Caring for eisinglass

D

Dave M.

New Member
TECHNICAL Contributor
Oct 9, 2006
874
Hermiston, OR
Boat Info
270 DA
Engines
7.4L, Bravo II
I thought I would post this link about caring for Eisenglass. I have not seen this topic come up in a while, maybe not since the old board.

I have done some work on scratch removal in the eisenglass of my 270 DA, as what I have are probably original with the boat. I have cleaned them up some by hand, but have not tried doing more since I got the Porter-Cable. I checking what compounds I used, I find the I have in the shop Novus 1, 2 and 3, and also Meguiars #10 and #17.

It has been too long since I worked on this for me to remember which might have worked better. But I do need to do some more work on mine. Any good comments and tips are welcome. If you actually want to come by and help, that is even more welcome! :thumbsup:
 
OK here is the skinny.

I have alwayse used Plexus and have been happy however……

One guy at our marina uses Pledge. I’m talking about the stuff your wife may used to clean the end table in your living room. When I first heard this I figured it was a old wives tale. Well, I looked at his isinglass and it looks great. He claims the wax fills in the minor scratcheds Its not cloudy, its clear.

I was going to try it this weekend but yesterday I sold our boat and have not purchased the next one yet.

Has anyone else tried Pledge?
 
Well, I think congratulations are in order for having the boat sold, although I would be in serious withdrawals.

It sort of sticks in the back of my brain that there is a reason not to use Pledge, but I have no idea why, so may be totally wrong.
 
I started using Mother's Plastic Polish with the foam powerball. Works well at removing any light scratches and leaves a nice protective finish. BTW, congrats on the sale and good luck with your purchase.
 
Meguiars #10 and #17.
I think those are best combo to clean, remove light scratches ond protect glass.
Just remember to quick wipe with mild glass cleaner to remove sand and etc before using Meguiars
 
Dave,

A while back, the winner by consensus was Imar.

See this link: Isinglass

I did buy some from Scalisi, and it did seem to make it glisten, but time will tell.
Also, I'm a firm believer in the referred to "Sun Sox", as it prevents burns.
 
Imar products are the only products that will keep your Strataglass warranty valid. Funny, they (Strataglass) used to only endorse Collinite products but I guess the marketing people at Imar had more clout with the makers of Strataglass.. :smt043

Imar makes a great product and it works well on all clear vinyl products. This is not an endorsement of Imar products, just my observations. I use it and like it. The other products may be just as good... :huh:
 
I use lemon Pledge also. Works great for me, just make sure you don't put it on too thick. (Stray Cat, must be a river thing!)
 
I use lemon Pledge also. Works great for me, just make sure you don't put it on too thick. (Stray Cat, must be a river thing!)
 
Must be a river thing cuz a lot of people use Pledge up here.
I have had great luck with Plexus
 
Has anyone used 303 on Eisenglass? I finally bought some for my vinyl and see that it is also recommended for fiberglass, clear plastic, and tires. I'll use it on my tires, and it sounds like a good idea for Eisenglass for the UV protection but it scares me to put any chemicals on the clear plastic including Pledge. :)
 
Just used the Meguiars vinyl window detailer cleaner followed by the Meguiars polish and I must say the windows look better than new. Now the trick is to keep them that way. I think the issue in my area is the spray from the brackish water will leave salt spots on the vinyl that require more than just a rinse with fresh water.
 
Power Buff Esienglass and Strata Glass?

I have some of each on my two year old canvas work.

Jusgt got back from a 2 week cruise in the Bahamas and the Strata Glass is becoming hazy and has lost its crisp clarity. We've only used IMAR on the Stratas, but the hand polishing with the IMAR cleaner compoundseems more elbow grease will be required.

Has anyone used a power buffer on Strata or E'glass successfully?
If so what type of cloth or material was used to buff out the clearner?

NOTE: On e'glass I've used Pledge for years. (not for Strata). I believe I stretched several years our of my e"glass screens on my last two boats and I use it on the E'glass on my 460DA's back cockpit cover (I have Strata in the fill from Windscreen to hard top). I prefer the pledge formula in the hand pump bottles instead of aersols.
 
The isenglass on my 03 420 DA, when purchased used in February 2006, was in very bad shape. I believe the previous owner had sprayed some sort of cleaner on the panels but never wiped it off. As a result the panels were badly clouded and sticky to the touch on the inside. I used Meguiars Plastic Cleaner and a ton of elbow grease. 4 hours later, the panels were clena and clear. I followed with Meguiar's clear plastic polish. I applied 303 monthly as a maintenance teatment over the 8 month boating season here in Virginia with very good results. At the end of the season I used Meguiar's cleaner again with the porter cable on setting #1 to clean the panels, (about an hour for all panels, both sides) then followed with Meguiars cleaner and then 303, and hung the panels in a dark area of my basement for the 4 month layup. They looked new gong on this spring. I've applied 303 every couple weeks and the panels look great. I will get at least 2-3 more years out of them.

regards
Skip
 
Pledge does have some silicone in it which tends to temporarily fill scuffs, but the bad news is that it also contains a solvent that removes the plasticizer from the plastic. Plasticizers are what make the eisinglass flexible; without it the panel would be like plexiglass. Continued use of Pledge shortens the life of the enclosure.

Continued use also gives you a thin build up on the eisinglass surface that turns tan or brown in exposure to hot sun. You'll see it first around the sewn edges near the bottom where the enclosure is exposed to the sun.

You guys who use your boats 6 months of the year then cover them up for the winter may take issue with this, but Pledge in the Florida sun shortens the useable life by 30-50%.

Each type of clear panel material has its own particular care instructions. I havent had eisinglass on my boat for 7-8 years so I don't know what is best for it. Strataglass only recommends IMAR cleaner and protectant........which is a much better product and far easier to apply than the previous recommendation, Collinite.

I'm using Makrolon (semi-rigid but sewable and 100% optically correct) on the panels above the windshield and Plexus is recommended for that.
 
I bought my boat used, just under 2 years old. The eisenglass had apparently never been installed. It was folded, creased, and scratched. Some areas have white scratch marks. It's been up for a few months now, and most of the creases are coming out. It's clean and clear except for the scuff marks.

What are the steps for cleaning/polishing/repairing heavy scuffs?
 
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