removing transparency coating

[Brad[_2_]]

I am trying to remove the spray coating that was sprayed on my
transparency for shipping. Stuff has been on there for over 3 or more
years now and it might take me that long just trying to remove the
damn stuff.

Any advice from those who might have some experience with this
tenacious film?

Thanks,
Brad

[Nyal Williams[_2_]]

What is this "transparency" and what is it made of?

At 22:51 18 September 2009, Brad wrote:
>I am trying to remove the spray coating that was sprayed on my
>transparency for shipping. Stuff has been on there for over 3 or more
>years now and it might take me that long just trying to remove the
>damn stuff.
>
>Any advice from those who might have some experience with this
>tenacious film?
>
>Thanks,
>Brad
>

[Bob Kuykendall]

On Sep 18, 5:15*pm, Nyal Williams > wrote:
> What is this "transparency" and what is it made of?

In the case at hand the transparency is made of 1/8" aircraft grade
acrylic plastic, commonly referred to as Plexiglas (tm) or generically
plexiglass. It's the clear plastic thingy you look out of when you sit
in a sailplane. I don't refer to it as a "canopy" because that word is
too often used to refer to the entire assembly consisting of the
acrylic transparency, the canopy frame and assorted mechanisms of
latching and hinging.

Thanks, Bob K.

[Nyal Williams[_2_]]

Hot water and plexiglass cleaner.

At 22:51 18 September 2009, Brad wrote:
>I am trying to remove the spray coating that was sprayed on my
>transparency for shipping. Stuff has been on there for over 3 or more
>years now and it might take me that long just trying to remove the
>damn stuff.
>
>Any advice from those who might have some experience with this
>tenacious film?
>
>Thanks,
>Brad
>

[JJ Sinclair]

Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
JJ

[jcarlyle]

In that case, would one of those steamer thingies that they use to
remove wallpaper be useful?

-John

On Sep 19, 8:27 am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
> Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
> the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
> be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
> stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
> JJ

[JJ Sinclair]

On Sep 19, 5:33*am, jcarlyle > wrote:
> In that case, would one of those steamer thingies that they use to
> remove wallpaper be useful?
>
> -John
>
> On Sep 19, 8:27 am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
>
>
> > Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
> > the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
> > be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
> > stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
> > JJ- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Worth a try, plexy doesn't yield until it reaches about 350F

[bumper[_2_]]

On Sep 19, 6:08*am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
> On Sep 19, 5:33*am, jcarlyle > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > In that case, would one of those steamer thingies that they use to
> > remove wallpaper be useful?
>
> > -John
>
> > On Sep 19, 8:27 am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
> > > Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
> > > the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
> > > be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
> > > stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
> > > JJ- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> Worth a try, plexy doesn't yield until it reaches about 350F- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

This is from one manufacturer of acrylic plastic (Plexiglas is a brand
name). Note the softening and melting temps are lower than some have
suggested in this thread - - so don't heat it and then lean on it (g).

"Thermal
Maximum Recommended Continuous Service
Temperature
°F 170-190
Softening Temperature °F 210-220
Melting Temperature °F 300-315"

I would do as JJ suggests, use boiling water. But use caution about
getting "creative" while applying heat,

My experience is the longer some such protective coatings are aged,
even when not directly exposed to UV, the harder they are to remove -
- UV makes is worse still!. So it's probably better to get on it
sooner rather than later. If the coating is left on because the canopy
is part of a building project, one might consider removing the coating
and then using clear plastic sheet to drape the canopy.

On a smaller scale, some of the tapes used to attach yaw strings can
be hell to remove later after prolonged UV exposure - - - especially
clear tapes. Ease of removal, leaving no residue even after years of
exposure, is one of the benefits of my MKIV yaw string.

bumper
zz
Minden

[Brad[_2_]]

On Sep 19, 7:30*am, bumper > wrote:
> On Sep 19, 6:08*am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sep 19, 5:33*am, jcarlyle > wrote:
>
> > > In that case, would one of those steamer thingies that they use to
> > > remove wallpaper be useful?
>
> > > -John
>
> > > On Sep 19, 8:27 am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
> > > > Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
> > > > the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
> > > > be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
> > > > stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
> > > > JJ- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > Worth a try, plexy doesn't yield until it reaches about 350F- Hide quoted text -
>
> > - Show quoted text -
>
> This is from one manufacturer of acrylic plastic (Plexiglas is a brand
> name). Note the softening and melting temps are lower than some have
> suggested in this thread - - so don't heat it and then lean on it (g).
>
> "Thermal
> Maximum Recommended Continuous Service
> Temperature
> °F 170-190
> Softening Temperature °F 210-220
> Melting Temperature °F 300-315"
>
> I would do as JJ suggests, use boiling water. But use caution about
> getting "creative" while applying heat,
>
> My experience is the longer some such protective coatings are aged,
> even when not directly exposed to UV, the harder they are to remove -
> - UV makes is worse still!. So it's probably better to get on it
> sooner rather than later. If the coating is left on because the canopy
> is part of a building project, one might consider removing the coating
> and then using clear plastic sheet to drape the canopy.
>
> On a smaller scale, some of the tapes used to attach yaw strings can
> be hell to remove later after prolonged UV exposure - - - especially
> clear tapes. Ease of removal, leaving no residue even after years of
> exposure, is one of the benefits of my MKIV yaw string.
>
> bumper
> zz
> Minden

Ok......................I am going to try putting a vaporizer under
the canopy assy and let it steam for a couple of hours this AM. Will
also try some of the other suggestions, and one from a friend who
say's if it's "spray-lat" use a rag with isopropyl alcohol.

