Cleaning/Polishing Portlights

KelleyG · #1 10-01-2012

Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to clean and polish old portlights? We're doing a major reno on our 34' seafarer but the portlights are in pretty good shape so we would love to just shine them up a bit. Any tips are recommended!

Kelley

SloopJonB · #2 10-01-2012

Quote:

Originally Posted by KelleyG

Does anyone have any recommendations on the best way to clean and polish old portlights? We're doing a major reno on our 34' seafarer but the portlights are in pretty good shape so we would love to just shine them up a bit. Any tips are recommended!

Kelley

Are you talking about the frames or the lenses? What are they made of? Pics would help as well.

KelleyG · #3 10-01-2012

I'm talking frames! Will post photos of them tonight.

KelleyG · #4 10-02-2012

Here's a photo of them.

SloopJonB · #5 10-02-2012

Looks like they are aluminium. If so, the only way to keep them looking good without frequent polishing is to have them anodized. You'd have to remove and completely disassemble them for that - remove the glass and so forth. Failing that, they look quite smooth so you could try polishing them with Autosol metal polish - I find it's the best.

KelleyG · #6 10-02-2012

They're actually stainless steel. meant to put that in the original post.

Thanks!

Kelley
Sailing Chance

CapnBones · #7 10-02-2012

Light rubbing compound. I like the KIT Scratch Remover. Will take the yellow from your headlight lenses as well. You can buy it at any auto parts store yellow bottle, not real expensive. Just buff on and buff off.

ironhors42 · #8 10-02-2012

If your window are stainless steel, I use two product for stainless steel on my boat. One of product is call spotless cleaner and other I use is product call prism for stainless steel. You can use both of them with good result.I have had good result with both of these product, the spotless cleaner is excellent for stainless with removing rust and polishes too,and than I also use prism polish for polishing for up keep of maintance of stainless steel, what I like about prism is no water spot after it rain, I use this stuff on all my stainless. I am on my third can of both product for use on my boat. I order product online, and product goes a long way for you. I am not seller of this product, but I recommend it because it does what it is suppose to do with good result. I hope this help you out with somehing for your window and any other stainless steel you would like to keep clean on your boat. I just love this stuff.

SVTatia · #9 10-02-2012

These are exactly the same as mine, and mine are cast aluminium.
Mine were in terrible shape, and very pitted, they are the original, from 1967.
To re-anodize them I would need to polish them pretty good, a difficult job and expensive to outsource. After polishing they would still need to be dipped for cleaning then anodized. A 3-step process - polish, clean, anodize.
I opted for cleaning them as good as I could then prime with Boeing-spec primer and painted with two part Polyurethane. Sounds like a long process, but I did the cleaning and paid for the prime-paint. It was inexpensive, much less than the re anodizing process.
Be careful if you just want to clean and polish them - by using abrasives you could remove the anodizing and they will be prone to corrosion and pitting.

HMoll · #10 10-02-2012

If SS, leave them overnight in Barkeeper's Friend. Hand polish next day with metal polish.