Seeking 56 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Hey guys, normally when I attach bills to my lures I make sure I mask them first and then insert them. It so happens that on this particular one i'm working on, I decided not to mask. As a result it got covered with marine epoxy, which I scratched off after it hardened and now, scratched the lexan.... Any ideas on how to remove the scratches? Thanks s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
.dsaavedra. Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 sand it with 400 grit and have a matte bill instead of a glossy clear one Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BobP Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I doubt you can polish it out. I polish the edges of Lexan lips with a wool Dremel cylinder to clean them up but it won't polish Lexan to original status. When I want to clear a scratched lip, I dip it in Dick Nite polyurethane. Epoxy will do but you usually end up with a wavy surface - and it can yellow. As a practical matter, it may be less time consuming to install a new lip if you think it must be fixed. However, when it gets wet, many scratches disappear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gunnie3035 Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 There is a wax we use at work that will take scratches out plastic material. I believe it is the same type of wax used for fixing music cds and DVDs. I bet it would work. I will get the name off the bottle when I get there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lure--Prof Posted August 12, 2009 Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 I polish lips regularly, a practice which started when I learned the necessity of maintaining smooth edges on all crankbait bills to avoid cutting my line (not necessarily light line either!) on hard fighting fish. Of course as a crankbait builder who often built/modified lips from scratch, one thing led to another... Micro-mesh is a name you need to know---they make fine to ultra-fine sanding products, which I never fail to use when polishing polycarbonate. They sell polishing kits, with instructionson how to achieve scratch free results on various surfaces. You can use their products by themselves, or in conjunction with rotary tools, compounds, and various plastic, or some metal polishes to get perfect results, or any degree of polishing you deem necessary. I sometimes will thin thicker lips on a sander, and then polish them out, and don't consider it to be a terribly difficult task. It simply requires the right tools, and some elbow grease. Perhaps the trickiest part with rotary tools is learning not to make too much heat and burn the surface. Practice is the key. I often use a felt flap wheel in my dremel for a finish polish after using micro-mesh up to 6000 grit for a fairly quick smooth finish. My friend John Pearson (nugene on TU) mentioned to me recently using the old standby metal polishing cream, Simicrome, and a cotton cloth for quickly removing some fine scratches also. I'd like to experiment with a slow-turning buffer--common grinders with buffing wheels generate too much heat too quickly with their high speeds to be much use, unless proceeding very very carefully! MicroMesh products are available through some hobby stores, and stores specializing in wood-finishing products. Various metal and plastic poishes, headlight lens restoration kits, along with sandpaper up to 2000 grit, are available in auto parts stores. Your search-engine's your friend too. Dean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Seeking 56 Posted August 12, 2009 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2009 Much appreciated fellows!! s54 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
