Hull376
06-05-2003, 08:47 PM
For those of you who are thinking about replacing your picture windows because they are scratched, foggy, etc. Try the Micro-mesh abrasive products (series of specially backed "cushioned" papers from 2400-12000 grit) that have been used for a long time to spruce up aircraft windows. A college buddy of my dad's owned the company until a few years ago (Wilton, Iowa), and I recieved a free kit. He must have stockpiled some inventory in his garage when he sold the company! Anyway, it worked really well, very little effort, and saved money and time. You start with the lowest grit, then move up the scale (no skipping) till you get to the 12000 grit. Can use it on metals, gelcoat, and epoxy finishes as well. Not recommended for polycarbonates (Lexan) as they are a soft plastic (acrylics like plexiglas are hard). You could use it on lexan, but it will leave a very slight "haze". Will remove some of the crazing that seems to appear on plexiglas after a few years (those spider web cracks you see in different lighting angles). The crazing is from stresses, and usually is just under the surface. Found various vendors for this stuff on the web--- Woodcraft, for example. Folks like Ebb and Mike G. probably know all about this kind of stuff, but since I haven't seen any posts on restoration (just replacement) I figured I'd throw this out as an option.