Playing with Plexiglas

[BriceT]

I really like the plexiglas swing. Very neat!

[willbrett]

Because I do it every day...

I'm telling you, scratches in Plexiglas can be fixed in just a few minutes... a little bit of wet sanding, and some high speed buffing is all it takes. Chrysler and Volkswagen headlights are the worst.

(And I own one of each)

-Brett

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Chrysler and Volkswagen headlights are the worst.

I don't understand the reference...composite type automotive headlights (the ones with the replaceable bulb in the back) are nearly all composed of polycarbonate plastic, not Plexiglas.

Todd S. "who sells them every day" Malicoate

[willbrett]

Chrysler and Volkswagen headlights are the worst.

I don't understand the reference...composite type automotive headlights (the ones with the replaceable bulb in the back) are nearly all composed of polycarbonate plastic, not Plexiglas.

Todd S. "who sells them every day" Malicoate

With no intentions of starting any sort of argument here, and I usually feel that Mr. Malicoate is 100% correct, and many times says things that I feel like writing, but am too chicken to write...

I've found both the "lexan" lenses that car manufactures claim to have installed on their vehicles (supposedly rock/chip/crack/breakage proof) and regular old plexiglas to behave similarly while I'm trying to remove scratches/imperfections from them. I service auto dealerships daily, repairing paint blemishes, scuffs, scrapes, chips, painting bumpers, painting quarter panels/doors/hoods, as well as repairing yellowed, dried, and cracked headlights. I've also used 1/4 - 3/8" plexiglas as replacements in houses that I've owned (usually with window unit air conditioner sized holes being cut into them)... I'm the first to admit that I've got no experience with the thickness of the glas being discussed in this thread, but I believe that the same principals hold true. If the plexiglas is scratched/blury/yellowed/weathered, it can be sanded and polished back to *nearly* it's original sheen.

[Todd S. Malicoate]

Well said. You are absolutely correct...the "headlight restoration" kits that we sell at Napa even say on the package that they also work on Plexiglas and acrylics...the materials are very similar. I just thought you were saying the headlights on Chryslers and Volkswagens are made of Plexiglas. People often ask when pricing a headlamp assembly why they are so expensive...my stock "script" for such a situation includes an explanation of the space-age, expensive material known as polycarbonate (PC) plastic.

Todd S. "also not wanting to argue, but unable to sleep" Malicoate

[willbrett]

Well said. You are absolutely correct...the "headlight restoration" kits that we sell at Napa even say on the package that they also work on Plexiglas and acrylics...the materials are very similar. I just thought you were saying the headlights on Chryslers and Volkswagens are made of Plexiglas. People often ask when pricing a headlamp assembly why they are so expensive...my stock "script" for such a situation includes an explanation of the space-age, expensive material known as polycarbonate (PC) plastic.

Todd S. "also not wanting to argue, but unable to sleep" Malicoate

Ah, yes... I spent almost 3 years of my life (which I'll never get back) selling cars. One part of our 'scripted' sales pitch described the amazing toughness of the space-age polycarbonate (we called them lexan, and I'm not sure of the difference) plastic headlights. We actually had to bang on them with our knuckles as hard as we could... just to show how 'tough' they are. Of course these have been required of all manufacturers since sometime in the late 90's, but even in 2008, you'll hear salesmen telling you that they're one reason that their brand of car is the "best".

It's a good thing this thread is already in the "off topic" section, isn't it?

[Dave Hayami]

Hey Schlep,
When are you going to cut a blank and turn out your own mouthpiece?
Dave Hayami

[dwaskew]

I don't think I'd do near as good a job as Jim Kelly.

I had no idea he made those mouthpieces......!

[The Jackson]

I don't think I'd do near as good a job as Jim Kelly.

I had no idea he made those mouthpieces......!

Excuse me, sir, but I believe you have the incorrect "Jim Kelly"...

[ThomasDodd]

the space-age polycarbonate (we called them lexan, and I'm not sure of the difference) plastic headlights.

Lexan is a brand name of polycarbonate resin thermoplastic.
Calibre, Makrolon, and Panlite are other brand names.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexan
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycarbonate



Schlep, cool stuff. Great that you have access to the "scraps" too. Use it just about anywhere you'd use wood or steel. Stronger and more durable than wood, and easier to work with than steel.

[MaryAnn]

I just had some plexiglas "interior skylight covers" installed in my house. They look great; you can't tell anything is even there, literally. Question is....when it comes time to clean them, how do I keep from scratching them?

MA

[willbrett]

Schlepporello wrote:

one writer stated that using GoJo (yep, the hand cleaning cream) would not only clean the Plexiglas, but would hide the little swirl marks you see with time.

Be careful which style of GoJo you buy. I wouldn't try the stuff with any abrasives in it (walnut shells, pumice, etc.), as you'll likely end up with some pretty vicious swirls and scratches. If you rub the soap between your fingers and feel anything gritty or sandy, I'd avoid it.

If I recall correctly, the old fashioned original GoJo is abrasive free, and shouldn't cause any scratching.

Best of luck!

-Brett

[MaryAnn]

She asked me to make her a stool to stand on for their wedding. She'd like to be close to the same height as her beau whilst they are exchanging their vows.

And you're absolutely certain she wasn't kidding? If not, she sure has a good sense of self and a great sense of humor, because a goodly portion of the attending populace is going to be suppressing giggles.

MA

[rocksanddirt]

<snip>
And the stool ought to look pretty sharp once I get the cut edges buffed to clear. My aim is to make it look like it was crafted from crystal.

Nice! I bet folks in the back won't even realize there's a stool.

[TubaGoon]

Schlepporello, that looks REALLY awesome. It will look very classy indeed at the wedding!!! Let me know if you are thinking about making anything tuba-y....

[TubaGoon]

Yeah, I was wondering if you were thinking of building one of those types of stands. I'm not sure what I think of them to be honest. I have one of those K&M ones where it holds the Tuba upright, and have always kinda preferd that than having it sit on the bell. I know that having it rest on the bell won't hurt it, I'm just worried about someone bumping into it or something of that nature while it's on the bell...
That being said, let me know if you decided to make one of those types of rests where the bell sits in it - I would be very interested, and I think it would look very sharp. A little blue felt (or whatever color one pleases) one places that may be rough on the horn and you've got yourself one heck of a stand!

[Carroll]

Wow! That thing is gorgeous.

[TubaGoon]

Wow! That thing is gorgeous.

Indeed! Nice job, it looks like it's made of ice or crystal - very classy and sharp (#)!

[ralphbsz]

Plexiglas is amazing stuff. Fun to work with. A bit tedious (the polishing gets boring), but the results can be spectacular. I've done quite a bit of it, including molding plexiglas by vacuum-slumping it over molds.

For glueing, don't use superglue. Instead get some dedicated plexiglas glue. For small joints, that stuff is just MEK (Methyl-Ethyl-Ketone), probably the nastiest solvent around. For bigger joints, it is a creamy slurry of acrylic in MEK. Available at plexiglas stores. If you use it on well-polished joints, it leaves the joints totally transparent, so much so that spectators will think the piece was molded or machined out of a single piece.

Now the warning: plexiglas can be cut on normal saws, and makes normal shavings. Always wear safety glasses, never rub your eyes when working with plexiglas, and make sure none of the dust or shavings get into your eyes! The shavings are very sharp, and if they get stuck in the eye, they will scratch the heck out of the cornea. And because they are transparent when wet, they are completely invisible, so the eye doctor can't even remove them, because he doesn't know where they are. In my case, they ended up flushing my eyeball with water for 15 minutes (not pleasant).