Hangar Flying => Hangar Flying => Topic started by: rorsolits on March 18, 2009, 04:42:41 AM
Title: Removing epoxy from canopy
Post by: rorsolits on March 18, 2009, 04:42:41 AM
As the years of building have gone by, I have gotten smudges and droplets of epoxy on my plexi canopy. I have tried acetone to no avail. Any ideas how to remove the epoxy without seriously scratching the canopy? Rob
Title: Re: Removing epoxy from canopy
Post by: Tom on March 18, 2009, 06:43:30 AM
I think you are SOL unless you can "pick" t off with a credit card or such.. My guess is you will have to sand it off, and then use micromesh or the like to remove all of the sanding marks and to polish.
-Tom
Title: Re: Removing epoxy from canopy
Post by: allen on March 18, 2009, 06:54:11 PM
This afternoon I spent 3 hours in the hanger working on my canopy. Over the past year it took a beating living on the ramp. Lots of micro-scratches, some deep sratches as well as some paint overspray from the last owner redoing the cockpit. On AircraftSpruce you can find a product called MicroMesh.
All this afternoon I have been polishing my canopy and have been suprised at just how well this stuff works. My suggestion would be to look into it for your canopy as well.
Allen
Title: Re: Removing epoxy from canopy
Post by: Bruce Hughes on March 19, 2009, 08:54:09 AM
When I was ready to paint, I assumed that the spraylat on the canopy would protect the canopy from the paint... It will NOT. >:(
After painting, I had some overspray on the edges of the canopy, from 1/2" to 1" wide. I tried a few things but only damaged the plexiglass. ???
I gave up.
Other work took years and the aircraft was sitting in the sun much of the time. Finally that paint was the only problem left. I found that I could flake it off by very carefully sliding a sharp blade against the edges. My eyes are VERY good for close work; very few (maybe none) of you are as nearsighted as I am.
I am sure that the sunlight had degraded the paint slightly so time will help you.
I also was planning to use the micromesh but did not have too. BUT there is a little epoxy on the inside surface. That will be a micromesh job, I think.