Being in the lighted windscreen business, I come across quite a few boo-boos...someone left their screen down while the top was lowered, they left the screen sitting on the kitchen table and the dog had at it, etc. I could only shrug at them so many times and reply "Don't know what to tell you..." I wanted to know if anything could be done.

I can say that the polishing compound sold for Dremels works really well. To find out how well, though, I needed some test material...so I beat the crap out of my prototype/junk screen (it's been painted 5 Day-Glo colors, been scratched with sand, cut, routed, you name it, it's been done). I took out some fairly deep scratches with the Dremel cotton wheel and polishing compound, but I'm not totally happy with the final result.

While the large scratches themselves are gone, the screen has lost a bit of it's near-perfect see-through quality...granted, it looks 10 times better than the scratches and I don't see any light streaks as if it was etched, but I'm not satisfied. So, if anyone has any product and/or technique suggestions to remove that final tiny bit of haze, please posts here...

 

Sorry, Mac. Polishing the windscreen in particular doesn't work well. I scratched my clear part after installing my V1 into the black base of it, and tried to polish the scratch out. It seems there is some UV coating or something on the backside of it that is noticable when you polish it off... The surface is smooth, but there is a noticable circle around the part that is polished.

BTW, I ended up just buying a new windscreen (clear part only).

 

I'd have a go at it with Meguiar's Clear Plastic Cleaner (I don't remember if it's #10 or #17). You might even use the Dremel and cotton buff. I scratched my windscreen from Rick's and was able to polish it out with the Dremel and the Meguiar's #10 and # 17.

Only use the Dremel on hard plastics: the Dremel buff generates enough heat to burn through soft plastics. Don't ask how I know, but I do.

 

Maybe Plexus?

BTW - welcome to Florida!

 

No, the Dremel did a wonderful job of removing the scratches (this isn't a stock screen, it's one of Rick's, and there's no special coating on those) just by using the cotton wheels and some polishing compound...no melted plastic, just buffed out scratches. Of course, the compound trades one large scratch for millions of tiny little scratches, and while 100 times better than the original scratch, it's noticable in the right angle of light (but it won't light up like an etching when a screen is lit with my mod, so that's what i was after). Now I want to buff those millions of tiny scratches down to trillions of scratches so small the screen looks new again...I know it's possible, I just don't know what polish has a finer grit than the one Dremel provides, so I'm looking for suggestions. I'll see if anyone close has some Mequiar's...

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MacGyver
No, the Dremel did a wonderful job of removing the scratches (this isn't a stock screen, it's one of Rick's, and there's no special coating on those) just by using the cotton wheels and some polishing compound...no melted plastic, just buffed out scratches.

 

I always thought those CD cleaning systems required you to put a disc in some sort of contraption...if that's the case, I don't think I'll be folding up the windscreens anytime soon. If you know of a system that doesn't require that, though, I'm all ears.

 

Acrylic auariums scratch the same way. They sell scratch removal kits - which is basically a couple bottles of liquid and fine beads. Like sanding, you work your way to the finest grade. This has worked for me on the aquariums. You can see clearly.

I too have a Rick's 7/8th screen and haven't had to remove scratches from it yet - just cleaned it.

 

[QUOTE]Originally posted by MacGyver
I always thought those CD cleaning systems required you to put a disc in some sort of contraption...if that's the case, I don't think I'll be folding up the windscreens anytime soon.

 

Here is exactly what you want to use:

Novus Plastic Polish

It's not expensive, I bought the 8oz bottles of the three grades for less than US$20.00 total from Aviation Spruce

Start with Number 3 for heavy scratches, or Number 2 for fine scratches and hazing. Number 1 is to finish-polish and restore optical clarity.

Great stuff, highly reccomended!!!