I have a Danforth Constellation Compass. The part of the dome that has been exposed to the sun is foggy. I would like to know how to clean it up so it is clear again. Thanks
Gary
Gary
Foggy Dome on my compass
- Thread starter garyvanzee
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Most likely the UV rays have begun to permanently deteriorate your compass. However, you may want to try one of Star Brite's plastic polishes (see http://www.starbrite.com/sproductdetail.cfm?ID=1464) to see if you can restore the compass. I had some limited luck with this product on an old boat with polycarbonate portlights. But it was only a temporary fix and the ports had to be replaced. Good luck with this.
I've seen some pretty amazing results with Mineral Oil. Simply wipe a little on a rag and rub it on the compass. A few treatments and it should look good. It isn't a permanent solution but rubbing a little oil on every now and then is pretty easy.
When I got my Mac25 the Ritchie Compass dome looked like a spider's web and was unuseable. I contacted Ritchie and they have a refrub and repair flat rate of $85.00 to put the compass back in new condition.
When I got the compass back it was in new condition. I should say it was "new" for the id mark I had put on the
compass before returning was missing.....They had chunked the old one and sent me a new one....which would have cost me $285.00 at West Marine.
I would contact the manufacturer of Danforth and see if they don't have a similar repair service.
If they don't then stop by the auto supply store and purchase a product that they have for cleaning foggy headlights on cars. I have used it with some luck.
When I got the compass back it was in new condition. I should say it was "new" for the id mark I had put on the
compass before returning was missing.....They had chunked the old one and sent me a new one....which would have cost me $285.00 at West Marine.
I would contact the manufacturer of Danforth and see if they don't have a similar repair service.
If they don't then stop by the auto supply store and purchase a product that they have for cleaning foggy headlights on cars. I have used it with some luck.
gary, in the motorcycle world we deal with this all the time for face shields and windshields. you need to know if it's a poly or an acrylic shield and use the product that's right for it. if your compass and mine are the same, it's a polycarbonate cover, and i'd use a plastic polish, with maybe a little chrome polish and/or some crest-type toothpaste mixed in, depending on the 'cut' you get. use the least abrasive first, then move to the next until you get the cloudiness out, use a little water in the mix also. after you've got the bulk cleaned and are looking at some finer scratches, start using the 'lesser' cutting paste until you get the scratches out. then you're done.
remember though that it's your elbow grease that really does the work as it's what generates the heat needed for polishing. the 'grit' of the polish helps, but it can't do it alone. you can probably google motorcycle windshield scratch removal or something similar to find the process listed in more detail.
it's really not rocket science and can be a bit of fun with a small enough chore.
jack b
remember though that it's your elbow grease that really does the work as it's what generates the heat needed for polishing. the 'grit' of the polish helps, but it can't do it alone. you can probably google motorcycle windshield scratch removal or something similar to find the process listed in more detail.
it's really not rocket science and can be a bit of fun with a small enough chore.
jack b
It depends on whether the haziness is caused by surface cracks or by the plastic degrading. If it is due to small surface cracks/scratches, polishing it may well restore its clarity. However, many plastics degrade and craze throughout their depth due to UV damage, and if that is the case, replacement is your only real option.
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