I seem to recall a member saying they had reconditioned polypro fins using toothpaste.
I am talking about the plastic used for the Hobie dogbone system and some others like TRAF fins, etc.
Has anyone ever managed to get one of these fins to look more presentable?
That is a very good question. I’d guess heat would be the only option. It seems to me that any abrasives would just mar the finish.
all the best
About three years ago, I refurbished an original Hansen fin that was heavily oxydized, using a scraper obtained at Rockler. It leaves a flat dull finish, but was far superior to the damaged surface. I did not persue a higher gloss finish, beyond the flat finish. It would require heat, and would risk damaging/destroying the original fin, IMO.
I think it’s worth a try. I have not done this w/ fins but my cheap, plastic watch got a deep scratch on its face a couple years ago. Rubed right out good as new with toothpaste and a stiff finger. Use some labeled as “Whitening toothpaste” as it will have a bit more abrasvie (silicon dioxide usually). Toothpaste is cheap enough
Makes sense Stoney. I’ll keep it in mind for future.
Umm- I can see the Lexan fins responding to toothpase or a similar polish, but those are an acrylic, like the stuff they put over headlights or use for watch crystals and so on. But that’s a thermosetting plastic, among other things it doesn’t melt when heated, it maybe softens a little but ultimately it burns. And it’s translucent, often transparent/tinted, a cousin to plexiglass.
The polypro is a very different critter, like the stuff they make the cheap ( often yellow) rope out of. Sun and ozone and whatever, it oxidises. You get that whiteish crust on it that’s a little harder than the original. Again, like the cheap rope, bend it and it is more fragile, brittle, you get those short hair fragments when you flex the rope. It should almost flake off if you do what Bill did, having at it with a cabinet scraper, coming away as dust until you get to a nicer surface.
Having said that, something to try: if the surface isn’t utterly fuc#ed, we used to use Penetrol, the paint addative, to bring back oxidised things like pickup caps and play boats. If it works, great, if it doesn’t then you may soften the crust a touch and it’ll scrape off easier.
How’s things going?
doc…
What about wet sanding with very soapy water starting at 500?
I in fact, did that. Started and stopped with 400 grit wet/dry. It helped, in a cosmetic way.
Lexan is a polycarbonate.
Yellowed Cloudy vehicle headlamps, are polycarbonate.
There’s all sorts of how to’s to restore cloudy plastic headlight lenses online.
One of the tricks often espoused, is to use Bug spray, the DEET apparently works well.
They sell the headlamp restoration Kits, so average joe who never made a surfboard, could stick on their drill and wetsand with various grit papers. Some finish off with a plastic polish, not too dissimilar from what is used to polish gloss coats.
Some of the headlight restoration kits come with a spray on, or perhaps Wipe on coating for after wetsanding through the provided grits.
The headlamps always get cloudy again, and do so faster than they did originally and one of the products which is claimed to last the longest, is the same which some use to give epoxy the gloss coat which can compare to polished PE resin.
USC SprayMax 2K Glamour High Gloss Aerosol Clear
Yes, and a totally different thing from polypropelene. I asked my question because a person was trying to find a way to cosmetically improve the look of a polypro fin on a vintage baord they own.