Plexiglass Distortion
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2021 8:48 am
I recently fabricated and installed a new window from plexiglass sheet. Once installed, I removed the protective film and found that the window has an odd distortion. It’s a bit hard to describe, but it’s like it has thousands of faint lines across it horizontally. They are spaced about .010” and .125” apart from each other (fractions of a millimeter up to about a millimeter or so) and cover 100% of the window area. These lines appear to be IN the plexiglass vs on the surface. I cannot feel any deformation or scratch on the surface. These lines have the effect of giving a slightly distorted view of things through the window.
Has anyone seen this before? Any clues as to what the cause might be? More importantly, is there a remedy, short of replacing it? I’m about ready to pull it out, but would love to avoid that if there is another solution. I’ve thought about trying a plastic polish (mild abrasive) but I’m skeptical that it would make a difference, as the defect does not seem to be on the surface.
I did have to flex the window somewhat to get it into place (this is the optional large observer window on the left side rear) so perhaps that had something to do with it? Or was it just a defective piece of plexiglass?
Thanks for any insights.
Has anyone seen this before? Any clues as to what the cause might be? More importantly, is there a remedy, short of replacing it? I’m about ready to pull it out, but would love to avoid that if there is another solution. I’ve thought about trying a plastic polish (mild abrasive) but I’m skeptical that it would make a difference, as the defect does not seem to be on the surface.
I did have to flex the window somewhat to get it into place (this is the optional large observer window on the left side rear) so perhaps that had something to do with it? Or was it just a defective piece of plexiglass?
Thanks for any insights.