I bought a used acrylic tank it is in ok shape but I'm thinking that while it is empty and dry I might as well try to polish it up as best as I can. What polishing agents should I look at to do this? Do I have to go to a plastics store or online to buy polishing agents? Or can I find materials at big box stores?
Polishing Acrylic Tank
- Thread starter tazdvl
- Start date
JonTarutis
New member
Random orbital sander is a must, either electric or air. I use foam pads from Harbor Freight (one use then into the garbage) along with Novus 1,2 and 3. You may want to fill it with water first to see how bad it is, as water tends to mask a lot of scratches you see when the tank is dry.
Good luck!
Jon
Good luck!
Jon
on the spot
Active member
You won't find the proper abrasives at the box stores. I tried the automotive stores, and specialty paint stores, before ordering online. I went with micro-surface. Completely satisfied with their service, but their web site is tragic.
If there are minor scratches, 'heAdlight restorer' from the auto parts store will work. It is a mild abrasive for removing the haze from plastic headlights. For more serious scratches, the Novus 3 stage polishes are great. I bought mine at a Novus windshield replacement dealer in town.
Da Maui life
New member
I recently removed some minor scratches from sand and typical micro swirl marks from normal cleaning on the out side of my acrylic tank. All the products used was from Meguiars, 3M and recommended by ‘Floyd’ One of the acrylic gurus on RC the job turned out flawless. As for sanding I used the pre-cut 3M assorted pack, wet or dry sandpapers with Meguiars E 7200 backing pad.
IMO you have more control (removal of acrylic) wet sanding scratches by hand then with any orbital sanders as your not dealing with deep scratches or gouges, most of the time. For my needs, medium-light scratches I started out with 800 stepped up 1000, 1500, 2000 feathering out as you go then polished with M105 Ultra-Cut Compound and cut pad, once sanding haze is removed finish off with M9 Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover and polishing pad, you‘ll need a 3”stitch wheel for the inside corners, bottom/top corners.
Micro swirl marks on the outside was simply polished with compounds, no sanding. Clean the Meguiars pads with an old tooth brush in-between applications of compound (spin buffer and apply bristle across pad) and when your finished. That way they will last and can be reused down the road. It cost me about hundred buck for the products but I ended up with a professional looking job, like new out of the box. No haze, swirl marks or blims worth every dollar.
I also maintain the outside of the tank with Brillianize and a micro fiber cloth. Gently tack with damp(water) micro fiber cloth to remove dust, ext. let dry then apply Brillianize. Changing the way I now clean and maintain my tank has made a world of difference in the optical quality of the acrylic.
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You can look up products I used below on Amazon.
Meguiar's Self-Centering 8-Inch Rotary Buffer Backing Plate
Meguiar's 8-Inch Soft Buff Foam Cutting Pad (Red Pad)
Meguiar's 8-Inch Soft Buff Foam Polishing Pad
Woodstock D2509 Buffing Wheel, Soft Muslin 3-Inch by 40 Ply by 1/4-Inch Hole (The stitch wheel is for the inside corners)
Meguiar's M105 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound - 32 oz.
Meguiar's M9 Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover - 16 oz.
Meguiar's Hi-Tech Sanding Backing Pad
3M(TM) Wetordry(TM) Sandpaper, 03006, 3-2/3 in x 9 in, Assorted, 5 sheets per pack
3M 03022 Imperial Wetordry 3-2/3" x 9" P800 Grit Sandpaper, (Pack of 5)
3M 03018 Imperial Wetordry 3-2/3" x 9" P400 Grit Automotive Sandpaper, (Pack of 5)
IMO you have more control (removal of acrylic) wet sanding scratches by hand then with any orbital sanders as your not dealing with deep scratches or gouges, most of the time. For my needs, medium-light scratches I started out with 800 stepped up 1000, 1500, 2000 feathering out as you go then polished with M105 Ultra-Cut Compound and cut pad, once sanding haze is removed finish off with M9 Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover and polishing pad, you‘ll need a 3”stitch wheel for the inside corners, bottom/top corners.
