Polish Windshield
- Thread starter PWyler
- Start date
BIGREDGOAT
New member
I'm curious of this as well, subscribed.
I have no windshield at present, but when I get the cab on it has a glass windshield so I may not have too much problems. When I rode a motorcycle and it had a farring with a plastic windshield, I used Classic Wax Co. Fiberglass and Plexiglass Cleaner/Polish. still have part of a can and it works good on headlight covers. Classic Wax Co. is out of business now and I am not sure who bought them out or what happened. I bought the cleaner at airports as it was used on aircraft canopies. That is where I would start looking for something to clear up the scratches. Possibly the junk sold to clean headlites could be used.
Bryce
Bryce
As I recall, Kubota themselves only made glass windshields themselves but did contract with another company (I believe it's Curtis) for dealer/manufacturer options, including cabs and windshields.
I'm not sure but from your description, the windshield is probably made of acrylic. You can try but getting scratches completely out of acrylic is a hit-or-miss venture. It may be better to find replacement piece or switch to polycarbonate (commonly known as Lexan).
For removing the scratches, here's what I'd try:
Start with a small area, not in your line of vision.
Using traditional Lemon Pledge (yea, the furniture stuff but don't use a substitute), spray it on, and buff lightly until any streaks are gone. This alone may do it.
If Pledge didn't do it, get some Novis plastic polish. They make different "grits" so make sure you get their product for the most minor scratches. Use as directed. If needed, after that step, try the Pledge over the same area and see what that gets you.
I'm not sure but from your description, the windshield is probably made of acrylic. You can try but getting scratches completely out of acrylic is a hit-or-miss venture. It may be better to find replacement piece or switch to polycarbonate (commonly known as Lexan).
For removing the scratches, here's what I'd try:
Start with a small area, not in your line of vision.
Using traditional Lemon Pledge (yea, the furniture stuff but don't use a substitute), spray it on, and buff lightly until any streaks are gone. This alone may do it.
If Pledge didn't do it, get some Novis plastic polish. They make different "grits" so make sure you get their product for the most minor scratches. Use as directed. If needed, after that step, try the Pledge over the same area and see what that gets you.
Mark.Sibole
Well-known member
Pledge like BC stated....But if it is the lexon one it may be more practical to replace it than try to buff it out.Thats why I made my own frame for a real glass windshield.I only used the glass for the upper part and cut my old lexon in half and only used the lexon for the bottom half that you dont look through.Making a frame for the glass was easy.It end up costing me 120 for the glass wind shield.10 bucks for the steel for the frame 4 screws and 100 to have the suto glass place cut and install the glass in the frame and it was well worth the time and effort.....
From the description of it looks like sandpaper was used, I'm no plastic expert but that sounds like acrylic which gets that (unless someone actually took sandpaper to polycarbonate/Lexan).
I made my own Lexan windshield for the RTV over 10 years ago. Except where limbs really ripped into the windshield hard (mainly at the outer edges), it's as clear as the day I installed it. Some friends have acrylic windshields on their machines (not RTV's) and they pretty much have to replace them every 4-5 years due to scratching.
I made my own Lexan windshield for the RTV over 10 years ago. Except where limbs really ripped into the windshield hard (mainly at the outer edges), it's as clear as the day I installed it. Some friends have acrylic windshields on their machines (not RTV's) and they pretty much have to replace them every 4-5 years due to scratching.
Heatwave
Active member
For many years I have used Novus plastic cleaner products. I'm attaching a link to Novus's website. You can get the stuff at motorcycle stores, Honda power product stores, and Amazon.com, of course. Novus products are commercial versions of the stuff we used in the Navy to clean aircraft canopies and helmet face shields. Suggestion: use a clean cotton ball ... soak it in Novus cleaner and apply to the scratched area ... rub the cotton ball vertically--no horizontal wipes or swirls--and stay with it. The Novus will gradually dry out. Wipe it down with a clean, soft, cotton or micro towel and polish carefully. If the scratches remain, try it again. Some scratches might be beyond repair with polishing compounds. I suggest no horizontal wipes or swirls merely because they leave fine marks that sunlight magnifies when the angles are right ... vertical wiping and polishing avoids sunlight streaking. Good luck. Here's a link:
https://www.novuspolish.com/heavy_scratch_remover.html
https://www.novuspolish.com/heavy_scratch_remover.html
Heatwave's aviation background tells it right. Use only vertical up/down strokes on plastic windshields.
Another fine product used to repair aircraft plastic windscreens is "MicroMesh". This is a "kit" of various sizes of grit-impregnated papers along with a rubber sanding-block and a finishing/polishing liquid. Starting with 800 grit and gradually down to 4000 every scratch can be made to disappear completely. I've used it on many different windshields on aircraft. About $25:
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/micromeshstd.php?clickkey=11681
Another fine product used to repair aircraft plastic windscreens is "MicroMesh". This is a "kit" of various sizes of grit-impregnated papers along with a rubber sanding-block and a finishing/polishing liquid. Starting with 800 grit and gradually down to 4000 every scratch can be made to disappear completely. I've used it on many different windshields on aircraft. About $25:
https://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalog/cspages/micromeshstd.php?clickkey=11681