Any ideas on how to remove glue residue from clear plastic for simulated windows? Trying to remove some white discoloring.

ACF, did you use CA ( crazy glue) to install your windows? It sounds like it, If so it on there permanently. For future window installation use canopy glue. It dries clear and is a little flexible.

I used a fine polish on my acrylic bridge. Silver or brass polish is recommended.
Wash it with a mix of 25% denatured alcohol and 75% distilled water.

Rand

quote:

Originally posted by CSX Al:
ACF, did you use CA ( crazy glue) to install your windows? It sounds like it, If so it on there permanently. For future window installation use canopy glue. It dries clear and is a little flexible.

Yep, Super Glue gel. Crap, when I put it on I didn't get any on the glass but when it dried it left this white residue on some areas. So nothin' to even lessen the effect??

Before polish:



After polish:



Rand

Rand,
How hard did you have to work the polish in to get it off? You seem to have very thick & durable plexiglass, I have very thin laminate that won't stand up to hard rubbing. Was it a light rub type of application?

Be gentle. It didn't take much rubbing at all.
It can't hurt to try, can it?

Rand

Cool. I'll give it a try.

Another option to consider... try using Future Floor Wax, which is an acrylic finish that will dry rock hard. I have used it a lot to give a more glass-like finish to canopies and other clear plastics, as it will make fine scratches and small defects in the plastic disappear or become more transparent. Future can also make the white hazing of CA glue disappear in most cases.

You can either dip, brush on, or airbrush the Future on the surface. If you plan to dip, touch a corner of the item to a tissue to paper towel to wick off any excess. If you brush, leave the item flat until the Future cures. It is self-leveling and any brush marks will disappear... just give it time to level and dry, and resist the urge to keep brushing over it. When airbrushing, you need to pay attention to the air pressure and flow to get a good finish. There are a lot of sites on the web with really good instructions for airbrush settings. One last item. after you gave applied the Future, cover it with a bowl or something similar to keep dust from floating into the Future and sticking. While it generally dries in 30 to 60 minutes, it takes about 24 hours for it to fully cure.

BTW, Future easily cleans up with Windex. You can also use Windex to remove the Future from any unwanted surfaces or to completely remove the Future if you make a mistake. One item of caution, Windex can react with some types of paint and cause the paint to get tacky or to dull if you leave it on too long or rub too hard. Light pressure and light amount of Windex is the way to go on painted surfaces. I use a Q-tip whenever I'm trying to do this.

Future is commonly used by aircraft and automotive modelers. I also know of several people who use it to simulate small puddles on train layouts.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ToddMc,

Oooo... another option if you want to polish. Use the Novus product line of plastic polishes. They have 3 different "grits". Novus 1 is the lightest and is more like a glass cleaner in consistency. It will polish out and anti-fog light scrathes. Novus 2 is more like auto polish in consistency and will polish out more severe scratches. Novus 3 is for hard core scratches.

Remember to go back over and work your way down the grades to get the best finish. If you start with Novus 2, finish with Novus 1.

I have used these products for years to polish up and recondition my 501st armor and, in my opinion, are the best plastics polishes out there.

ACF, Give it a shot with Rands & ToddMc suggest. From past experience with the CA fog, I think getting it off thin window sheeting is going to be tough. Good Luck.

Didn't have any Future floor polish, so I tried Pledge furniture polish with a q-tip. The Pledge took 90% of the white residue off, & just left some hazing.

Thanks for the tip. Since I used document laminating material for the glass, it wasn't crystal clear anyway, and simply getting the white off the laminate is good enough.

That's good to know Tony.

I learned all I know at the methacrylates site, I suppose I didn't go deep enough to find the wax, but it makes sense. BTW, what you have left is crazing.

Rand

quote:

Originally posted by ACF:
Didn't have any Future floor polish, so I tried Pledge furniture polish with a q-tip.

I'm glad the Pledge helped... and I'm a little surprised that it did.

Future, being a liquid acrylic, acts like a clearcoat. In fact, I use Future for all my gloss clearcoat needs. It gives a good hard very glossy finish that looks great and is very easy to apply.

Why it works so well on clear plastic is that the Future will fill in scratches and somehow makes the clear plastic even more transparent, thus hiding a lot of defects in the plastic. On the CA hazing... if you use the Future before gluing, it creates a barrier that the odor from the CA glue can't penetrate to create the hazing. If the CA hazing is already present and you didn't use the Future beforehand, it will typically somehow make the whitish hazing disappear. I'm not a chemist and have no idea how it works... I just know that it usually does.

Other options that occurred to me later... there are some CA glues that are odor-free and won't cause the hazing. Some people use Future as a clear style of glue, although the bond won't stand up to a lot of handling. Other options are good ole' white glue and other glues formulated for clear parts.

quote:

Originally posted by ACF:
Since I used document laminating material for the glass, it wasn't crystal clear anyway

If you feel adventurous one weekend, go buy some Future and try dipping the laminating sheet into it. You will probably find that it will make the laminate even more clear.

If I would have known I suppose I would have used the canopy glue.

Rand

Thinking about it a bit more, most car waxes have polish built in. Turtle wax has cleaner and polish. I still have a few scratches that are too deep for the polish. I'm putting Future on my shopping list. And I can wax the kitchen floor

Rand

Besides waxing your floor. This creek was made from 2 layers of mod-podge, I may have mentioned this product before ( ) and a final coat of Future floor wax.

quote:

ACF, did you use CA ( crazy glue) to install your windows? It sounds like it, If so it on there permanently.

Try Crazy glue remover from Smith industries. good for removing thick pad printing too!

Unless Smith has made a new discovery the formula will contain acetone. Acetone will destroy most plastics, especially ones affected by CA.

Rand