making spray hood windows sww-through again

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Burnham_Bob

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the plastic windows on my sprayhood are transparent, but seeing clearly through them is difficult. they are not brittle or discoloured - just 'foggy'. i have heard that brasso works - it's a light abrasive.

any suggestions or practical experience?
 
Starbrite produce a 2 bottle system that seems to work extremely well. I would always try to keep the panes clean by washing, but the dirt that came off after polishing begarred belief.
The wax part then kept them clear for ages. They actually looked like new.
 
I tried a number of things including expensive proprietary products but with no real success. Had them replaced for £80 and wish I had done that in the first place.
 
I believe that some types of transparent window plastic degrade in UV light, releasing the plasticiser into the material. This results in an increasingly brittle material and fogging, eventually yellowing. No amount of rubbing or polishing or chemical treatment will reverse the process.

More expensive window material is not affected by UV to the same extent, e.g. my windows are now about 7 years old, have spent the past four years in the Med, but have not clouded at all. They cost more initially but have been worth the expense.
 
Sorry don't have the details to hand other than they are from Starbrite and in plastic bottles.
 
Hi Burnham Bob

A timely post! The March issue of PBO (out 5 Feb) has a feature on replacing fogged windows, and the April issue ( out 5 March) deals with general canopy maintenance (including polishing out the acrylic windows).

Without giving too much away ( otherwise you won't buy the issue, will you!) we try a couple of mild abrasives, and there are several available.

3M make a very good plastic restorer, with a milder plastic cleaner for very light blemishes. I've used this stuff on a badly fogged motorcycle windshield, and it bought it back a treat. We've also used it on an old Freeman canopy, and the fogging vanished. Excellent stuff. Renovo also make a restorer, which we are about to try, and I believe Starbrite do as well. Brasso works on much the same principle ( as does T-cut) where a mild abrasive is suspended in a slippery fluid to help you take off the few microns of damaged material.

Sometimes the plastic is just too far gone to recover though, as you'll see in the March issue. UV is a killer. The remedy is quite straightforward - replace the whole thing, but - big tip - leave the old one in as you fit the new one. (It keeps the canopy shape.) Only remove the old window in the last stage. Alan Dring talked us through the whole process.

Abrasive restorers can be applied with a mechanical polisher, with the canopy up and the windows taut. Polish both sides for the best results, but beware splatter.

Longevity? Well, they will fog up again, quicker than new material, so you'll have to budget for replacement eventually. The good news is that you can get four window changes from one canopy, which will save some dosh.

...and we're also trying out a pigmented restorer from Renovo that will bring you canopy material back like new (they say) - providing you want it either dark blue or green! It's car technology from the convertible market.

Followed by re-proofing....and cleaning tips...

Trust me - if you have a dodgy/fogged/tired canopy or sprayhood, you need the next two issues of PBO!
 
Timely or what?
Boatsheen will be introducing a new kit for restoring vinyl windows at the Boating Business Exhibition on 13 Feb. The kit addresses the problems of UV damage and brittleness
After taking out the scratches and making the vinyl see-through, you apply a coating that protects from UV and helps to lock in the plasticisers.
Information will be available in a few days.
 
Liberally smear Swarfega hand cleaner over the whole window area. Wipe off with clean paper towels then a further paper towel wipe to remove all Swarfega and dirt traces. Repeat on other side if necessary. Needs a lot of paper towel as they get black very quickly but Swarfega in inexpensive.
 
Bite the bullet, do what we did, call point north in holyhead, buy some new material, they told us how to do it, buy some sticky back sponge tape that is made for this job, leave the old material in, cut templates from dress makers tissue, cut new windows, use sticky back tape on the old stitch line, stick new windows on tape, get mams singer hand sewing machine, use point north thread, stitch thru the new windows and the tape, the tape seals and sticks at the same time, when done cut out the old windows and voila. easy peasy!! took me and mam 2 nights.
Stu
 
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