So as I was trying to put the driver side windshield wiper on my Toyota when I fumbled it and got a smear of CA glue on the clear plastic marring the finish. I was lucky and the plastic didn't craze too much. So how do you remedy this unsightly problem? Most of you pros already know how to do this but for those that don't here are the steps to fix this unsightly mistake.

First off, I put some tape near where I was going to sand to protect the chrome trim from getting damaged. I then wet sanded the DRIED CA glue with varying grades of sand paper. Wet sanding is best in this instance because it lubricates the plastic and sandpaper so it isn't so harsh. I started with 1800 grit and ended with 4000 grit. Make sure you get all of the glue off. If you still have some glue present just redo the procedure until all the glue is removed. I then took a dab of Arm and Hammer toothpaste and polished the area. This toothpaste has baking soda in it and helps with the polishing phase. This is how it looked after the sanding and polishing was complete. You will notice that the finish is still hazy... no worries we will address this issue next...

To get rid of the haze on the windshield I then coated it with Pledge Floor Care which is an acrylic floor care product to shine and seal linoleum flooring. Most people refer to using Kleer. This is the same product after many name changes but the exact same formula. All this needs to do now is completely dry and a final polish with a micro fiber cloth and it will be good as new.

These are the sanding pads I used. They are manufactured by Revell/Monogram and have the different grades printed on them. This was a 6 pack I purchased from my local hobby store. If you want an even better finish they make higher grades up to 12000 grit but these higher ones must be purchased separately.

This is what I use for sealing and clear coating. This is the latest version of Johnson's Kleer. Same formula just a different name. It is a self leveling formula and you can airbrush, brush or even dip your parts using this product. I use it straight from the bottle, no need to thin it out. This bottle cost me $6.00 (4.5 GBP) at the local store.

Some people "dip" the whole windshield or canopy in the clear acrylic to make the plastic seem cleaner and clearer then original. I don't use this method because it tends to pool up in between where you want to paint and where you don't (such as canopy frames) and leaving you with a less sharp distinction between frame and glass making it more difficult to mask and paint.

Completed repair...

This method can also be used to fix shallow scratches in all clear plastics such as windshields and aircraft canopies. If you have a deep scratch or a large glue stain and the plastic is just too "crazed" then it is just best to get a replacement.

I hope this information can be of value to someone.

Excellent tutorial Ron

Carl

Thanks for the nice comment Carl.

Hey Ron... Love the tutorial... excellent work and great ideas! You're right... the Pledge has gone thru numerous name changes. I still have my bottle of Future Floor Wax (same stuff, only older) that I bought 20 years ago and it still works like a charm. I also agree, that if you get too much CA on clear parts, this won't work at all. Especially if you let it sit and dry and go back the next day and discover your clear windshield is now a white visor! This method will only work on small areas where you catch the glue before it cures completely! As far as the debonder, it will debond the glue from the plastic, but won't clear any glue that has already hazed clear parts. I get asked this all the time and from now on I think I'll just send them here since you've so eloquently illustrated the method for cleaning up! Thank you!