Frosted Windows from aerosol varnish .Experiments in its Correction.

[tin shed gamer]

As we all know,Aerosol matt varnish frosts on the plastics used for windows / cockpit canopy's  etc.
Normally I actively use this effect on windows for scenery buildings.But not for aircraft.
Occasionally a I drop a clanger and forget to mask these areas. As a result Im left with a frosted canopy,sometimes you can get away with it . But not always .
Like most people I've been reluctant to attempt some of the myths and methods floating around on forums in case I screw the model up even more.
However this model has served its purpose. So it'd be no great loss if by chance I make things worse.

I'll start with some control photographs which can be referred back to
The first is simply the frosted canopy and the second with tap water applied.
The varnish if memory serves is GamesWorkshop and was applied two years ago.

[tin shed gamer]

Test 1.
Toothpaste.

Household item no further purchase costs involved.

More importantly its going to be at hand once you've realised your error.

This test was done with Colgate's baking soda and whiting toothpaste.For no other reason than that's the one in my bathroom cabinet.

I simply squeezed some onto a spoon and applied small amounts with a cotton bud.
Cleaning off the residues with a damp clean bud ,then dried with a clean cotton bud.
I did this several times over approximately 10miniutes (simply because I kept checking to see if it worked.)

The windows themselves do have areas of paint on them as I apply false shadows to reduce the white line you get where painted raised detail, meets the flat areas of clear plastic. This paint was visible on the used cotton buds .
However this paint was also mixed with ink so its unclear if its paint being removed or ink being re activated.

I only applied the toothpaste to the pilots half of the canopy as this would be the side where any changes would be noticeable.

It's made some improvement.Would another toothpaste work better? No idea . I've no intention of trying other brands.

Would continuing for longer work? Possibility ,although in my case it felt that it was at its limit.

Will it work better on younger varnish? No idea as I've no intention on experimenting on a new model .it would only be speculation.

[snitcythedog]

Pledge multi surface wax is what you are looking for.  This is a good model to test on since it is your control.  It is the equivalent of Future Floor polish.  It can be painted on neat or thinned. It will also help make sanded clear plastic clear again.  
http://www.swannysmodels.com/TheCompleteFuture.html
If you are looking at purchasing some I know larger Sainsburys carry it.  
Snitchy sends.

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Edit:  Corrected the link in my first post.  This has a listing for all different brand names from around the world for the same product.
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[tin shed gamer]

Snitcy,
I'll add that one as a test. It's simple easy to obtain (doesn't require a special trip out just add it too the weekly shop) There's plenty of windows that can still be test on.
As its a wax based product its likely to be an under wing test. As I intend to try a few more ideas and possibly someone may come up with a silver bullet of an idea,which once tried I may apply it to all the windows.( you never know).
Mark.

[snitcythedog]

As its a wax based product its likely to be an under wing test. As I intend to try a few more ideas and possibly someone may come up with a silver bullet of an idea,which once tried I may apply it to all the windows.( you never know).

I don't think it is wax.  I use it to seal dental plaster prior to painting and to seal painted floor surfaces that are in high use areas prior to sealing with mat spray varnish.  Never had trouble with acrylic paint not sticking to it. 
Snitchy sends.

[tin shed gamer]

Thats an interesting use ,stabilizing an absorbent surface for varnishing.
You learn something everyday.

[Billchuck]

I don't think it is wax.  I use it to seal dental plaster prior to painting and to seal painted floor surfaces that are in high use areas prior to sealing with mat spray varnish.  Never had trouble with acrylic paint not sticking to it. 
Snitchy sends.

It isn't wax, it's a clear acrylic sealer.

[Matt]

Started some experiments on this too.

My wife suggested a couple of household cleaning items - "magic eraser" and "goo gone".  Collected up the items and headed down to my workroom:



The magic eraser is the white sponge looking item.  It is a spongy block with abrasive materials integrated in.  It's size made it difficult to control, but careful rubbing seemed to have a slight effect.

After 10 minutes of that, I switched to Goo Gone.  Basically dabbed it on with a Q-tip/cotton cleaner and gently scrubbed.  I used a wooden toothpick to scrape also.  I would rinse with water and then scrub with toothpaste (seemed like a good idea) and then repeated the process.  After 20 minutes and several iterations, I had this:



Definite progress!  But, as you can see, it works very well at taking the paint off too.  I noticed when the goo gone went on wet and was glistening, the pane was perfectly clear.  I am headed off to the store for some groceries, and am going to look for floor wax as previously suggested.

More to follow...

[tin shed gamer]

Bill,
Thanks for the clarification ,
no need to do a search for its coshh sheet now to find out what it actually is.
Now I've mentioned it . It might not be a bad idea to look up substances' your not familiar with. Before you start mixing them on another surface covered in another chemical compound.

Matt glad you've taken the plunge as ,it was posts that prompted me into starting this sooner rather than later.
Also having your contributions from your side of the pond.Will widen the scope of this little chunk of kitchen table pseudoscience ( we're basically trying to figure out how to clean a window.
I'm pretty sure there's not a Nobel Prize at the end of this😄)
Im sure like me ,your disappointed when you come across great idea or product. Only to find. Its only available on the other side of an ocean.
So I'm looking forward to seeing what you come up with because if I'm honest I've no idea what the UK equivalents' are for the products you've used.( Q-tips are cotton buds in my neck of the woods )

Mark.

[Matt]

I have had some success, but only after a lot of work.

Cleaned each pane with Goo Gone, gently scrubbing with a Q-tip / cotton bud.  This didn't clean the window completely, and removed a fair amount of the paint on the frame.  I followed this up with the felt buffing cone from my Dremel tool.  I used it by hand to smooth out the areas in the corners.  It worked pretty well.

I tried the Dremel tool with a Q-tip, but I ran into some heat issues, and a small blemish came up on the pane, so I stopped with the power assist. 

Once I hit a point of diminishing returns, I painted on Pledge Floor Care finish.  Basically a floor protectant, used to make floor space look shiny. The product didn't stick to the pane well, and I had to gently continue to spread it as it dried so I wouldn't clump in the center of the pane.

After this dried, I went back and hand painted the frames again.  In the end, the window is clear, but the model has been handled quite a bit, and the frames do not look as sharp. 

[FramFramson]

Still a vast improvement, IMO!

[tin shed gamer]

Having seen it beforehand id have to agree with Fram.

The only issue being the volume effort and the fact you've had to combine techniques and materials.

It's most definitely a win. But its not the magic bullet people have suggested in that each chemical and technique used is enough in there own right.( unless I've miss read your account)

It's definitely the 'Matt ' mk1 Technique and it works.So its now a link to use not just a forum/ modeling myth.
Definite kudos'

It's interesting to note that the dremel Q-tip approach is flawed.I was uncomfortable with using it myself as the windows on the Walrus are so small.
I'm not sure if using it on a larger cockpit canopy,such as you'd find on a modern fighter jet model.would reduce the build up heat as your more likely to keep the dremel moving around the entire surface.
Matt could you just add what Goo Gone is.
As I've no idea what the equivalent would be.

Fram do you have an ideas you've come across?

Mark

[FramFramson]

'fraid not. This is a type of experimentation I haven't had the misfortune of having to try and undertake yet myself.

I do own some goo gone already though, so that's a bit of a comfort if I bugger up my forthcoming aircraft builds somehow.