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-   -   Cloudy wingtip lens (https://vansairforce.net/community/showthread.php?t=119461)

alcladrv 11-10-2014 11:07 AM

Cloudy wingtip lens
 
After nearly 10 years the wingtips on my RV7 have started to get cloudy on the outside. What do you use to keep the lens clear?

Dean Pichon 11-10-2014 11:25 AM

I have the same problem with the lenses on my -4. After 13 years in the air, mine are a bit cloudy, and have many tiny stress cracks within the thickness. I just ordered and received new lenses that I will install someday soon. If your lenses are cloudy solely due to surface erosion, you may be able to used an auto headlight polishing kit to restore them. I tried it on my car this past summer, but determined, after much sanding, that my lenses were too pitted to ever polish to an acceptable level of clarity. I have decided to buy new lenses for the car, too.

Good luck,

Flying again! 11-10-2014 11:27 AM

Mothers powerball for headlights
 
I have used the Mothers powerball for headlights with my electric drill - works great! The diameter is small enough to fit inside the lends. I just pull the lens off and polish using the powerball. I think I paid $24 at Wal Mart for it.

TJ

alpinelakespilot2000 11-10-2014 11:47 AM

I would try a headlight restoration kit per the above. I've used the 3M brand with good success on my car, about $15-20. Just leave the lens on the plane and tape around it for protection. Since planes aren't subject to thrown gravel like cars are, your lenses shouldn't be pitted.

FWIW, I've also seen youtube videos recommending toothpaste with apparently good results. Makes sense since what you are looking for is something with a very light abrasive. I would probably stick with the auto kit though unless you're willing to risk having to buy, cut, and re-fit new lenses. Not too hard, but not that fun either.

cyrus 11-10-2014 12:17 PM

I couldn't find the correct size replacement lenses for my rv6 so I used the headlight cleaning method, and repeated it 3 or 4 times to sand through enough plexi to really take out the yellowing/clouding. It was much much better but still not "like new". Once i cleaned the lens and put in the LED bulbs, it was probably 4 times brighter.

Low Pass 11-10-2014 12:49 PM

Caveat emptor...
 
Can vouch for this on Plexi but it worked pretty well on my 4Runner.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5NB8cKGw3g

Warning - This procedure and material IS NOT FAA approved!!! Deep Woods Off contains bad stuff and may cause hair loss in men over 40. It may even crack and craze your plexi. And then again, it might work just as well as it did on my headlight lenses.

Mike S 11-10-2014 12:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by alpinelakespilot2000 (Post 931940)
FWIW, I've also seen youtube videos recommending toothpaste with apparently good results.

Toothpaste will work, but in my experience, is effect is pretty ephemeral.

southtarnation 11-11-2014 06:14 AM

When I was at true value in page Arizona purchasing lemon pledge for my canopy the clerk said that people buy off bug spray to get rid of the yellow in their lenses on the cars and said that it works extremely well better than any of those headlight polishing kit and that she would never buy headlight polishing kit again. I've never tried it myself and don't know the effect on wing lenses...

Adam 11-12-2014 09:18 AM

After 10 years of use wouldn't it be easer to just install new ones? I'm sure the parts are less then $25.00.

Just my thoughts!

rv7boy 11-12-2014 10:41 AM

OFF! Bug Spray
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by southtarnation (Post 932126)
When I was at true value in page Arizona purchasing lemon pledge for my canopy the clerk said that people buy off bug spray to get rid of the yellow in their lenses on the cars and said that it works extremely well better than any of those headlight polishing kit and that she would never buy headlight polishing kit again. I've never tried it myself and don't know the effect on wing lenses...

I've used OFF! bug spray on my van's headlight lenses, but the youtube videos and other sources on the internet say the DEET component in it will ruin paint, and they say it doesn't last. So if you are careful, spraying it on the cloth to keep it away from the paint, and if you repeat it every month or so, it might work. The usual disclaimers apply here. YMMV.

Google "OFF bug spray" and see the pro's and con's.

Toothpaste (as in Mike S's post above) is reported to work also. :)

Snowflake 11-13-2014 07:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mike S (Post 931962)
Toothpaste will work, but in my experience, is effect is pretty ephemeral.

I think you have to go back and clean them again every 6 months, too.

Maybe dental floss will get the bugs out from the gap between the lenses and the wingtip fibreglass?

BCP Boys 11-13-2014 08:40 AM

Your best bet is just to replace them. . . I can see if the lenses costs a couple of hundred dollars and a little bit of elbow grease and a couple of hours can restore any plastic lens but their only about $25 or so . . . It will be nice and new then :D


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