Hello,
I am adding a Soundtrax decoder (non-pnp) to my HO Kato SD70Mac. I am going to have to cut down the “fiber optic” thingy to my rear and ditch lights. After cutting the clear plastic, it leaves the end cloudy not clear like it was. Is there a way to make it clear again? It doesn’t seem to transmit the light nearly as good.
Thanks for any advice,
Peter
First, is it as close to the lamp as it was before?
But to your main point. If it is just clear plastic it just needs to be polished. Sand it with finer and finer grit sand paper until there are no scratches from the prior grit. Use a good magnifying lens too measure this. I usually use wet 250, 400, 600, and 1500. Then get some aluminum oxide powder to finish it off with.
If I am in a real hurry and don’t want to spend the time needed in the above scenario to do it right, sometimes I try to just brush it lightly with the liquid type styrene cement to see if that will fill in the scratches.
In two words, polish it. Fine emery cloth, crocus paper, rubbing compound, tripoli on a cotton wheel. The wheel is probably the best option if you have one. Fiber optics in communications are very sensitive to non square or non clear ends. The same principle applies to visable light transmission.
Some may suggest to gently heat the cut end melting it JUST ENOUGH to make it look smooth. Practice on the scrap part first. Too much heat will melt and distort it.
Best of luck.
Karl
First, and Most Importantly for this process, make sure the wife has left the house…
She’s gone right?..
Mr. Phelps,
Your mission, should you decide to accept it…
Ok, While humming the Mission Impossible theme…
Dum…dum…dum.dum.Dum…dum.dum.dum
Da daDaaaa…DadaDaaaa…DadaDaaaa…dada! [8D]
go to her dressing table or makeup bag, and get one of those fingernail buffing thingies, looks like superfine sandpaper (two grits, different colors) on a popsicle stick, and her bottle of clear gloss nailpolish.
Now, before she gets back and your found out, buff the cut ends of the light pipe until they are as smooth and shiney as possible, then dab a bit of that clear gloss on the sanded area, (it will fill in the imperfections) it will dry in 5 min or so, and add a second coat, and you should be good to go.
Finally, get the polish and board back where it, they belong, cover your tracks, and if questioned, disavow any knowledge of the incident [:-^]
this post will self destruct in five seconds… [(-D]
Awesome advice river_eagle, I will give that a shot. I have successfully lifted the fingernail buffy thingy but apparently no clear finger nail polish… something to do with the budget. Darn I knew the would come back to haunt me.[:-^]
Thanks a ton, I am sure the mission will succeed.
Peter
Right on River_Eagle, it worked like a charm. In fact I didn’t even need the polish. The wife’s file kit even had a three step kit (labeled too). The end looks as good as it did before I cut.
Great advice! Thank you.
Peter
river_eagle,
Are you a wimp?!!
Go to a drugstore or someplace that sells that stuff - and bribe someone to purchase that stuff for you!! Just make sure they don’t put it in a clear/see-through bag!!
Mr Macho Man (I can worm my way out of almost anything!!)
Great post river_eagle!![tup][tup][(-D]
C’mon, doesn’t MicroMark or somebody sell something for $79.95 that will do the job just as well as that stupid 49-cent nail file thing? I mean, a nail file doesn’t even plug in! What good is learning a new skill like this if you can’t go out and buy a new power tool to go with the knowledge?
glad I could help out.