Can one polish out superficial scratches in clear Perspex using hull polish?

[Kukri]

My boat has a couple of clear plastic panels in the accommodation which are slightly scratched in a couple of places but are otherwise fine. I recall that one can polish out scratches in acrylic - but I don’t want to make things worse!

Hull polish? Metal polish?

Thanks

 

[JumbleDuck]

The best stuff I ever found was called "Kutpol" and made for glider canopies. It was very like T-Cut in appearance and use. Unfortunately it isn#t around any more, but I think the principle holds and a cutting polish is the stuff to use.

 

[PaulRainbow]

3M 09639 FINNESSE-IT FINE FINISHING COMPOUND 1LTR - CAR, DETAIL , POLISH | eBay

Will do perspex very nicely. Also Ok for polishing your car, stainless, or any GRP etc.

 

[C08]

I have used T Cut and Brasso - both worked ok.

 

[PilotWolf]

Try a tropical fish shop - you can get kits fo taking scratches out of acrylic tanks.

W.

 

[RJJ]

I was told toothpaste...can anyone confirm?

 

[Iliade]

You may have to work toothpaste until it breaks up into smaller particles, otherwise it leaves a very matt finish. But I don't think a plastic would break it down readily though. Ok for a first pass perhaps.

Transair do a canopy polish, but you know about marine pricing, you can guess what aircraft pricing is like.

 

[Charlie Boy]

Heaps of stuff on YouTube about this;

 

[ashtead]

There is a marine version by star rite -expensive but worked well on our screen but haven’t seen transair so far.

 

[Momac]

The following product is made for polishing clear plastics
Meguiar's Plast-RX | Halfords UK

 

[Kukri]

I’ve just learned that acrylic has light edges and polycarbonate has dark edges - so what I’ve got is polycarbonate.

 

[Quandary]

If you are taking scratches out of clear acrylic, most of the above will do it, eventually, but you can do it faster using wet and dry abrasive paper start with abot 600 grade then 1200 and so on, you can buy a a car finishing pack with a couple of sheets of each grade, then finish off with any of the paste polishes recommended above, it will come up sparkling.
No experience of doing it to polycarbonate which is a bit softer, are you sure you have the descriptions the right way round?

 

[RumPunch]

We used Micromesh abrasive kits on aircraft in the RAF

 

[Freebee]

t cut and brasso vote from me

 

[ithet]

I use T-cut on the dull headlights on the wrecker, gets it through the MOT.

 

[JumbleDuck]

The following product is made for polishing clear plastics
Meguiar's Plast-RX | Halfords UK

I don't think that's a cutting polish - it fills cracks rather than removing them. Might do the job, though.

 

[JumbleDuck]

t cut and brasso vote from me

Brasso works wonders on Bakelite. In case anyone was wondering. And steel wood brings up anything chromed beautifully, because chromium is harder than steel.

 

[Momac]

I don't think that's a cutting polish - it fills cracks rather than removing them. Might do the job, though.

Meguiars PlastRX
Meguiars PlastRX plastic cleaner and polish is a easy-to-use, rich gel formula quickly restores optical clarity to both rigid and flexible clear plastics. Cutting-edge advancements in Meguiar’s® exclusive Microscopic Diminishing Abrasive™ Technology (MDAT) remove light oxidation, chemical degradation, surface contamination, stains and light surface scratches with ease.

In addition, because the microscopic diminishing abrasives breakdown as you use them, Meguiars PlastRX Clear Plastic Cleaner & Polish is safe on plastic rear windows on convertible tops, aircraft windows, motorcycle fairings, face shields, headlights and taillights, instrument panels, all clear plastic boat surfaces and aquariums. Meguiar's PlastRX also contains highly water-resistant polymers. These specialized hi-tech polymers provide long lasting durable protection to keep your clear plastics clear and beautiful longer.

Meguiars PlastRX is non-toxic and does not contain any harsh solvents.

 

[BobnLesley]

For polycarbonate I found jewelers rouge worked well on polycarb motorcycle visors.

 

[lw395]

For polycarbonate I found jewelers rouge worked well on polycarb motorcycle visors.

Most visors for the past 40-odd years have had a hard anti-scratch coating.
Likewise a lot of polycarb used for other clear panels.
It can make polishing a bit of a mess as the scratched bits are much softer than the coated bits.