Rehab those fixed deadlights

[Tom Glennon]

I was about to bight the bullet and get new Plexiglas deadlights for the main cabin, as mine had become "foggy" since I last replaced them... going on 9 years ago. I decided to try one last thing before going that route: Headlight Cleaner!!
I picked up a kit in the Automotive section of Mothers Headlight Restorer. It contains a bottle of liquid cleaner, buffing towel, small squares of wet sandpaper, and an applicator ball that affixes to a drill.

I washed the outside plexiglas, and then used the liquid cleaner with the applicator on my electric drill... and after buffing with the cloth, they looked almost like new!  The kit cost about $22, and there is enough liquid for probably 4 applications.
Something to consider when the regular washing just doesn't seem to do the trick any more!

[Ralph Masters]

Great tip, thanks.

Ralph

[Bobg]

excuse me for my ignorance, "what are Plexiglas dead lights"  I'm thinking they are those  lights with sliding covers in the salon?

[Rod Caines]

I have a badly fogged port lens in the head.  As soon as I get a chance I will remove the 'glass' and try to polish.  Based on the feedback from the reviews on this site:  http://headlightrestoration.org/products-polish.html  I think I will give the 3M product a try.

[Jack Hutteball]

The hatches in the main cabin and V birth on our boat are severely "crazed" after 10 years.  It looks more like cracks that go deep into the plastic.  Is this the same as the "foggy"appearance you describe?  Will this polishing kit restore that as well?  The 3M kit review recommends a plastic sealer when finished with the polish.  What did you use for that?

Jack

[lazybone]

excuse me for my ignorance, "what are Plexiglas dead lights"  I'm thinking they are those  lights with sliding covers in the salon?

dead·light n.
Nautical
. A strong shutter or plate fastened over a ship's porthole or cabin window in stormy weather.
. A thick window set in a ship's side or deck.
. A skylight constructed so that it cannot be opened.

[noworries]

No polish will fix crazed, they have to be replaced.  It only fixes "fogged"

I used a Mothers Powerball and Meguire's PlastX to restore the eisenglass on my dodger.  It also worked well on the portlights in the aft cabin that open to the cockpit.

[Tom Glennon]

For "minor" crazing, you could try the wet sandpaper pads that come with the Mother's kit that are labeled for "severe" fogging... try in an inconspicuous area and see how that works.

[Ralph Masters]

The PO replaced 4 of the 6 portlight lens due to crazing.  Why only 4 of the 6, who knows.  The crazed ones look kind of rustic.

Ralph
Ciao Bella

[noworries]

We kinda like the crazed because they give a little more privacy... hehe... and so far there have been bigger issues to throw money at.