lexan/plexiglass cleaning

[spencerhenry]

recently bought a forwarder that had been sitting in the south for several years. the machine has only 800 hours on it, but most of the windows are so bad you can hardly see through them. not sure if it is a build up of sap and stuff, or is oxidation of the windows themselves. i dont want to ruin them, and would rather not replace them. anybody have experience with cleaning really bad lexan?

[Jeff]

When ours got that way, along with the sawbooth and debarker cab windows, the only solution was replacement.

[sprucebunny]

Sometimes cleaning with a good car wax will help. Wax it a couple times. Pledge furniture polish helps for awhile, too.

There is a new product that claims to repair scratched plastic lenses ( glasses ) but I don't know anything about it...yet.

But you will probably need to replace them to make them really good.

[GareyD]

Since I started running the Motorcycle Shop, when a really nasty lexan windshieldcomes in the first thing we try is very hot water and a mild detergent like Ivory powder detergent....never use harsh detergents, glass cleaner or petroleum distillates on plexi/lexan...it will haze over almost immediately :(

If they do clean up, we then use a plastic cleaner/polish like PLEXUS http://www.plexusplasticcleaner.com/

Plexus is the best that we have found for cleaning/mainaining plastic windscreens

But, I'm sorry to say that if it has been setting in the south for any length of time, the lexan is probably "sandblasted" and won't be able to be saved...ya might be able to clean it up enough to get by for a while though

[Ernie]

Once you have taken Sprucebunny's advice and cleaned really well.  Buff with a fine grit cutting compound to cut back to the original smoothness, this will remove fine scratches but will do nothing for crazing (those internal cracks)  usually found on plexiglas more so than on Lexan.

At last I am able to put my three years as a plastics rep in Canada to some use (45 years ago when lexan - polycarbonate was a new product)

[Fla._Deadheader]

In the Boat Manufacturing plant I worked in, we had a guy that would use a propane torch and "wave" it over the plastic windshields. It would melt the very surface and harden back as clear as new. Takes a careful hand and a keen eye. You can scorch it and bubble it, but, he was good.  ;)

  Before ya scrap the stuff, might give it a try.

[woodbowl]

There is a product for the windsheilds and windows of small aircraft that really makes a big difference in the visibility. I'm wanting to say that the name of it is mirror sheen or something like that. It is availible at even small airports because it is so important to in comming pilots. Every pilot knows about it. Every pilot except me because my plane is an ultralight and  doesn't have a windsheild. It's all open.  ;D Murf would also know of some good products. .............Hey Murf! What's yer' daddy use on his plane?

[Joe W]

Maguire's wax's makes a couple of different products for plastic.A course polish for deep scratches and a fine polish to finish with.The stuff works pretty good.I've saved snowmobile windshields that I was ready to toss out.

[Gary_C]

If the windows look somewhat cloudy, there is really no hope for them. Long term exposure to the sun will deterioriate the plastic and they will become cloudy and brittle so you do need to replace them.

Naptha is a recommended cleaner for surface grime that has any oil in it. For other dirt, window cleaner is normally used. Most operators keep a supply of paper towels and cleaner in the machine and clean windows frequently. Just dont wipe when dry as it will scratch the plastic. Also the windows will be softer and scratch easier in the sun.

Be aware that the heat those machines see in the south will quickly deteriorate seals and hoses. Be prepared with seal kits and spare hoses on hand as most dealers are not very good at stocking parts. You should especially carry spare hoses for the grapple right in the machine as they can take a beating and you can loose a day and a lot of hydraulic fluid if you have to go to town for a new hose.

What kind of forwarder did you get?

[Murf]

Dad's plane is all shiny and purdy, don't know that he uses anything at all. Besides, he's chicken an' keeps it off gravel strips an stuff, my Cub doesn't get so babied.  ;)

I use either 210Plus, or the equivalent stuuf from DuPont, fergit the nem of it now, it 's called "Micro Cut" or something along that line.

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/210plus.php

Any place that sells stuff for polishing high end car paint will have something, they use it for removing the fine scrathes out of the clear top coat. But, do NOT under any circumstances, use an angle grinder with a cloth wheel on it. Do it by hand or use a proper random orbit polisher.

[Larry]

Harold, has pretty good idea...used to make plexiglass signs.  Cut the plexiglass on a table saw, sanded the edges, and waved the torch on the edges.  Just enough heat to barely start melting and it would turn crystal clear.

[Frickman]

Around the race tracks we use two kinds of window cleaner, the above mentioned Plexus, and one from Five Star Bodies. I prefer the Five Star to the Plexus, the Plexus seems to leave an oily film sometimes.

www.fivestarbodies.com

[Gilman]

DON'T use acetone

[Paschale]

In the Boat Manufacturing plant I worked in, we had a guy that would use a propane torch and "wave" it over the plastic windshields. It would melt the very surface and harden back as clear as new. Takes a careful hand and a keen eye. You can scorch it and bubble it, but, he was good.  ;)

  Before ya scrap the stuff, might give it a try.

What do you think about using a heat gun?   ???

[Fla._Deadheader]

Too slow, ya need the fast heat and to see what the conditions are. There is maybe a 10° difference in good to go and scorched. Maybe  : ??? ??? ;D

  Never tried the heat gun.

[james]

usta use a stuff called "mirro-glaze" on a/c canopies in my airforce days many moons ago back in the days of the F4-E
james

[buck5611]

I recently had to clean my plastic light on my 94 Camry. The plastic that cover the headlights was almost yellow and affect badly the output of the lights. I bought a kit that claim to give back a" like new" condition and it does well. It is as simple as using a 1000,1500,2000,2500 wet sandpaper one after each other and finally buffing it with a white stuff that seems to me to be liquid car was. I am very impress with the results. Carol

[woodbowl]

While we're on this subject, does anyone know what will remove          stickers and glue from a painted vehicle without harming the paint? Right now I'm at the place where I use a hair dryer to loosen the sticker and WD-40 to rub it off. It is taking forever!

[Murf]

Don't know about shiny car paint, but we had a problem getting some stickers off a dump truck and some equipment we bought at an auction.

At the suggestion of our sign guy, after all, who knows stickey stuff better than the guy that puts it on in the first place, we used the "gentle formula" oven cleaner, the low odour stuff. It worked great.

You might want to experiment with it on an inconspicuous area like the underside of the hood or trunk first.

[Fla._Deadheader]

  WB, try "goof off".  ;D ;D  Takes the sticky off. Not sure about the paper  ???

[woodbowl]

  WB, try "goof off".  ;D ;D  Takes the sticky off. Not sure about the paper  ???

Never heard of "goof off". Where do you get it?   Uhh .......... yer not talking about DanG are you?

[Paschale]

I just bought some "goof off" at Menard's.  I think you can probably get it at HD or Lowe's as well.  It works great for getting off the sticky stuff...