feedback: (4)

I did some checking and I see that Future has a new name. Here's a cut and paste from Don's Airbrush Tips about using Future and it's new name:

Future Floor Polish
You may have heard of Future floor polish. It is widely used by modelers as a gloss finish. It is sometimes referred to as a wax. This is incorrect, as there is no wax in it. It is an acrylic coating that dries hard and has the nice feature that it can be re-desolved by a solution of ammonia. It is 80% water and can be thinned with anything water soluble. Some people use water, some use alcohol, and some use Windex which contains ammonia and also reduces surface tension. A good place to read about it is Swanny's Models.

http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html


Its main uses are as a coating for clear parts such as canopies, and as a coating before and after applying decals. It does wonders for canopies, making them crystal clear. And, it also acts as a barrier against cyanoacrylate adhesive fumes which can fog bare plastic. Some people have still seen fogging, but I think it depends upon amount of exposure.


Since I work mainly in 1:72 scale, I keep a small amount in an old paint bottle to dip my canopies. I thin it about 50% with water and it seems to have less tendency to pool.


Many people can airbrush Future and get nice smooth finishes. I have to admit that I am not one of them. I've tried all the variables and still get a pebbly finish. I just don't have the right touch. So I brush it on like a lot of others do with a wide flat sable brush. It brushes very nicely without leaving stroke marks, so this is no problem. Just don't put it on too heavy and don't overbrush. Experiment on some scrap plastic first. To clean the brush, I use Windex first and then wash with dish detergent and running water.


If your paint is smooth, one coat of Future is enough before applying decals and one more coat will seal them. I use it even on aluminum foil finishes as it protects the foil from corrosion and seals the edges. For a dull finish, I overcoat Future with Testors Dullcote lacquer, and have had no problems. But I always let it dry until I can't smell it, and this can take several days.


Here is a 1966 Mustang by AMT that I painted with Rust-Oleum Paint for Plastic that I decanted from the spray can and airbrushed. This was then rubbed out with plastic polish and then covered with a brushed-on coat of Future. There is no wax on it. The windshield and rear window were also coated with Future.

Postscript

I got an E-mail from Flo Austin. Flo tells me that Future is now sold as Pledge Multi-Surface Floor Finish, and the manufacturer says the formula is the same. It has also been marketed as Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine.