Removing screen scratches

[Daren]

One of my LZ64 had quite a lot of fine scratches on the screen, well the clear plastic screen cover to be more accurate. I used “Brasso” https://www.sainsburys.co.uk/gol-ui/pr ... lish-175ml polish, a brass and other metal liquid polish and with a few minutes of elbow grease was able to remove most of the scratches and overall make it look much much better, almost like new.

I knew of this trick for years for car headlight lenses and watch bezels, maybe most people of a certain age do, but anyway I thought it might be interesting to let other Psion users know that it works well on Psions too.

[thesourcerer]

I think I’ve posted this one before, yes even some quite deep scratches can be polished out. I use Solvol Autosol, but most metal polishes will do it. You can of course finish with Perspex polish.

[amenjet]

I think I’ve posted this one before, yes even some quite deep scratches can be polished out. I use Solvol Autosol, but most metal polishes will do it. You can of course finish with Perspex polish.

I was going to mention Autosol,


I have used that to polish quite a few things. It's more of a paste than a liquid. For plastic I have also used the graded polishing pads and sheets of abrasive that are used to polish pen blanks after they have been turned., You go from a very coarse grit up to something like 12000 grit I think, and the finish ends up glass like. Quite expensive, though as specialised, but works well.
I've also used 'DVD polish' from DVD polishing kits, but as DVDs are now obsolete, I'm not sure you can still buy it. You can buy tubes of different grades of polishing grit on ebay, but I haven't used them much.

Hmm, not heard of perspex polish, have you a link?


https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/383842847021 ... BMjP7957Zk

https://www.axminstertools.com/micro-me ... ves-211365

https://www.axminstertools.com/micro-me ... ves-211364

[Daren]

I think I have a tube of Autosol knocking around somewhere which I have had for about 30 years A little goes a long way, I used to use it on my Morris Minor to get the chrome looking nice, the cap is shaped like a hex nut IIRC. I think Brasso is a little less abrasive, maybe.

[xchris]

I usually use Displex or Polywatch, on cotton wool always, not towels/paper etc.

[NotFitForPurpose]

So ...
Low cost transparent manufacturing was sort of OK for form and fit.. it had some bubbles and artifacts that were acceptable for low cost and some artifacts add to the character of the part shall we say download/file.php?id=384.


I intend to see what one of these might cost to get made where the requirement is little or no artifacts (at least in the principle view zone) ... I suspect a lot.

The question of interest, how much would you be prepared to pay for a quality part?

I look forward to your guesses, hope you like the rainy Sunday 'Gaffer Dazzle"?

Organiser-2-XP-DisplayWindow.png

[amenjet]

I'm not sure if there is a technology that will give a part that will be suitable for viewing a screen through it.
Could you make the part with a space where the display sheet is and then fit an acrylic sheet in that area? That can be machined to fit.

[NotFitForPurpose]

Hi,
yes that's plan A, though the center of the window protrudes through the original Aluminum formed bezel arrangement.


I have found a few SLA processes, with statements such as

High degree of clarity, Smooth Surface, Close to injection molded appearance and Suitable for "See Through" application

. Still that's the sales pitch.

[Lostgallifreyan]

Brasso is good, I use it a lot for very fine scratches. Sometimes toothpaste will work, the main difference being that with toothpaste you get slightly coarser grains and a lot more friction.

When I need a lot of polishing in a short time, to remove persistent scratches, I use a Proxxon IB/E drill (never Dremel because the vibration is dire, it causes numbness and dangerous loss of control in the hand that holds it!). A small cotton mop on a spindle, with fine red grinding paste, at a moderately high speed, with rapid repeated strokes with light pressure across the surface, gets it done. If the result is slightly milky, Brasso will go the rest of the way. This method is good on acrylic and acetate, but also good on polycarbonates. I have rescued many otherwise unplayable DVD's with huge amounts of scratching, using radial strokes around the disk. I always keep it moving to prevent excess heat causing serious unrest. Even with the speed of the tool, it still needs patience. The result can be very good, a very flat finish.

It is likely that masking tape laid carefully to protect the aluminium surround to the Organiser screen will be adequate, instead of taking it apart to protect it, because wear to the tape will be visible as you work, you'll get plenty of warning before it wears through it.