Frosted Windows - Does Anything Work?

[hellosailor]

Steve-
There's a very wide range of strengths in both acrylic and polycarbonate materials. Even in the same thickness, same color, there can be 1/2 dozen types of material with different properties.
So from the weakest acrylic to the strongest polycarbonate? There can actually be a difference of roughly 100x the impact resistance. Without knowing specifically what you've got...all you can do is confirm whether you can break it or not.(G)

[Steve Bean]

Thanks, hellosailor, for your comment. I'm sure ( at least I hope) that there have been advances in the technology of these materials since my experience over 30 years ago.

[hellosailor]

Dunno, Steve. I suspect that both material families (poly and acrylic) are pretty much largely the same as the "Perspex" that the Brits used in WW2 bombers. Maybe a little more UV, chemical, other resistance but by and large...you just look up the strength you need, and then sit down with your wallet to see if you can afford it.(G)

[lifeboatcox]

https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&ei=N_NFVdWED-KU7Qajr4HAAg&url=http://www.sheffieldplastics.com/web_docs/pds/PDS085_TG250.pdf&ved=0CCkQFjAA&usg=AFQjCNHg61bVV_-1jtyhPaQVkXft5Zsryw
Works on our lifeboats in the UK.

[jheldatksuedu]

My experience with lexan and plexiglass that I have used, lexan is unbreakable, you can bend it back on itself with almost no damage, maybe some permanent bend, but no cracks, plexiglass will break easily when bent or impacted. Lexan is roughly 4 times more expensive for similar thickness, but often you don't need to be as thick if impact is the prime failure criteria.

[jongleur]

There are aquarium scrubbing sponges that
work in a manner that each time you clean
the plexiglass tank walls, the plexi gets more
and more polished. Takes out fine scratches
over time.

[Douglas L Hale]

Use mothers The granular kind. You can pick it up at just about any auto parts store. Used it for years on the farm equipment. Cheers

[hellosailor]

The aquarium sponges might be like a "Mr. Clean Magic Eraser" which is actually a specific plastic foam that is equal in grit and hardness to something like a 2000-3000 grade polish.


There are such things, I've used a 3000 grade polish from 3M to restore a mirror finish on optical plastic (DVDs and CDs) with a soft polishing wheel. But I'd expect the #3 Novus polish to be cheaper, and free from petrochemicals, which eventually attack the plastics. Should be available literally at any place that sells plexi.