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Re: [TCML] Polishing Lexan (small, recessed areas)



Hey Daniel...

how important is it to maintain the cut "quality" of the pocket? are you going to need a tolerance fit to mate with the pocket or is it going to fall under cosmetic appearence? If it is only a cosmetic value, then flame polishing is your best bet to get the surface to go back to a clear finish. You will lose the sharp edges from machining the pocket but you will get the clear coat as in unmachined lexan. Be careful on the time of flame contact, it can invoke surface bubbles on the lexan.

MEK leaves a milky finish as the same as Acetone, which will eventually lead to "crazing/alligatoring and yellowing" in months to come. Other than that, a labor intensive option is to use a Dremel with a cloth disc and a mutiple barage of fine grit pastes to finally get to the clarity you need. Altho this system is good, it can be an issue if you have a less than delicate touch with the Dremel. gouging and "burning" are the main issues with the Dremel....

Re-think your needs and priorities when it comes to machining Lexan.... its awesome stuff but it can be a monster to return to its original state after cutting...

Scot D



McCauley, Daniel H wrote:

Need some expert opinions on polishing lexan.
Basically, i'm looking to polish small recessed pockets that have been
machined into blocks of lexan.  For example, a 2"x2" pocket, 0.5" deep.

Not too keen about flame polishing, especially on a part that will take
a long time to machine.  Although i have read that MEK solvent is
something frequently used or a plastic polishing compound such as NOVUS.

Any thoughts?
Thanks

Dan
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