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13-07-2009, 14:31
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#1
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Georgian Bay, Canada
Boat: Catalina 34 - "Points North"
Posts: 493
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Crazed Windows / Ports
Hello All:
I seem to remember someone posting about a product which they swore did a great job of fixing this problem. It was some kind of wipe on/wipe off solution. I've spent the last while searching the threads to no avail. Does anyone remember this post and if so, can you please point me in the right direction?
Many thanks.
__________________
Dave
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13-07-2009, 14:38
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#2
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Cruising
Boat: Jeanneau 38 Gin Fizz- Rhosyn Mor
Posts: 331
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Dave,
there is no product that will remove the crazing.
( I work in a plasitcs place that refurbishes hatches) If there was every one would use it. what you might try, if the crazing is not to deep, is to sand it with 600 grit and then buff it to a polish ( try this on a very small section first!).
hope this helps
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13-07-2009, 14:46
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#3
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running down a dream
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Florida
Boat: cape dory 30 MKII
Posts: 3,234
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i just replaced 4 of my crazed lewmar ports .. easy to do and they really look great.
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13-07-2009, 15:15
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#4
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 51,768
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave the Canuck
Crazed Glazing
I seem to remember someone posting about a product which they swore did a great job of fixing this problem. It was some kind of wipe on/wipe off solution...
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Right.
And My wife & I are seeking a wipe on - wipe off wrinkle remover.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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13-07-2009, 15:16
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#5
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lakeland, FL
Posts: 1,296
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I have had some success with automotive rubbing compound and jewelers polish. But, as stated this will not help with deeper crazing. Personally, if they let in light and don't leak, I'm pretty tolerant of scratches/crazing on sailboat ports - they don't give you much of a view anyway.
__________________
"There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats."
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (River Rat to Mole)
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13-07-2009, 15:19
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#6
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Registered User
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Georgian Bay, Canada
Boat: Catalina 34 - "Points North"
Posts: 493
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slomotion
I have had some success with automotive rubbing compound and jewelers polish. But, as stated this will not help with deeper crazing.
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Gord. You and the missus try this one?
__________________
Dave
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13-07-2009, 15:23
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#7
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Registered User
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: Lakeland, FL
Posts: 1,296
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Dave the Canuck
Gord. You and the missus try this one?
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Holding my breath.
__________________
"There's nothing . . . absolutely nothing . . . half so much worth doing as simply messing around in boats."
Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows (River Rat to Mole)
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13-07-2009, 16:04
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#8
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Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: on the boat. Gulf Coast
Boat: C&C 38'
Posts: 351
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Gord, have you and the missus tried the 600 grit emery cloth and the lamb's wool buffer? Aren't wrinkles a sign of wisdom?
__________________
Jerry and Denver
Happy Old cruisers!
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13-07-2009, 16:45
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#9
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Moderator Emeritus
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Hayes, VA
Boat: Gozzard 36
Posts: 8,700
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Quote:
Aren't wrinkles a sign of wisdom?
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Sure, so why rub them off? A gray beard is better.
__________________
Paul Blais
s/v Bright Eyes Gozzard 36
37 15.7 N 76 28.9 W
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13-07-2009, 18:28
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#10
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always in motion is the future

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 20,098
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We just refinished our pilothouse windows. These are the steps:
1. wet sand by hand with 330 or 360 grit until all signs of crazing are gone.
At this point all coatings will be gone if any was there still.
2. wet sand by hand with 500 grit
3. 1000 grit by hand
4. 1200 grit by hand
5. 1500 grit by hand
6. Rubbing compound by hand
7. Polishing compound with real polishing machine (I use the Makita, love it)
8. Apply some sort of coating again. Most cruisers use 303 Aerospace protectant but this time I tried a new product I found from CorrosionX : some sort of polymer UV coating which is kind of the same as that 303 stuff but this is like a liquid wax.
For the sanding stages: finish sanding with a grit in one direction until you don't see any scratches in another direction. The scratches that are there now must be removed with the next grit up so sand in a different direction with the next grit.
The result is basically "like new". However, I think the original coatings are better so I re-apply that coating now and then.
The best technique is to replace the glass/lens/whatever with Lexan MR10 quality. This is an abrasion resistant coating that lasts. The sides (where the material is cut) must not see the light so if you use no frame that goes around the edges of the material, you have to paint them so no UV enters the material.
MR10 can't be bend without breaking the coating.
cheers,
Nick.
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13-07-2009, 18:37
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#11
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2008
Location: Princeton, NJ
Boat: Challenger Anacapa 42
Posts: 2,097
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s/v Jedi
The sides (where the material is cut) must not see the light so if you use no frame that goes around the edges of the material, you have to paint them so no UV enters the material.
MR10 can't be bend without breaking the coating.
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Nick, What material were you refinishing? More importantly, what is the reasoning behind painting the edges of the MR10? We have non-coated Makrolon (Lexan WITHOUT the coating, which is basically Plexi, I believe) going on our pilothouse without frames that cover the sides.. Any paint you can recommend? Thanks, Chris
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14-07-2009, 00:59
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#12
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always in motion is the future

Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: in paradise
Boat: Sundeer 64
Posts: 20,098
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Chris,
Makrolon (BASF) is the same as Lexan (GE), both are polycarbonate, it's just different manufacturers. Plexi glass is an acrylic and has very different properties.
Lexan is not UV stable. It will craze and quickly go opague. So the trick is to keep the UV off it. I was refinishing Lexan XL10 which has (had is a better word) an UV protectant coating, which was worn away by washing the windows (washing voids the 10 year warrenty).
If UV enters the panel from it's edges, it scatters all through the material, quickly degrading it. I believe there's even a special tape to protect the edges. But I would just use a nice (Dutch "International" brand ;-) 1-part poly-urethane, preferably black color. Or use the Sikaflex primer which is black and blocks UV (meant to protect the Sikaflex and hide it from view through the window).
Are you sure your Makrolon has no coating? I think you have a big chance it does have a UV coating. If not, quickly put that "SPF50 for your stuff" (read that on the 303 product) on them ;-) The CorrosionX alternative has an even better slogan: "nothing sticks to it but the shine" ...
cheers,
Nick.
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14-07-2009, 05:24
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#13
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Senior Cruiser

Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Thunder Bay, Ontario - 48-29N x 89-20W
Boat: (Cruiser Living On Dirt)
Posts: 51,768
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Quote:
Originally Posted by s/v Jedi
Makrolon (BASF) is the same as Lexan (GE), both are polycarbonate, it's just different manufacturers...
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Makrolon is a Bayer product, not BASF (although they are both successors to the dissolved IG Farben). I don’t think BASF manufactures polycarbonates.
__________________
Gord May
"If you didn't have the time or money to do it right in the first place, when will you get the time/$ to fix it?"
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14-07-2009, 07:13
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#14
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Registered User
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Cruising
Boat: Jeanneau 38 Gin Fizz- Rhosyn Mor
Posts: 331
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none of the warranty applies in marine environment.
just sayin'
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14-07-2009, 15:49
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#15
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Registered User
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: San Antonio, TX/Bocas del Toro, Panama
Boat: 1990 Macintosh 47, "Merlin"
Posts: 2,869
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And now you know why Lexan makes a poor window replacement in a marine environment UNLESS it is well protected...
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