Best ways to polish canopies

[jeem]

Hi Guys

Not sure if this topic has been covered before but I'd like to try polishing canopies as opposed to dipping them in Future. What

products do you guys recommend for polishing canopies. I've heard of using Novus Plastic Polish and Tamiya polishing compounds

but I haven't tried them. After using these polishes can you paint over the polished clear canopy frame or is there a residue,

like when using wax that has to be removed before painting so the paint will stick. Also, are there any particular brands and

grits of sandpaper that you would recommend. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

[82Whitey51]

Hi Guys

Not sure if this topic has been covered before but I'd like to try polishing canopies as opposed to dipping them in Future. What

products do you guys recommend for polishing canopies. I've heard of using Novus Plastic Polish and Tamiya polishing compounds

but I haven't tried them. After using these polishes can you paint over the polished clear canopy frame or is there a residue,

like when using wax that has to be removed before painting so the paint will stick. Also, are there any particular brands and

grits of sandpaper that you would recommend. Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks

Jim

I used Micro Mesh sandpaper and Novus plastic polish on a few canopies. The Novus is a fine grit liquid polish, it doesn't leave a coating (like a wax or anything).

I typically only use that method of polishing up a canopy if it has a seam or has been scratched. With the Micro Mesh, you start out with a course grit and work up to a fine and the results are pretty awesome. I use a 2000, 3200, 4000, and 6000 grit. Then give it a polish with the Novus.

Here's an example of a canopy from a 1/48 F3D Skyknight that I had to cut and use a lot of putty to make fit properly. It obviously involved a lot of sanding and polishing to look correct in the end:

[falcon20driver]

I just finished attending to my F-14 canopy. I use Novus with a buffing wheel on my Dremel. Set it on slow and it works great.

[dnl42]

I polish with cloth and/or pads to 12,000 grit and then switch to fingernail buffing sticks. I still dip in Future, though.

[JackMan]

My go-to online tutorial of canopy polishing ( courtesy of award winning modeler, Narita san)

http://www.naritafamily.com/howto/F15E/day11.htm

You could replace the "Top Compound 2000" with Tamiya Polishing Compound, although from my personal experience, Top Compound 2000 seems to have a finer grit than the finest Tamiya Polishing Compound and seems to give a smoother polish. Problem is that it appears that Top Compound is now out of production :(

http://www.luckymodel.com/scale.aspx?item_no=MOD+S101

[Paul Budzik]

White diamond polishing compound, like this ... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHJmxKKxsew

At the 4:20 mark if you're in a hurry...

Paul

Edited April 24, 2016 by Paul Budzik

[jeem]

Thanks everyone for taking the time to explain/ show me your methods, I'll have to give it a try.

Whitey - really nice work on the Skynight plus the detailed description and pics

falcon20driver and dnl42 - thanks for the posting your methods and materials

Jackman - thanks for the links, a big help

Paul Budzik - really great videos, I watched them all

Jim

[airea]

Tamiya and novus seems to be very expensive.

I use helmet visor and car headlight polishing compounds for polishing model canopies and all sorts of clear parts. They are sold in hardware stores and auto parts shops.

I guess tamiya or novus compounds are basically the same stuff with visor/headlight polishers. Maybe slightly not that strong but definitely more expensive...

[Drifterdon]

How do you avoid stress cracks? I've had a couple that I was polishing crack on me during the polishing process. One, a F-16B canopy, shattered like it was safety glass!

[JackMan]

How do you avoid stress cracks? I've had a couple that I was polishing crack on me during the polishing process. One, a F-16B canopy, shattered like it was safety glass!

For me, I squeeze some blu-tac or plasticine ( playing clay) inside the canopy to give it some 'structure'.

( Though, for plasticine, since it appears to be oil-based, you may need to wash the inner canopy with dish-washing liquid to remove the 'oil'...once you have finished polishing.)