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Cabinet and Chassis Restoration and Refinishing For help with cabinet or chassis restoration (non-electrical), please leave a message here. |
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20th Apr 2015, 2:02 pm | #21 |
Octode
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Newport, Gwent, UK.
Posts: 1,623
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Re: Cloudy perspex
Hello,
Lots of good things came from Blackburn ... Mullard valves, Alfred Wainwright .... Michael |
21st Apr 2015, 12:24 pm | #22 | |
Pentode
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: Huddersfield, West Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 129
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Re: Cloudy perspex
Quote:
Polycarbonate - yes its immune to the effects of degradation of sun. Acrylic - degradation on surface only could be polished. Methylenepolymetakrylan - degradation in whole. Celluloid - (oldest transparent plastic) based on Nitrocellulose degradation in whole. Polystyrene - quite resist for sun degradation. Usually in radio equipment was Polystyrene -injection moulding |
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22nd Apr 2015, 8:14 pm | #23 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Perspex was a trade mark of ICI, but I have used it to refer to a clear plastic... any clear plastic was referred to as Perspex where I lived in the 80s as ICI was a local firm.
The degradation on my set looks almost like the plastic has 'dried out' and tone cloudy. If it was skin you'd moisturize it, but I guess that won't work I guess the proof will come when or if I try to polish it. I think I will keep the set low on my 'to do' list as I'm in no hurry to ruin it or incur the cost of getting a new panel made. |
24th Apr 2015, 8:50 am | #24 |
Octode
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Littlehampton, West Sussex, UK.
Posts: 1,465
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
I read that someone who had a scratchy celluloid dial washed it thoroughly to degrease it and then sprayed it with clear lacquer. It transformed it apparently into a new looking dial.
Probably worth a try if your material is too far gone to do anything else with. I can't remember where I read the above but I think it was on this forum. Jim |
24th Apr 2015, 11:26 am | #25 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Thanks Jim
I think whatever I do, I need to do a bit of research first. I think I'll only have one go at whatever I decide to do. |
24th Apr 2015, 11:59 am | #26 |
Heptode
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Selby, North Yorkshire, UK.
Posts: 979
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Polycarbonate is still affected by UV - car headlights have a surface coating to reduce the impact, and it's this that tends to yellow and craze.
If it was me, I'd have a go at either making or getting someone else to make a replica - then if that proves too expensive, maybe try a bit of restoration in one corner of the fogged one before deciding whether to attempt the whole piece. |
26th Jun 2015, 6:25 am | #27 | |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 631
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Quote:
I was so encouraged that I took some inside and polished the perspex cover for of my elderly Pioneer PL501A turntable, and to my delight it whisked away the ravages of time in a matter of 15-20 minutes or so of gentle polishing via a soft cloth. Best of all, you use hardly any of the contents of the 75ml tube as it doesn't seem to dry out on the workpiece like other polishes appear to do. They also sell an 'Autosol Metal Polish' specifically for metal so I don't think that one would be suitable for plastics but I found it to be excellent on metal, and my son polished his Tenor saxophone using this polish yet the tube shows no sign of depletion. If these products have made it down under to both Oz and NZ, then I don't think that the English Channel will be much of a barrier, in fact I recommend that you try www.thepolishingshop.co.uk/ as they are Autosol stockists. Cheers Billy Last edited by Billy T; 26th Jun 2015 at 6:32 am. |
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26th Jun 2015, 6:59 am | #28 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Thanks Billy. I will investigate.
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26th Jun 2015, 10:04 am | #29 |
Nonode
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: Milton Keynes, Bucks. UK.
Posts: 2,552
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Autosol is a mainstay of my workbench....good stuff it is (as Yoda would say)
__________________
When I die, please don't let my Wife sell my collection for the amount I told her I paid for it! |
26th Jun 2015, 10:05 am | #30 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,967
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Autosol make a range of cutting compounds with varying levels of coarseness, and they have a generally good reputation. Car accessory shops like Halfords sell the metal and chrome polishes. The full Autosol range is available via Amazon or eBay.
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26th Jun 2015, 11:13 am | #31 |
Heptode
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, UK.
Posts: 648
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
For many years it was also the mainstay of trainees at Sandhurst (and, no doubt, other military training establishments) because of its ability to remove fouling from the working parts of Self Loading Rifles. I can't comment on its effectiveness on perspex but it was certainly very good at removing high temperature baked carbon from steel (or so I am told... ).
Hugh |
26th Jun 2015, 4:07 pm | #32 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
I will have a crack at getting the marine polish. I think the perpex on the set is far gone enough to experiment and, if that fails, look at sorting a new one being made in the future.
Some time ago I got some "Greygate" polish. Not sure if that would be any good... one to try if the marine stuff doesn't work perhaps. |
26th Jun 2015, 5:17 pm | #33 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
I should have done this before my last post, but I have found the autosol marine stuff and it is described as 'highly abrasive', is that what is required?
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26th Jun 2015, 5:26 pm | #34 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,967
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
All cutting compounds have different levels of abrasiveness. If you need to remove a lot of material, you should start with a more abrasive compound and finish with increasingly fine compounds. In extreme cases you would start with wet and dry paper before moving on to cutting pastes.
The best approach is to experiment with a bit of scrap plastic. |
26th Jun 2015, 7:17 pm | #35 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,571
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Last time I did something like this I used wet and dry paper to start. I started with a grade or two down from the very finest and worked up to the finest and then after that used a cutting paste.
It is quite worrying to the uninitiated when you start working with the wet and dry because it makes the finish look look a whole lot worse but as you work up it gets better and then the cutting paste brings up the shine. The chain store shed that sells bicycles, etc., usually stocks a good range of the finer wet and dry papers. |
26th Jun 2015, 7:23 pm | #36 |
Moderator
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Oxford, UK
Posts: 27,967
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Good old Poundland sell packs of wet'n'dry, though I can't vouch for the quality. They also sell metal polish and car scratch remover, both of which are cutting compounds.
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26th Jun 2015, 7:28 pm | #37 |
Octode
Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 1,571
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Don't know about Poundland, Paul, but I specifically looked for the very fine grades which weren't so common. I've just gone in the garage and looked them out. I started with 1500 and finished with 2500.
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26th Jun 2015, 11:29 pm | #38 |
Octode
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: Oxfordshire, UK.
Posts: 1,911
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
I got some of the wet/dry from poundland in Oxford (RIP soon...) for another task and, on this occasion, I think paying a bit extra is the way to go.
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27th Jun 2015, 9:10 pm | #39 |
Nonode
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: West Midlands, UK.
Posts: 2,181
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Also keep an eye on Aldi . I got one pack (KRATZER-EX) to try on scratches on car. It also worked a treat on house numbers after some light wet and dry .
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29th Jun 2015, 2:33 am | #40 | |
Retired Dormant Member
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posts: 631
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Re: Cloudy Perspex
Quote:
Shelf life is excellent as well, I have one tube that is several years old now and it is still good as gold Cheers Billy |
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