Brad

[brianDG303[_2_]]

On Sep 19, 6:03*pm, Brad > wrote:
> On Sep 19, 7:30*am, bumper > wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
> > On Sep 19, 6:08*am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
> > > On Sep 19, 5:33*am, jcarlyle > wrote:
>
> > > > In that case, would one of those steamer thingies that they use to
> > > > remove wallpaper be useful?
>
> > > > -John
>
> > > > On Sep 19, 8:27 am, JJ Sinclair > wrote:
>
> > > > > Yeah, really hot water, boiling water won't hurt plexy and may loosen
> > > > > the stuff some. Scraping with wood will leave a rub mark, but this can
> > > > > be removed with canopy cleaner/scratch remover. I once removed the
> > > > > stuff after 20 years...........Ugh!
> > > > > JJ- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > > Worth a try, plexy doesn't yield until it reaches about 350F- Hide quoted text -
>
> > > - Show quoted text -
>
> > This is from one manufacturer of acrylic plastic (Plexiglas is a brand
> > name). Note the softening and melting temps are lower than some have
> > suggested in this thread - - so don't heat it and then lean on it (g).
>
> > "Thermal
> > Maximum Recommended Continuous Service
> > Temperature
> > °F 170-190
> > Softening Temperature °F 210-220
> > Melting Temperature °F 300-315"
>
> > I would do as JJ suggests, use boiling water. But use caution about
> > getting "creative" while applying heat,
>
> > My experience is the longer some such protective coatings are aged,
> > even when not directly exposed to UV, the harder they are to remove -
> > - UV makes is worse still!. So it's probably better to get on it
> > sooner rather than later. If the coating is left on because the canopy
> > is part of a building project, one might consider removing the coating
> > and then using clear plastic sheet to drape the canopy.
>
> > On a smaller scale, some of the tapes used to attach yaw strings can
> > be hell to remove later after prolonged UV exposure - - - especially
> > clear tapes. Ease of removal, leaving no residue even after years of
> > exposure, is one of the benefits of my MKIV yaw string.
>
> > bumper
> > zz
> > Minden
>
> Ok......................I am going to try putting a vaporizer under
> the canopy assy and let it steam for a couple of hours this AM. Will
> also try some of the other suggestions, and one from a friend who
> say's if it's "spray-lat" use a rag with isopropyl alcohol.
>
> Brad

Brad
hi from rainy France.
I sometimes have lenses made and sometimes the process involves glue
of some kind that I used to remove with smelly toxic stuff, then one
day I left some in water for a few days and was suprised to find the
stuff fell off after a day in water.

[[email protected]]

http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/kcf.html

Look at this link towards the bottom of the page. It has some good
details on getting rid of the film covering.

[JJ Sinclair]

On Sep 19, 11:44*am, wrote:
> http://home.hiwaay.net/~langford/kcf.html
>
> Look at this link towards the bottom of the page. *It has some good
> details on getting rid of the film covering.

Hey, guess what? Hot water works, I just poured boiling water over a
K-6 canopy that must be 30 years old. The protective covering was hard
as a rock. Boiling water made it soft and rubbery and I was able to
get one side started and then peal the whole covering off. Anyone need
a K-6 canopy? Also have 2 open Cirrus forward canopies and a blue rear
Cirrus canopy (mounted). and a Minstrel canopy, all with rock hard
protective covering that we now know how to remove.
JJ

[Brad[_2_]]

It's almost 11:00 PM and I just finished removing the last of the
Spray-Lat from my HP-24 transparency. Started this morning around
lunch time and pretty much stuck with the project all day.

Thanks to all for suggestions...................... lessons learned:

Paint on Spray-Lat really makes it tough to remove.

Denatured alcohol helps with removal, but really hurts your fingers.

Fingernails make really good removal tools, but they sorta get bent
back
and make nice places for denatured alcohol to flow.

The best scraper is the George Foreman Grill cleaning tool.

Boiling water works great.

I'll be calling Tim next week for some Plexiglas scratch removal
stuff.

Should have some pics of the cleaned up canopy on the HP-24 website
next week, all in all it turned out great and I am pleased with the
results.

Brad

[Brad[_2_]]

http://hpaircraft.com/hp-24/update_21_sept_09.htm

bottom of the page shows the cleaned up transparency/canopy.

Brad