Micro swirl marks on the outside was simply polished with compounds, no sanding. Clean the Meguiars pads with an old tooth brush in-between applications of compound (spin buffer and apply bristle across pad) and when your finished. That way they will last and can be reused down the road. It cost me about hundred buck for the products but I ended up with a professional looking job, like new out of the box. No haze, swirl marks or blims worth every dollar.
I also maintain the outside of the tank with Brillianize and a micro fiber cloth. Gently tack with damp(water) micro fiber cloth to remove dust, ext. let dry then apply Brillianize. Changing the way I now clean and maintain my tank has made a world of difference in the optical quality of the acrylic.
.
You can look up products I used below on Amazon.
Meguiar's Self-Centering 8-Inch Rotary Buffer Backing Plate
Meguiar's 8-Inch Soft Buff Foam Cutting Pad (Red Pad)
Meguiar's 8-Inch Soft Buff Foam Polishing Pad
Woodstock D2509 Buffing Wheel, Soft Muslin 3-Inch by 40 Ply by 1/4-Inch Hole (The stitch wheel is for the inside corners)
Meguiar's M105 Mirror Glaze Ultra-Cut Compound - 32 oz.
Meguiar's M9 Mirror Glaze Swirl Remover - 16 oz.
Meguiar's Hi-Tech Sanding Backing Pad
3M(TM) Wetordry(TM) Sandpaper, 03006, 3-2/3 in x 9 in, Assorted, 5 sheets per pack
3M 03022 Imperial Wetordry 3-2/3" x 9" P800 Grit Sandpaper, (Pack of 5)
3M 03018 Imperial Wetordry 3-2/3" x 9" P400 Grit Automotive Sandpaper, (Pack of 5)
jccaclimber
Member
I've tried a couple Meguiar's products with little to no success on both headlights and an 8 foot 300 that came to me with a ton of scratches and a couple deeper gouges. If I were you I'd start with Novus #3 then #2 and see how that does. If it isn't enough, here's what I did with my VERY scratched 300 when I first got it:
1) I was starting with a bare tank that had been in a barn, so I started by cleaning the entire tank with a sponge and water. I didn't want grit from the barn to get under my sanding pad.
2) Random orbit sander (replace the paper often) using 220 grit wet paper. NOTE, I had some very deep gouges to take out, I've known other people to start with 800. Be sure to use wet paper and keep the surface wet so grit doesn't clog the paper. Also be sure to keep moving and not use the corners or you'll end up with a ripple in the tank.
3) Clean the surface with water, and move to the next grit. I went 220>400>800>1000>1500>2000. I then used some 3M Trizact paper (a foam sheet with grit on it) that was listed as 300 grit.
4) Novus polish with a blue rag. This stuff is amazing (and also worked well on my car headlights). I didn't actually need much of this stuff (a little goes a long way like other polishing compounds). The 2 oz. containers would have been enough in hindsight, but I got the next size up.
I liked the stuff enough that I went and did my (very scratched) 10 year old headlights next. Rather than use the random orbit sander I sanded those by hand starting with 1000 grit, and they look like new.
1) I was starting with a bare tank that had been in a barn, so I started by cleaning the entire tank with a sponge and water. I didn't want grit from the barn to get under my sanding pad.
2) Random orbit sander (replace the paper often) using 220 grit wet paper. NOTE, I had some very deep gouges to take out, I've known other people to start with 800. Be sure to use wet paper and keep the surface wet so grit doesn't clog the paper. Also be sure to keep moving and not use the corners or you'll end up with a ripple in the tank.
3) Clean the surface with water, and move to the next grit. I went 220>400>800>1000>1500>2000. I then used some 3M Trizact paper (a foam sheet with grit on it) that was listed as 300 grit.
4) Novus polish with a blue rag. This stuff is amazing (and also worked well on my car headlights). I didn't actually need much of this stuff (a little goes a long way like other polishing compounds). The 2 oz. containers would have been enough in hindsight, but I got the next size up.
I liked the stuff enough that I went and did my (very scratched) 10 year old headlights next. Rather than use the random orbit sander I sanded those by hand starting with 1000 grit, and they look like new.
Sethjamto
New member
I've been working on buffing out a 300g acrylic the past few days. I started wetsanding with an electric palm sander with 1000 grit, moving through 1200, 1500, 2000, then 3000 grit. After this I used Meguire's acrylic polish (found in auto stores for headlights) on an electric buffer like you use to wax a car.
