Decent Scratches in Canopy

[BirdDog]

Hi all,

 

I have recently acquired a beautiful Evektor Sportstar and the only thing that is annoying me is a couple of decent scratches in the canopy. These are not like fine scratches, a couple of them you can feel with your finger nail.

 

Any tips? I know there are some good products that apparently do a good job, but I didn't want to have a crack and find out the hard way that I know have made the thing worse.

 

Thanks all.

 

J

 

 

[turboplanner]

There's a long and very good thread on that somewhere on this site from maybe three or four years ago. Keep punching in key words and you may be able to find it.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

Try here, removing paint from perspex post 5 by rgmwa.

 

 

[BirdDog]

Thanks man. I am concerned about taking to my canopy with abrasives LOL! But I might give that kit a crack.

 

Cheers

 

John

 

 

[Keith W]

Novus windscreens have a 3 stage scratch removal kit worked for me cheers Keith.

 

 

[M61A1]

Micro-Mesh NC-78-1 Acrylic Restoral Kit | The Sandpaper Man

 

Get one of these. Follow the instructions.

 

 

[kgwilson]

There are plenty of youtube clips that show you how. You just need fine wet & dry, metal polish and/or cutting compound, polish & knowhow. I got quite large gouges out of my canopy. No one is able to identify where they were when I tell them.

 

 

[BirdDog]

Thanks KG,

 

Did you do it by hand, or did you use a machine like a drill / buffer etc?

 

 

[Jaba-who]

Depending on the material it's made from there is an argument for not using a mechanical buffer.

 

Acrylics will heat up with a mechanical buffer and if they heat too much you will temper the acrylic and then never be able to get the scratches out.

 

You can still overheat small areas manually but it's a lot harder to do.

 

 

[BirdDog]

Ok thanks guys. I will go the hand method and see how I go.

 

 

[kgwilson]

Thanks KG,Did you do it by hand, or did you use a machine like a drill / buffer etc?

I did it by hand. Check out some of the youtube clips. It is surprisingly easy and does not take as long as you might think.

 

 

[M61A1]

The MicroMesh kit shown above it what we use on helicopter windows and such. Some are acrylic and some are stretched polycarbonate. The kit comes with sanding blocks and Special abrasive sheets up from 400 to 12000 and includes polish. By the time you buy all those bits ( if you can get them)you will close to the kit cost.

 

 

[B-D-H]

Hi, You've had quite a few good answers to chose from.

 

I've done a few scratch "removals" in canopies over the years.

 

Regardless of how smooth they have finished up, removing the scratch has distorted the optics of that small part of the canopy.

 

Just food for thought, is that sometimes it may be best to just leave the scratch and live with it.

 

Cheers.

 

 

[rollerball]

Metal polish on polycarbonate is a no-no as it will create bloom in the affected area