How to revive a windscreen

Tinkerer · Jan 20, 2005

Tried expensive 3M Clear Plastic Restorer on my badly dull windscreen with only a slight improvement. Got stuck into it on both sides of the left half with fibreglass polish with a mild cutter in it and a power drill with a felt pad. Came up pretty good as you can see on the half I've done in the pix. Both the revived and original sides have been washed after the polishing. The dull side is actually a lot worse in real life. Try a small test section first as different cutters and polishes might be harsher. http://members.optusnet.com.au/~dawal/mypic22.jpg http://members.optusnet.com.au/~dawal/mypic23.jpg

Mark42 · Jan 20, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

Oooooh, nice results. And that is one cool steering wheel. Can you post some pics of the whole boat? Mark

LadyFish · Jan 20, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

WOW!!!

An amazing difference. I'm impressed.

Tinkerer · Jan 21, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

I've done the whole thing and it's come up like the first half, but there's still a fog that can't be removed. The 3M polish doesn't do anything after the harsher cut. It's about 80% to 90% of a new clear one. It's a lot better than it'll be after it's been in salt water for about five minutes, so it'll do. Mark 42: Your appreciation of my steering wheel is appreciated. My son thinks it's embarrassingly outdated and I think it has character. I'll get some pix up at some stage, but it's nothing to look at. This is a somewhat rough but basically sound boat which I'm starting to clean up after rebuilding the motor. I'm undecided between just a clean up or a full repaint and makeover. I bought it as a cheap fishing platform but as usual can't resist tinkering with it and daydreaming about how good it would be with the steering wheel pearled and '60's chrome gauges on a timber dash and sharpening the lines by cutting the windscreen to half its current height and respraying it and ..... then getting it covered in fish guts and scales and stuff before some clown bangs his boat into it at the dock.

Tinkerer · Jan 23, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

I've experimented with various other auto and fibreglass cutters, polishes, metal polishes, woodworking burnishers and polish revivers, waxes, silicones, etc. Some make it a bit fuzzier but none of them make it any better than I got on the first cut with the power drill. Maybe you could keep cutting with the power drill to get a better result but I suspect that there's micro-scratches that can't be removed by more cutting and might even be produced by it, while maybe the light fog that's left is a change in the internal structure of the screen from UV rays or whatever that further surface treatments won't change.

Bondo · Jan 23, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

If you've never heard of it, Do a Google or Mother Meta search, type in "Flame Polishing Plastic"............ I did, on Mothers....... I found This Site on the 1st page of a search..... It centers on the rebuilding of Pin-Ball machines, But the processes are the Same...... Flame Polishing is the Only way to get your windscreen Totaly Clear............. Good Luck.........

Tinkerer · Jan 23, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

Bondo Makes sense. The only problem is that it requires a skilled touch. I've heat-bent acrylic sheet in small sections and it's a fine line between softening it and scorching it. Like anything else, it's easy if you're trained or experienced but not otherwise. I expect that doing a windscreen by heat would be like spray painting where you have to keep a wet edge as you work along, which would be real hard to maintain under heat on even an average screen like mine. I'd been thinking along similar lines to the heat idea that the surface needs melting and re-amalgamating like I've done in restoring some antique woodwork finishes. I was wondering about flooding it with a solvent and leaving it to level. Which wasn't going to work on a curved screen no matter which way you do it because it can't be done in one go so there'll be overlapping join lines or worse. When fogged plastic is wet it looks fine. Same as a chalky car finish. But both revert to dull when dry. I guess it has to do with refraction angles or something on the different surfaces. If we could get a solid clear film over the surface it might work. The problem is that most clear finishes probably have solvents that might damage the screen. I'm wondering if tint film would work? I used to instal that 30+ years ago when it was pretty primitive by today's standards. The basic principle of a film stuck to glass with an adhesive hasn't changed. The adhesive might provide the wet film that fills the scratches that corrects the refraction problem or whatever it is that makes old screens look bad.

Bondo · Jan 24, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

The only problem is that it requires a skilled touch . it's a fine line between softening it and scorching it. Like anything else, it's easy if you're trained or experienced but not otherwise.

Ayuh,........ You've Got That ....... For the Training, Do those Searches.......... Then, Go find some Scraps,+ a TurboCharged Hair Dryer(Heat Gun)..... Start Practicing... It's all about the fine Scratches... Sanding,+ Compounding is just Scratching the surface with Finer Grits..... Compound your Test Pc.s,+ Go To It.....

