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The portlights on my Pearson 26 are hazy/ have hazy steaks in them. It doesn't appear to be on either exterior surface of the portlights but rather on the inside. I believe they are acrylic but am not sure. What is a good way to clean hazy portlights to make them clear again (or as clear as possible)?
So far I've read:
Use toothpaste (seriously)
Use automotive headlight cleaner
Use some sort of baking soda compound
Thoughts? What's the best way of going about this?
I have improved the look and clarity of our old acrylic portlights using Flitz metal/plastic polish. It doesn't last forever, so I suspect you aren't really "polishing" the plastic but smoothing out the haze by filling in small pores somehow. Anyway, it improves them enough to keep me from thinking I need to replace them, which is a good thing!
I've used Meguiar's PlastX clear plastic cleaner and polish on mine with some success. They aren't perfect, but better than before applying the polish.
I tried the Novus 3, 2, 1 system with mediocre results. Then for some reason I tried a razor blade in one of those handheld plastic holders. Pushing the blade at a low angle across the surface seemed to remove a layer of "dead" material, almost like a peeling sunburn.
Might be worth a shot.
Then for some reason I tried a razor blade in one of those handheld plastic holders. Pushing the blade at a low angle across the surface seemed to remove a layer of "dead" material, almost like a peeling sunburn.
Might be worth a shot.
Report:
Bought a little bottle of 3M plastic restorer from WM and it worked wonders. Took all of 1 min to do two windows. I'd suggest trying that first then f necessary resort to other options. Thanks for all the help!
I bought a bottle of Meguiar's PlastX plastic cleaner and polish yesterday. I applied it to my yucky old portlights with a microfibre rag, and rubbed it in well, on the inside and outside, then polished with a clean microfibre rag. For phase two, I reapplied it liberally to the outside again, and polished with a cotton wheel in my drill. They came out WAY better, but still could use some additional clarity. I have been thinking of removing them entirely and wetsanding them with a sequence of papers.
I finally just replaced my fixed ports this weekend using the 3M Molding Tape and Dow Corning 791. We'll see how well it holds up compared to having them screwed in.
Total cost was $160 compared to Beckson's $610 for the factory replacements.
I'm a fan of the "privacy" that my ports provide and don't want such a clear window. I used the 3M rubbing compound (they were BAD), followed by Meguiars Clear Plastic Clean and Clear Plastic Polish. Amazing results.
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