Scratch Removal on Acrylic

[Lowenbrau]

I need a good and fast way to buff out a tank.

I have been working on a 180 I bought last summer. When I bought it, it was really, really dirty. Coraline covering most of the front pane.

Now that I have cleaned it out, it is really scratched up. No huge gashes, but the entire front needs scratches buffed out. I have a Novus kit as well as a headlamp restoration kit that attached to my cordless drill. I have worked on it for several hours and I have made a little progress on the deeper scratches but I see many more hours at this pace.

Any suggestions on ways to buff it out faster? I know some people have used car buffers, but I have no idea how.

Thanks..........


Mike

 

[Haulin Oates]

Scratch Removal on Acrylic

In think if the buffers aren't working quickly, then you need to move to sand paper. But I've never restored a tank. I've done countless headlight restos. I usually start on 500 grit and work up to 2000 grit, then polish with a 3000 grit polish liquid.

 

[MartinsReef]

In think if the buffers aren't working quickly, then you need to move to sand paper. But I've never restored a tank. I've done countless headlight restos. I usually start on 500 grit and work up to 2000 grit, then polish with a 3000 grit polish liquid.

Yep sand paper but I use only wet polish cloth and start with 800 and work up to 22,000 grit wet cloth.

 

[daverf]

What they said. However I did find I had a scratch that needed a coarser grit than 500 or 800. So I suggest you start with one of those grits on the worst scratch you have (gentle motion/wet), if you don't see the scratch gone and ONLY the grit grooves remaining, do not continue. Go coarser. Otherwise you'll do the whole panel and still see the scratch (and have to start over).

And if you REALLY want to speed through the whole panel, call Tom at Aquamart and ask him to sell you a pack of fine grit sandpaper to do the job on a rotary hook/loop sander. This is what I did, and trust me you can't find the discs anywhere else in town or online (unless you buy each piece of paper in bulk). 6' panel with this will take you about 5 hours to do the whole thing and is pretty easy for a beginner, without this at least double that time and a high possibility for mistakes.