Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polish

[Lebkuecher]

I have never tried to buff out scratches on an LS lens and I really don't want to try this until I hear from some of you that have tried this. According to Peter's Arc Flashlight FAQ post you can use a polycarbonate polish. I've read some web pages (Listed below) and they recommend testing the product on a small area first. I'm not sure how you could do this with a Lexan lens because it's already a small area to work with. Anyone that has polished the LS lens and can add some advice would be greatly appreciated.

Just some general questions

What brand is the best? (Or a brand that wont damage the LS lens)

How effective is the process in removing scratches?

Some pages I've read instruct you to just put a view drop on the surface and you're done. If so that seems more like a coating then a polish. Once you do this will the coating have the same or better finish then before? Will it scratch easier? Once you do this are you starting an endless cycle? Other pages instruct you to swab on and buff in a circular motion. This seems more like a polish and a preferred option for me anyway.

Any one ever screwed up there light doing this? Any generals advice?

Will the lens be as clear afterwards? (Not cloudy)

Some links that I found.

http://optochemicals.com/products/info_polyedge_polish.htm

http://www.sdplastics.com

 

[N162E]

Hi Leb, I've seen a cd/dvd repair kit available in computer stores, I think it is made by memorex. People tell me they have had real good results with it.

 

[Tomas]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

My only thought on this is if the stuff is actually a polish, it will polish the AR coating off the lens, and if a coating, will interfere with the AR coating.

I used to use a MIL spec plastic polish (for canopy and other plastic see-thru areas) that was part solvent, part polish, and part coating that did a great job, but I'm not sure I would use it on a coated surface ...

 

[dtsoll]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

If I remember correctly the coating is only on the side towards the led. I have a buddy that has some he uses on the case of his laptop. It seems to work very well. I'm not sure of the brand but I will find out. It came with two kinds, one for minor scratches and one for more severe scratches. He really likes it a lot. Please correct me on the coating only being on the led side if I am wrong. dtsoll

 

[tsg68]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

I have a friend who makes and sells a toilet tank/fish tank called the Aquariass. The tanks are made out of Acrylic and he uses poly polish to take all of the scratches from manufacturing out and it works very well, nice and clear.

Later,
TSG /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Tomas]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

He probably uses Meguiars Which is the about the best you can get. I also use the two-step stuff, but again, if the plastic is coated, I wouldn't use a polish on the coated side (assuming just one side is coated - my glasses, for example, are two-surface coated so that both surfaces can essentially vanish and not cause reflections ... ).

 

[Shark]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

I think the coating is an acrylic coating that is supposed to make the lense more scratch resistant I dont think it will do much good if it were on the inside of the flashlight. I dont think there is a UV coating or anything like that but that might be on the inside of the lense if it were present.

 

[Tomas]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

[ QUOTE ]
From the Arc Flashlight FAQ: . LED optics protected by new .030" AR coated, scratch resistant LEXAN lens

[/ QUOTE ]

"AR" is "Anti-Reflection" or "Anti-Reflective" coating.

This is from another site:

"Anti-reflection coatings are used as transmission-enhancing coatings. ... By comparison with an uncoated glass with a transmittance of 92%, the Unaxis coatings achieve a transmittance of approx. 99%. As standard, we manufacture these coatings on glass or plastic."

Most of these coatings are multi-layer and vacuum deposited onto the underlying plastic or glass.

There are also coatings to increase surface hardness, but the Arc FAQ specifically states it is an "AR" coating. (This does NOT say that there isn't also a scratch-resistant coating, of course.)

 

[chamenos]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

you can just use toothpaste /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Gransee]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

Dtsoll, the lens is AR coated on both sides. So, you could pull the light apart, polish the scratched side and flip the lens so the remaining AR side is facing out.

Peter

 

[McGizmo]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

Peter,

I take your suggestion to imply that the AR coating is most effective on the exit surface of the lens as opposed to the entry surface. Is there a great differential of efficiency here? Obviously the AR is more protected on the inside of the light.

- Don

 

[flashlightlens]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

[ QUOTE ]
tsg68 said:
I have a friend who makes and sells a toilet tank/fish tank called the Aquariass.

[/ QUOTE ]

You can't be serious......

 

[flashlightlens]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

I don't think an AR coating will do anything on the outside of a lens - except maybe provide a little scratch resistance. My impressions are that the AR will help prevent reflections from the first surface the light encounters - in our case, preventing light from being reflected back into the lamp assembly. Having an AR coating on the outer surface of a flashlight lens should provide no increase in light transmittance.

ADDED - This is usually why companies who apply coatings to a customer supplied lens will only apply it to one side. They either mark the side that has it, or the customer has to figure it out. Most glass manufacturers who supply AR coated glass in bulk will coat both sides to save on labor down the road for the consumer - or the person who takes the bulk glass and cuts it. Having it coated on one side would mean having to keep track of which side had it throughout their processes, thus increasing costs. Imagine if a huge flashlight manufacturer with automated assembly processes had to keep track of which side was coated - it's much cheaper to just get the material coated on both sides.

 

[McGizmo]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

FL.com,

This was the impression I was under as well. I notice on the SF lenses that the coating is on the inside of the lens, too. On sunglasses, there is a coating on the inside to keep light from over your shoulder from reflecting off the glasses and into your eyes. As I understand it, AR on the outside of the lens will allow more ambient light into the flashlight; not a big concern, one way or the other.

- Don

 

[Gransee]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

OK, I double checked with the Lens manufacturer and the AR coating is a "Abrasion Resistant" coating. It is there to limit scratches.

Peter

 

[JollyRoger]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

Peter, why would you want the AR coated side to face out? Wouldn't you want it to face in, so it reduces the reflections back into the light? Correct me if I'm wrong here, please....

 

[Darell]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

So, in summary, there is no Anti-Reflective coating at all? Odd that a lens manufacturer would use a common term like AR to mean somEthing different. All Anti Reflective coatings I've dealt with (on opthalmics) have included an anti-scratch component. Wonder if that is happening here as well?

 

[Tomas]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

Yes, Darell, very strange, eh?

If one just does a Google on "ar coating" one can determine that the lens/window/optical/glass/plastic industry uses the term "AR Coating" for Anti-Reflective/Reflection rather than whatever that was.

Odd. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[B@rt]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Reflections... /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon6.gif

 

[Lebkuecher]

Re: Buffing LS Lexan lens with polycarbonate polis

Peter

Did the lens manufacture suggest a method of buffing out scratches with this coating? Has anything changed?