Re: [Phys-l] plastic lens scratch repair?

[Bernard Cleyet <bernardcleyet@redshift.com>]

On 2011, Aug 23, , at 15:13, Richard L. Bowman wrote:

> Many years ago when I was polishing the ends of a plastic rod to verify Faraday's Effect, the last polish I used was tooth paste. Might that work here?

Many tooth pastes no longer include diatomaceous earth. **  -- cheque the ingredients.  Since it's plano easy to polish using alumna and then rouge -- remove the lens and treat it as if a glass lens.  The first V. of Amateur Telescope Making has all the info.  Unless it's a Palm or RIM probably not worth doing anything except for the curiosity and satisfaction of fixing it.





> Also, the old suggestion for scratched watches was to coat them with clear nail polish.

 Do not use nail polish unless very sparingly and thinned.  It likely dissolves the plastic and crazes it.  (My esperience.)

> If all else fails except getting a new phone, I'd probably give one or both of these a try.
>
> Richard



** See your dental hygienist.

bc often pricing his time at a measly $10/hr fixes stuff at twice the cost of replacement.

p.s. cheque with your optician.


> Richard L. Bowman, PhD | Department of Physics | Professor of Physics
> BRIDGEWATER COLLEGE, Bridgewater, VA 22812, USA
> phone: 540-828-5441 | online: www.bridgewater.edu/~rbowman
> ________________________________________



> Hi --
>
> I have a cell phone with a built-in camera.  I rarely use the camera,
> but when I want to use it I really want to use it, and I want it to
> work.  Alas the thing has lived in a pocket so long that the lens is
> scratched.  The scratches are numerous but not deep.
>
> I know from putting a thin film of liquid on it that the scratches
> are the dominant problem.  I used ethanol because it goes on thin
> and flat ... but it is not a permanent fix.
>
> The relevant surface of the lens is supposed to be planar;  the
> curved surface of the lens is safe inside the device.
>
> Options include
> -- buffing out the scratches, in which case the question is what
>  tools and techniques to use, and what to use for buffing compound.
>  Mother's Plastic Polish?
> -- filling the scratches, in which case the question is what to
>  use for a filler.  Lemon Pledge?
> -- buying a new phone.
> -- perhaps some less-obvious options????
>
> I found a commercial filler, but the reviews indicate that it is
> worse than nothing:
>  http://www.amazon.com/Lens-CPR-Doctor-Scratched-Glasses/product-reviews/B000AJGP1E/ref=cm_cr_dp_all_helpful?ie=UTF8&showViewpoints=1
>
> Any suggestions?  I'm willing to experiment a little with anything
> that won't make the situation worse.