Works perfect and the tank comes out looking sweet!
Works perfect and the tank comes out looking sweet!
Da Maui life
New member
Not sure what Meguiar’s the above poster used with little or no success sound like the wrong stuff and or technique. One must use a real buffer with variable speed as you need to ramp up or down the RPM’s for each compound, along with the right pads. The Meguiar’s products work well with the appropriate compounds, buffer, pad's and technique.
You can see some scratches on the closest panel and the side panel has been sanded
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After polishing
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You can see some scratches on the closest panel and the side panel has been sanded
After polishing
lots of great info!
In past i did the wet sanding with paper from kit from like 1000-3000. finished with novus products.
Meguirs stuff sounds like a sweet way to go to!
One thing I will reiterate. Start with less abrasive and then go more abrasive if need be to make the chore easier.
In past i did the wet sanding with paper from kit from like 1000-3000. finished with novus products.
Meguirs stuff sounds like a sweet way to go to!
One thing I will reiterate. Start with less abrasive and then go more abrasive if need be to make the chore easier.
Da Maui life
New member
Agree with the above in bold as I purchased 400-g. but started with 800g. Didn't need to step down from 800.
Tick1962
New member
i also used novus 123 for a 75 i had it worked great for normal stuff but mine had some gauges in it, even used a small electric buffer, just wouldn't come out, but +1 on filling it first you'll be suprised what you dont see, but i did notice algae would grow in the bigger scratches and were hard to get it out.
Gorgok
New member
Yes it will scratch it more, at first. With coarser grit you will scratch and remove material until your deepest real scratch is even with the sanding. Once that is done you sand a wider area with a finer grit to remove the scratches you made with the previous grit. You keep repeating this wider area, finer grit deal up to and through the compounds. How fine you go determines how clear you get it.
Just did it using 600 grit for actual gouges then 1000 and 2000 everywhere to get rid of all the little scratches. followed up with the novus polishes as directed and it is barely better than it was after sanding, I got the gouges but I need a better polish to get rid of the cloudiness and scratches from the paper. I did a lot of research and it seemed like 2000 grit was plenty fine. I even emailed novus ahead of time and they said the #2 polish can get out 1200 grit and up so I thought the 2000 would be plenty fine. My tank is completely unusable at this point. I will say that I polished and buffed by hand with microfiber towels so maybe not having a machine is the problem but the novus directions indicate to do it by hand.
I just resanded my work with 3000 grit and only used #1 to clean up then applied #2 and allowed it to dry for over a hour this time. When I wiped up the tank looked clear as I had hoped. Not sure if using #3 the first time threw it off or if I didn't let it dry long enough. My apologies to novus it would seem their products do work.
I have used a low speed high torque drill, (like for mortar), automotive buffing sponge and novus 3, then novus 2.
Before novus i used anything from 400 grit, but the final sanding for inside and out of the tanks was 1000 with handheld orbital. I used lots of water and kept the novus wet, washed the towels in between. My method i didnt like letting the compounds dry out- too hard to remove.
I have done a 110 show, a 25 nano, and working on three more tanks a 150 cylinder, 65 and 40. Its ALOT of work, but acrylic is so clear. I shot video of my whole process with results on the 110, but havent edited and posted yet. It was gouged with a dremel by previous owner and i got them out
Everything must stay wet like wet sanding. I like to put some soap in the water too. There is certainly a method and art to it
Before novus i used anything from 400 grit, but the final sanding for inside and out of the tanks was 1000 with handheld orbital. I used lots of water and kept the novus wet, washed the towels in between. My method i didnt like letting the compounds dry out- too hard to remove.
I have done a 110 show, a 25 nano, and working on three more tanks a 150 cylinder, 65 and 40. Its ALOT of work, but acrylic is so clear. I shot video of my whole process with results on the 110, but havent edited and posted yet. It was gouged with a dremel by previous owner and i got them out
Everything must stay wet like wet sanding. I like to put some soap in the water too. There is certainly a method and art to it
Da Maui life
New member
2000 in most cases is plenty, your technique is way off.
