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Polishing Canopies - scratches/not clear


AdriaN (MLT)

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I recently built a tamiya F16 and the canopy had a seam line. After seeing some tutorials i decided to buy FloryModels sanding/polishing sanders.

As tutorials suggested, without pressing hard, i started off with the 220 blue stick. Then went down to the finer light blue side of the polisher which is a very fine sander. I then used the white flat part of the sander to polish the canopy. the canopy did seem to get glossy and and polish out the murky scratched parts but at a glance at it in the light... i saw that i still indeed had scratches and couldnt get rid of them! Even after rubbing the polisher on quite a bit.

AT LEAST THE SEAM LINE HAS VANISHED!

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I thought the sanding with the 220 might have been to deep so i tried to polish them out even more using the light blue light sander using circular movement and did more polishing with the white polisher. the scratches are not as deep and there are less but... there still are scratches and the cnopy doesnt seem polished! HELP??

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Edited by AdriaN (MLT)
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I assume the Flory polishing pads are similar to MicroMesh? If thats the case you should sand in straight lines (not in a circular motion) each grade being used with a motion at right angles to the last grade.having started with the coarsest grade,you should end up with a nice sparkling canopy with no scratch marks.

Malcolm

Edited by Mal
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you're gonna need some more sanders...

I think 220 is way too coarse for canopy seam line removal. I tend to use a brand new, very sharp #11 blade gently scraped along to take the line off, and then the three or two finest grades on a "three-way nail buffer/polisher" from Boots to polish it out. If that's not enough, then I have Novus Plastic polish and Meguiar's Scratch X on the car side of the bench.

Your best way is to get some Micromesh. Polish it with some 1200 wet and dry used very wet, which will make it milky, but should take out the coarse scratches. Then work your way through the Micromesh 1500, 2400, 3600 and maybe 4000. Finally polish it with some toothpaste, or Canopy Polish, or the afoermentioned Novus or Megiuars.

Good luck!

bestest,

M.

Edited by cmatthewbacon
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After micromesh 4000 I use toothpaste on a cotton bud. Maybe old fashioned but it always worked for me. Also heard about using car polish compound, but I never tried.

Oops, cmatthewbacon was faster!

Wish you a clear day and clear canopies.

Edited by PattheCat
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I should of said that I use Micro Mesh clothes for polishing canopies,starting at 2400 then 4000,6000 and finally12000,by going down to 12000 I find I can avoid the need to use polishing compounds.

Malcolm

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Are the scratches on the inside of the canopy? If they are, best way to get to them is micromesh cloths, once done switch to polishing compounds to finish.

I've being using the Tamiya compounds and I'm most impressed with them. They go beyond anything micromesh can do and is best used as a follow on after micromeshing. Go through the 3 grades with the Tamiya cloths then finish with a dry section of the cloth and the result will be the best you have ever seen.

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There is quite a large difference between the flory blue 220 sponge and the blue /white polisher. It's best to use a well worn sponge and if possible use a micromEsh pad in between them too. I do the polishing with a wet pad. If all else fails, dip it in clearcoat.

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you're gonna need some more sanders...

I think 220 is way too coarse for canopy seam line removal. I tend to use a brand new, very sharp #11 blade gently scraped along to take the line off, and then the three or two finest grades on a "three-way nail buffer/polisher" from Boots to polish it out. If that's not enough, then I have Novus Plastic polish and Meguiar's Scratch X on the car side of the bench.

Your best way is to get some Micromesh. Polish it with some 1200 wet and dry used very wet, which will make it milky, but should take out the coarse scratches. Then work your way through the Micromesh 1500, 2400, 3600 and maybe 4000. Finally polish it with some toothpaste, or Canopy Polish, or the afoermentioned Novus or Megiuars.

Good luck!

bestest,

M.

To be honest.. i was going to buy micromesh but said, let me wait and try these flory polishing sanders out first.. but by the looks of it.. i WILL need micromesh!

Edited by AdriaN (MLT)
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The key to polishing canopies is not to start coarser than you need to. This is so you don't introduce scratches unnecessarily. It's better to err on the side of a finer grit, then if that really isn't doing the job go one coarser. Typically I start with nothing any coarser than 3200 grit micromesh, then work through the grits, wet sanding with lots of water, up to 12000.

I find that even with 12000, using Tamiya finish compound, or Maguairs scratch-x leaves the canopy clearer than micromesh alone.

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After you have polished using micromesh cloths, you can also dip it into some Johnson Klear or similar if you have some, and leave to dry on some paper towel, and don't forget to cover it so not to get dust settle on the wet Klear

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  • 2 weeks later...

OK!! i have just received my micro mesh polishing pads! :yahoo:
The internet has fooled me.. on ebay the pads looked quite large.. but in fact are quite small!
I have 9 pads, now can some one guide me onto WHICH pads to use?? i dont think i need to go through 9 grades!

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OK!! i have just received my micro mesh polishing pads! :yahoo:

The internet has fooled me.. on ebay the pads looked quite large.. but in fact are quite small!

I have 9 pads, now can some one guide me onto WHICH pads to use?? i dont think i need to go through 9 grades!

If it's like the one at the top, start at about 4000 grade. 2400/1800 are pretty harsh!

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i wouldnt go any rougher than the tan one, the black at a push/ always use micromesh WET unless you wan to put more scratches in it. finish it off with the white side of the flory polisher if you have one. tamiya finishing cream is good too.

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If it's used correctly, YES it will, BUT, it's best to remove as much scoring as possible.

'Klear' is acrylic FLOOR polish, believe me, floors get far more abuse than

model canopies!

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  • 3 weeks later...

You need to buy Micromesh cloths rather than the pads

The pads are quite hard, was always under the impression they were soft

I still have not tried the polishing pads on the canopy..

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