Anyway to save clear plastic that has been painted on?

[Austin T]

Got a glue Bomb from a friend and it was a little rough to say the least.Some of the glass has been painted on and I really want to save it.

[martinfan5]

Most of the times, just like with normal plastic, you can strip it.

[jcbigpaw]

I don't know how bad your windows have been painted on but I had a 79 Z28 "Road Warrior" type build that I restored and the windows had been painted on as part of the weathering. I was able to use Crest toothpaste between my fingers as a polishing compound to remove the paint and polish the "glass". I followed that up with a Meguires polish and it turned out well. Good luck

[Austin T]

Ok I think the glass will be good paint wise,but what about glue?

[wisdonm]

You can sand them down with 1000-2000 then polish just like any other plastic. But it's just plain faster and easier to make a more realistic window out of clear plastic that you find laying around the house, bubble pack, or bakery dept of a store. Make a tape pattern from the inside. Cut the plastic a little bigger. Test fit, bend if necessary, test fit some more. Start gluing from one end. Do in sections, if curved.

[RickRollerLT1]

Purple Power works wonders! After stripping application it may leave some flat/non-shiny spots, but a polish with toothpaste then a coat of future, it can bring the clear shine back up!

Edited June 13, 2012 by RickRollerLT1

[Pontiacman 1969]

If the glue is model glue try HOT water.

[Ace-Garageguy]

I restore and rebuild a lot of gluebombs. Almost anything can be brought back if you work hard enough at it. Glue can be sanded off with progressively finer and finer grits of sandpaper. I've had to go as course a 180 wet to get big stuff off, then 400wet, then 800, 1200, and on up through the polishing pads made for paint, all the way to 12,000. Then polish with a mildly abrasive compound, like toothpaste or something actually made to do the job, like 3M Finesse It.

Waviness in molded plastic windows can be blocked out too, and finished the same way. It's impossible to make a compound curved windshield out of flat plastic sheet unless you hot-vacuum-form it over a mold.

Interestingly, the polishing pads of very fine grits now commonly sold for model car paint were originally developed for removing scratches and polishing plastic windows on aircraft.