how to remove dullcoat from windows

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
1

Hey guys…i accidanty sprayed dullcoat on the windows of one of my building structures and now its hard to see thru the window…IS There a substance i can use to remove it and get back the shine without destroying the windows?

thanks

2

How about simply painting the windows with a gloss coat?

Dave

3

I haven’t tried this, bur a coat of Future Floor Wax might make the windows clear. Plastic modelers use Future on scratched clear plastic parts.

4

Hmm.

Might depend if the dullcote is ON the “glass”, or EMBEDDED Into it now.

I haven’t tried this, but I wonder if “Goo Gone” {the orange stuff that takes off price sticker “stickies”} would work?

Just a thought and idea.

[8-|]

5

Unfortunately, I think you’re stuck with the “dirty glass”. That’s how I model old, dirty windows. Anything you apply over the window will only put a clear sheen over the dull plastic. The solvents in the Dullcote have pretty much etched the plastic windows. If you have access to the windows, I’d remove the fogged ones and install new ones. This is why I install mine AFTER the exterior treatments are done.

6

Agree. If you had roughed up the surface with an abrasive then the gloss coat idea would likely work much better. I seem to recall there is a talc in DullCoat that is still going to be there regardless.

But just maybe that is OK. How clearly should you abe able to see inside a building when you are standing a couple of hundred feet away? That is how far you’d eye would likely be from the usual scale structure. It might be that the Gloss Coat or Future polish over Dull Coat approach might actually give you a realistic appearance.

Dave Nelson

7

Hey guys…thanks for your replies…i got most of it cleaned and it looks much better…what i did was i took a Q-tip with rubbing alchohol and gently wiped away the dull coat, however doing this left a light film on the windows, so then i took some warm water to wipe away the film and that worked…Now my windows look alot clearer then before…

I am happy with the results…I comapred the building with other building that dont have the dull coat and there is a slight variation but not much.

Thanks for your replies

8

Others have already mentioned that the Talc, which provides the flat will still be present even after applying any gloss. A coat of gloss may help clear it up some but to get those windows absolutly “crystal” clear again may mean replacement. I don’t see this as a real problem unless you really have to have them clean/ clear as in a storefront, office or other well maintained structure.