Guidelines for Acrylic Finishing

Recommended procedures and guidlines for the refinishing of acrylic plastics

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To avoid scratching the surface, do not wear watches, rings, or bracelets. Long fingernails should be covered with gloves.

MICRO-MESH® will remove surface discoloration, but not tinting that is throughout the plastic. If unsure, test in a small inconspicuous area.

Keep MICRO-MESH clean; contamination can cause scratches. When restoral is complete, rinse MICRO-MESH pieces, air dry, and return them to their original packaging. MICRO-MESH is reusable!

Use only 100% cotton flannel for wiping. Keep it clean, wash in warm soapy water, rinse, dry and return to the kit box.

Wrap MICRO-MESH or conventional sandpaper tightly around foam block and hold in palm of hand. Sanding without a block will produce a rippled or distorted surface.

MICRO-MESH is numerically graded. The higher the number, the finer the cutting action.

Do not work in a circular pattern. Cross your sanding pattern at 90 degree angles from one step to the next, to be sure of total removal of previous sanding pattern. Incomplete removal will result in an incomplete restoral! Damage not removed with the beginning step will most likely remain after the process is complete.

To remove heavy damage from highly curved surfaces, it may be beneficial to sand in an alternating pattern of diagonally, horizontally and vertically, in a straight line motion. This will assist in achieving an even removal of material over the entire surface.

Thin plastic (1/8" or less) may develop surface distortion if sanding the surface creates heat. Work the surface slowly and work wet.

Check your scratch pattern frequently. It is helpful to set a bright light on the side opposite your restoral side. For better viewing on non-transparent surfaces, place the light at an angle.

DISTORTION

It is always easier to prevent distortion than to remove it! There are two types of distortion that can be caused by the use of improper restoral methods, localized and surface. Localized distortion is caused by working one small spot and not blending the damage removal over a large enough area.

Surface distortion is almost always a sign of incomplete restoration. This could be the result of:

1. the incomplete removal of one sanding pattern before proceeding to the next step

2. not working a larger area with each new step

3. heat build-up

4. skipping steps

5. not cleaning the surface between steps