I expect that doing a windscreen by heat would be like spray painting where you have to keep a wet edge as you work along, which would be real hard to maintain under heat on even an average screen like mine.

No,... Nope,.......Negative......NaDa,........Not True..........

Start,+ Stop, Anywhere you Want, Weeks Apart if you'd like too.......

I once worked for a Sign Co..... Built Many Signs.... Most with Some Plastics....... Any "Worked" surface was sanded with 1500grit,+ Flamed.............. Good Luck,....+ Have Fun....

Tinkerer · Jan 24, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

Originally posted by Bondo: 

The only problem is that it requires a skilled touch . it's a fine line between softening it and scorching it. Like anything else, it's easy if you're trained or experienced but not otherwise.

Click to expand...

Ayuh,........ You've Got That ....... For the Training, Do those Searches.......... Then, Go find some Scraps,+ a TurboCharged Hair Dryer(Heat Gun)..... Start Practicing... It's all about the fine Scratches... Sanding,+ Compounding is just Scratching the surface with Finer Grits..... Compound your Test Pc.s,+ Go To It.....

That was very good advice. Naturally I didn't follow it as I don't have any scraps and I can't get them in a hurry, although I did read your link. I've got plenty of experience using heat guns on paint and varnishes on furniture restoration and I know how not to burn the surface I'm working on, so I figured I'd try that rather than flame. I did a test down in the corner of the windscreen where it wouldn't stand out if I stuffed up. I stuffed up. I kept a real good eye on the work area on the windscreen waiting to see a change and then POP! there's a nice little bit of melted windscreen. That's right where next year's registration label is going so won't be noticed, which is why I did it there. I think I might find a windscreen repairer who wants to sell me a bad one to practise on. I also think I'd be better off trying flame heat from what your link says. How much heat is right? I have both LPG and MAPP gas. Which one would you use? Kids, don't try this at home without adult supervision!

Trent · Jan 24, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

Micro Mesh kits work pretty well. But it takes some time. Micro Mesh

Bondo · Jan 25, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

That was very good advice. Naturally I didn't follow it

Propane is Plenty Hot Enough......Toooo Hot, Maybe........... Do you have a Tip for your torch to Spread the Flame ???? That Might Help...... Keep it Moving...Always....Moving....Always Moving.......Always.....Moving.........

Don't Worry about the Front of the flamepolish....... It's more like spraypainting....Keep going back,+ around to fill in the not quite done spots.......... I'm Sure that if you can Find an Old Broken Windscreen...... Whoever Owns it, will Probably just Give it to you...... About Any of the different Plastics that I've played with, All acted pretty much the same........ An old broken pc. of plastic Shouldn't be that hard to Find..... Even Downunder..........

Trent's link is a Very Interesting 1, as Usual...... The Process there is back to Grinding it with finer,+ Finer grits........... The Flame is the Clearest, I think.... Good Luck...........

Tinkerer · Jan 25, 2005

Re: How to revive a windscreen

Originally posted by Mark42: Oooooh, nice results. And that is one cool steering wheel. Can you post some pics of the whole boat? Mark

As requested. 4.5m / 15 foot possibly 1968 (I can't decode the serial number and when I rang Caribbean they didn't know either) Caribbean Galaxy fibreglass runabout for 4 to 5 adults. Maximum motor 120 HP. Fitted with 1967 Evinrude V4 60 HP Sportfour which I've fully rebuilt and which is running like a Swiss watch, but needs finishing paint. Another motor has been fitted at some time. One owner before me. Some soft spots in the transom but nothing to worry about for a long time. Excellent hull with no crazing or cracks. Floor looks like it's been replaced and seems solid. Has had original back to back seats removed and fitted with rotating plastic seats on wood boxes. Not as stylish as the originals but it frees up a lot of floor area which is good for me as it's a fishing boat. Plus extra storage under the boxes. Also a lot better for a higher steering position. Lots of work to be done but basically a sound boat in a yucky topdeck colour. The same hull design was produced in various lengths in large numbers over a number of years and there's still plenty around.

The steering wheel should be fixed up soonish. The speedo is out and in pieces on my bench. If chrome spray paint was half as good as the colour on the cap it'd be back in by now. Shiny grey is not a chrome finish. Maybe I'll get it replated if I can't pick up another one. Then the dash will have to fixed. As well as finishing repainting the motor. Etc etc etc.

There's a photo of the foredeck in this thread http://www.iboats.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=26;t=002529

How to revive a windscreen

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