Any suggestions for removing scratches from isinglass?

Stee6043

Well-Known Member
Jun 1, 2015
6,706
West Michigan
Boat Info
1997 Sundancer 400
Engines
7.4L Gassers
I just wrapped up season #3 with my canvas/glass and I must admit I haven't been the best caretaker of the isinglass sections.

Have you guys had any experience, good or bad, with the myriad of different plastic/glass polish products available out there?

Thanks in advance!
 
I've had good luck with the Novus "family" of plastic cleaning and polishing products. It allows for selecting increasingly aggressive solutions akin to fiberglass product lines.
upload_2022-10-12_14-14-56.jpeg
 
I use Isenglass cleaner and I keep them always separated where they never ever touch each other with a towel or a bed sheet never ever put them together wet or you'll have a big problem I clean them with eyes Insenglass cleaner and then wax them then just try to take the best care of them I can
 
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I’ve always used Plexus even on new isenglass. Began using it after learning about it while flying. Works well on airplane windshields and on boats.

Works good on motorcycles and plastic glass lenses.
 
Esinglass cleaner and wax
 
When I bought my boat last year the Isenglass was so dirty I don't know what the guy did with it but on the sea trial I couldn't even see through it I had to stop and take it off just the drivers side of the windshield because I couldn't see through it now mine are crystal clear very very few scratches just keep them clean and separated is a must
 
I've had good luck with the Novus "family" of plastic cleaning and polishing products. It allows for selecting increasingly aggressive solutions akin to fiberglass product lines.
View attachment 135230

And it's available on Amazon. Okay cool...sounds like a reasonable place for me to start.

Thanks also to all for the tips on future care/cleaning. If I can get them restored to nearly-new I'll certainly be adjusting my treatment of the glass moving forward.
 
I’ve used Imar polish and cleaner for the last 20 years. The polish is great to really clean, you will be surprised how dirty your rag will be the first time you use it and the cleaner is what I use throughout the summer to maintain…..always start with soap and water to get the dirt off. Imarsales.com

Rick
 
And it's available on Amazon. Okay cool...sounds like a reasonable place for me to start.

Thanks also to all for the tips on future care/cleaning. If I can get them restored to nearly-new I'll certainly be adjusting my treatment of the glass moving forward.
I bought the Novus kit earlier this summer and tried it out one one side panel that had gotten quite scratched from cleaning it improperly. It also had a small bit of the "sunburn" on one corner. I did NOT do the full Novus 123 step, because it was just a small test of whether it would work or not. Considering how quickly I polished that one piece, I would say it is going to be excellent for restoring my lightly scratched isinglass when it comes home for the winter. I plan to clean it well and then lay it out on towels on the basement carpet and polish them all. I'll try to do some before and after pictures when I do it. I expect its going to work great.
 
I am not the best caretaker either. But I use iMar products to revive and Plexus to keep clean. They work really well together.
 
I bought the Novus kit earlier this summer and tried it out one one side panel that had gotten quite scratched from cleaning it improperly. It also had a small bit of the "sunburn" on one corner. I did NOT do the full Novus 123 step, because it was just a small test of whether it would work or not. Considering how quickly I polished that one piece, I would say it is going to be excellent for restoring my lightly scratched isinglass when it comes home for the winter. I plan to clean it well and then lay it out on towels on the basement carpet and polish them all. I'll try to do some before and after pictures when I do it. I expect its going to work great.

If you don't mind me asking, did your test involve a rotary device or were you just hand polishing? I guess that's about the only question I still have since my polish kit will deliver this weekend :)
 
I bought a boat and they were crap. Tried some plastic cleaner polish (Meguir's PlastX or whatever it's called) by hand, for about 5 seconds, before just using the random orbital on it.

Worked great and made for a much easier time.

For my maint it's Imar 1 or 2x a year and then Plexus every couple/few weeks to spruce it up.

Good luck,

J
 
If you don't mind me asking, did your test involve a rotary device or were you just hand polishing? I guess that's about the only question I still have since my polish kit will deliver this weekend :)
I just did a test panel by hand. It was only a small panel I did as a test. It was a lot of work by hand, so when I do my main panels I will also be using a rotary polisher (carefully).

There are a few youtube videos showing how to do it with a rotary. The main takeaways for me are that you need to clean the panels really well before you polish and use new pads.
 
A follow up on this thread - I just finished polishing my glass with the Novus product suggested above. Using all three steps and a 3" polisher with a soft foam pad - the results were excellent.

They are not perfect but it took 100% of the smaller (but visible) scratches/swirls out. My glass was also starting to develop just a touch of yellowing (actually it looked more brown) which was also removed with this product. They are clear and swirl free again. Only the deeper scratches caused by pure owner neglect remain. But those are few.

From the dock I expect these panels will indeed look nearly brand new in the spring.

I highly recommend this stuff to anyone looking for a good product. This was a great way to spend a couple hours in the garage as it's snowing/raining outside...
 
I just used Marine 31 Eisenglass kit I got off Autogeek. It’s a two part process. First is a cleaner/restorer. Second is a spray polish. Came with polishing pads and microfiber cloths. On sale for less than $30. I was very happy with the results.
 
Now I have them laying on top of each other in my basement in a protected area that no one will disturb them till the spring. But they are touching each other. If they are not moved, is that ok? Are they never supposed to touch regardless. Last boat had a hard top and back drop canvas. Never had to deal with Eisenglass.
 

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