The Framers Forum

Hello there.

Having just finished a fairly large frame I wiped some debris from the styrene with a tissue, I am now faced with a mass of scratches. damn and curse. It is very noticeable and I really don't want to take it apart and restart. There is a product called Novus which I came across on google. Would this work? Are there any products that will?

Any help would be a great help.

Many thanks, Justin.

You may find the best results will be achieved by reversing the styrene. Small scratches are rarely seen through the thickness of the product

Oh I forgot to say that Lion are promoting a product this month which may help. See their flyer.

http://www.mx5parts.co.uk/renovo-plasti ... p-407.html

This stuff is ace for platic windows, removing small scuff marks etc - not sure on deeper scratches

^ Some kind of plastic polish is what you need.

We always use this one and it works miracles on small scratches. Just dab the paste onto the scrtatched areas and buff it around with a soft cloth.. good quality toilet paper is fine. Then use more clean paper to buff out the residue.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/XERAPOL-PLASTIC ... ds=xerapol

You can happily spend a couple of hours trying to polish the scratches out and then decide to get a new bit.

Or you can save time and get a new bit to start with.

But make it cast acrylic, which still scratches but nothing like as easily as styrene. There is of course Abrasion Resistant acrylic, but that's a lot more money.

Thanks for the feedback folks. I have just ordered some of the product that's fresh to lionpic and will give that a try as it says it is just a spray-on wipe-in jobber. Failing that I will have a go at the others, they are saved on my bookmarks. To be honest, I am a bit worried about handing over a finished frame with styrene and I am now seeking a glass supplier close to home. Glass around here is more expensive on account of the lack of wholesalers, but I would not be happy knowing that I had given someone styrene which would scratch at the sight of a common household cloth.

Thanks for your knowledge mon amigos.

Mange tout, Justin.

Del boy is now framing in Wiltshire,

By the way all.

I have ordered some of the vuplex product they sell at lionpic. Did not remove scratches and did not protect the styrene. I worked at it with a really good MF cloth and it gave it a lovely shimmer but did not do anything for the scratches. I add for your reference that they were light scratches. I tried spraying some on a new piece of styrene, buffing it in and then looking through it up toward a light and it had circular surface scratches in the motion I had wiped. I may be proved wrong, perhaps you don't clean styrene in a circular motion or....well....? bottom line? Has not worked.

Yeah well that stuff looks more like a cleaner rather than a scratch removal product. Try the stuff that was recommended above.

Hi

On Acrylic for deep scratches I have used 1200 grade wet & dry using water followed by Brasso or a silver polish.

I would replicate your scratch on a spare piece first and trial the above method before going straight in on the job in question.

Deepjoy

yeah fframes. It does look more like a cleaner but it says that it removes scratches. That is why I gave it a try. I am intrigued about using brasso, that has got to be worth a try based on how eccentric it sounds. Today someone told me to try arm and hammer toothpaste. That has got to be worth a go for novelty.

Thanks alot.

Not tried it on styrene but........

I had a Xbox game I managed to put some rather bad scratches in, I tried CD polish to no avail, then had a brainwave and used Tcut, it worked a treat and the game then played.

I suspect brasso will do a similar job.

T cut and brasso are abrasive, so's windolene (cream) - you only have to say 'cloth' to styrene and it scratches - it's crap.

A flame will polish it but with scary consequences if you get it wrong. I'm just being silly now but it does work.

Brasso is the dogs under carriage unless off course the dog is bitch. I must admit to never trying it on styrene though.