Just used up the last of a can of military plastic polish.probably 30 yrs old. was used to polish aircraft canopys and windshields. no brand name. worked great to take scratches out of snomo windshields and helmet shields. anybody know of a product out there like that and where you can buy it .thanks ubee
Maybe Novus plastic cleaner - polish.....
I use Pledge on plastics on every thing but the helmet shields. When the helmet shield gets scratched, I usually replace it.
So you can use this stuff on your shield and it will remove scratches? Does it have RainX type results? Im not a pilot but I dont recall seeing windshield wipers on small planes with the plastic windshields.
Neenah, Wisconsin. About 30 minutes south of Green Bay's Lambeau Field.
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622
I work on the Corporate Jets here in Appleton, Wisconsin. In my experience, there is not a lot you can do with a scratch on a clear plastic surface. There's a ton of products out there but at the end of the day you'll either have a scratch or a buff mark where the scratch used to be. In most cases we replace the windshield at substantial expense and we take special care in cleaning as not to damage them in the first place. Bird Strikes are usually the cause of most scratches on aircraft wind screens.
Iam going to try this on a old shield ,who knows ??
Plexiglas can be a difficult surface to polish and clean. It's difficult to clean it streak-free. A foolproof way to polish Plexiglas is the old-fashioned way--with vinegar and newspaper.
.Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions.Things You'll Need:
Plexiglass
Newspaper
White distilled vinegar
Water
Measuring cups
Squeegee
Bucket
Sponge
Get what you need for every
project at HomeDepot.com 1
Add warm water, on the verge of hot, to the bucket until it is 3/4 full. Add 1 cup of white distilled vinegar (measure 1 cup per 1 gallon of water). Bring the bucket over to the Plexiglas window/sheet you are cleaning.
2
Clean the Plexiglas surface with a wet paper towel beforehand if there are large chunks of debris or dirt, such as mud or stuck-on leaves and grass.
3
Soak the sponge in the water-and-vinegar mixture. Working from the top of the Plexiglas, start on one side and rub across the Plexiglas to the other, firmly, so the solution drips down below. Keep polishing the area back and forth, making sure to get all the corners and surface area soaked and rinsed. Dip the sponge into the mixture as many times as you need.
4
Place the sponge back in the bucket. Take the newspaper and remove one single sheet from it. Fold it in half. Place the flat surface of the newspaper against the Plexiglas, starting in the same position as you did with the sponge. Make back-and-forth sweeping movements to soak up the vinegar and water. Work quickly and firmly back and forth to give the polished Plexiglas a streak-free shine.
5
Dispose of the newspaper when complete. You may have to use multiple single sheets of newspaper for one area of Plexiglas.
6
Use a squeegee if the newspaper does not provide a streak-free polish. After soaking the Plexiglas and polishing with the sponge, use the squeegee to go from top to bottom, starting on one side. Remove all of the drips and solution firmly with the squeegee.
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Just used up the last of a can of military plastic polish.probably 30 yrs old. was used to polish aircraft canopys and windshields. no brand name. worked great to take scratches out of snomo windshields and helmet shields. anybody know of a product out there like that and where you can buy it .thanks ubee
I used these products on all of my restorations. I've buffed out just about everything including plastic with fantastic results (although I've never buffed plastic that I've actual had to look through, I have buffed out lots of glass and wind shields including the windows and wind shield on my last project) The glass on this bus was badly etched from being washed with hard water in direct sun light. I was able to buff it all out. I also buffed the entire rest of the bus as well. I'm not sure if the products in the links above are suitable for plastic aircraft windshields but my guess is that 3M probably makes an applicator and compound for that specific use. Good luck!
Winter wonderland & State with all the fresh water eat your heart out NASH!!
Posts
610
Novus has a 4 part process. A bit pricey but lasts a long time and if you do what it tells you to do, it works fine.
I have also heard of some material that is often found to take away scratches from plastic lenses in eye glasses. I suspect that might work if the scratch is not too deep.
I have had the Novus products for several years and I use it on everything plastic. Sometimes you don't need to start with the most abrasive stuff...depending upon how deep the scratch is.
Wow thats alot of buffing !!! thanks nice project !!
Thanks! It was a lot of project! Way more than I'd envisioned when I got started. Gutted the entire inside and replace everything with the exception of the steering wheel and dash gauges. Did a complete exterior restoration as well. I was very naive when I bought this thing, thought it was going to be a piece of cake. It kicked my A$$. I started in on the restoration the day after Thanksgiving 2009 and didn't get it finished until around the 1st of March 2010.
I have an electric shield on my helmet, I'm on my 9Th season and it was scratched bad 3 years ago. Being the cheapskate I am I figured I may as well try something since it was just about ready to be replaced. I used good old pledge. It does not get rid of the scratches but it does shine the entire shield and I think it fills the scratches. I used the helmet last week 3 day in a row when it was frigid, never plugged it in. My buddies were frosting up with their old junk shields mine were clear and scratches 75% not visible,,,oh yea, a pleasant lemony fresh smell is bonus
Anyone try scratch out by kit? We use it at the shop to get scratches out of glossy plastic covers and hoods on new mowers and snowblowers. I use it on the sleds and visors also. The finish on the Toro's is the easiest to scratch, if you slide your finger across the cover....scratch.
Any Pilots out there ?
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Originally Posted by ubee
