Has anyone successfully repaired scrapes and scratches on acrylic windows?

[Rusty01]

The Cadet I am working on apparently flipped its lid at some point and scraped the acrylic side window while it was falling off. The scrapes on the window are cosmetic but look terrible. I am hesitant to do anything because I may make it worse. I need suggestions. thanks

[C&G in FL]

I would suggest you try Novus Plastic Polish. It comes in 3 levels of abrasiveness, with 3 being the most aggressive. Start with the most aggressive (3) and work back to Novus 1 which is really a polish. If the damage isn’t real bad, you might even start with Novus 2. You won’t know until you see the results. Depending on how “deep” the scratches are, it may completely remove them with some degree of effort on your part. But in the many times I have used it on plastic surfaces, it has NEVER made the condition worse, and it often has totally “fixed” the damage. I checked, and it is available on Amazon.

[Rusty01]

Thank you Carl. Exactly what I need. I will order the product now and hope that spring comes very soon.

[redbarron55]

Are the windows flat or convex curved? If they are flat just cut some new ones from polycarbonate (Lexan).

[CalCop]

I might add that while applying the abrasives to the plastic, avoid rubbing with a back and forth motion. Doing this leads to what is termed “fish hooks” near the edges. This is caused by the change in direction of the abrasive.
Do your best to only rub in one direction

[Alex Adams]

One direction linear or one direction circular?

[C&G in FL]

Originally Posted by Alex Adams

One direction linear or one direction circular?

With the product I previously suggested (Novus) I have always used a circular motion. Because of the different levels of abrasiveness, I always finish with Novus 1. I first started using Novus when I had a scratch in the windshield on a Harley-Davidson. The joke is that the HD in Harley Davidson means Hundred Dollars. Rather than spend what it would cost to replace the windshield, I tried Novus and it worked well.

[Alex Adams]

Thanks Carl, I assumed it was circular but you know what happens when you "ass-ume"!

[CalCop]

In my original post I mentioned back and forth motion. I always just go forward and no backward.
Usually when you change direction is when the "fish hooks" appear.

[Lane Noyes]

Would one of the headlight polishing kits work also? The one I use comes with pad that fits on a drill. 3 different compounds. Keep the pad moist.