In a message dated 4/21/2009 3:02:26 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time,
europa-list@matronics.com writes:
Hey guys,
We replace and repair canopies fairly regularly in our shop. In fact, I'm
doing a rear canopy replacement on an ASW-21 glider this week. We keep a
stack of Egyptian cotton hand towels in the shop for the sole purpose of
cleaning canopies. We use only water for cleaning unless there is something on
it that water won't remove. I wipe my Europa windshield and my glider
canopy off after every flight because fresh bugs are easier to remove than ones
that have been baked on after sitting in a hot hangar between flights.
Ditto the leading edges of the wings and tail surfaces. Soak one towel with
water and wipe the plexi off thoroughly, then use a dry towel to remove any
water that is left. The key with cleaning plexiglass is to always use linear
motion, up and down, when wiping them off. Do not wipe in circles! If you
do this you will create swirls and the next time you fly into the sun you
will wish you hadn't wiped it in circles. If you do get minor scratches,
though, they can be removed fairly easily.
Most, if not all small scratches can be easily removed from plexiglass
with buffing. It's basically just like paint. Generally, anything you can't
feel with your fingernail will buff out. We use a buffing rouge that is
specifically meant for plexiglass. I made a buffer specifically for buffing
canopies and plexiglass from a 4" Makita grinder which uses 6" flannel pads.
Flannel is the key here. A router speed control is necessary to slow the
buffer down a bit, but it works very well. You use this buffer end on, just
like you would buff paint, but not on the side like an orbiting or circular
buffer. Keep the buffer moving in short, side to side movements and buff at
90 degrees to the scratches. Most deeper scratches can be removed by
carefully sanding with 1500, then 2000 grit paper on a small block, then buff.
I
can usually bring a canopy back to near new condition with a quick buffing.
We get our buffs and buffing compound from these folks:
_http://www.sattexcorp.com/Index.asp_ (http://www.sattexcorp.com/Index.asp)
Hope it helps!
Regards,
John Lawton
Whitwell, TN (TN89)
N245E - Flying
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