Using heat to repair trim lenses?

[Rick Junkin]

Has anyone tried using heat to reshape the lenses on the trim/flap indicators?

Mine are delaminating and the best I’ve been able to do is remove the part of the surface covering that has delaminated. The rest of the matt top plastic is stuck fast and won’t scrape off. Before and after pictures attached. 

I ordered some matt vinyl to use as a new top layer, but the lenses themselves are warped and bubbled and I’d like to flatten them if I can. My thought is to use an iron to progressively increase the heat applied to the lens until they start to become flexible enough to reshape.

Bad idea?

Cheers,
Rick

[alextstone]

I ordered a new set about three years ago from the factory. They were pricey (no surprise there).

Sent from my Pixel 7 Pro using Tapatalk

[Marc_B]

I just peeled off the peeling layer, cleaned off with Goo Gone, and after I cleaned the lens off I applied a thin layer of Matte Clear paint to protect the surface.  Worked great!

[philiplane]

heat and time made them warp. More heat won't help. Replace them. Plastics like this were never meant to have a 30 plus year life span.

[Rick Junkin]

14 minutes ago, philiplane said:

heat and time made them warp. More heat won't help. Replace them. Plastics like this were never meant to have a 30 plus year life span.

Au contraire, heat from an iron set on high (cotton) flattened them out quite nicely. The top surface is still ragged from the delam but much better than before. I’ll use replacements if I can get them, but a hot Iron fixed the warping.

[LANCECASPER]

Until I got new lenses in 2018, I used goo gone to get the top layer and adhesive off and it improved the appearance drastically. I got another 3-4 years out of them before I bought new.

[Rick Junkin]

6 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

Until I got new lenses in 2018, I used goo gone to get the top layer and adhesive off and it improved the appearance drastically. I got another 3-4 years out of them before I bought new.

I went after what’s remaining with a plastic spudger/scraper and it just didn’t want to come off. I was able to flake away the parts that had delaminated but the rest of it won’t peel/scrape off. I haven’t tried goo gone or any other solvent yet, afraid of doing more harm than good.

Does the goo gone penetrate the plastic film and loosen it up? I’ve been thinking it won’t but if I’m wrong I’ll give it a go and see what happens. I still have a few weeks before the panel goes back together to get this figured out.

If nothing else it’s been an entertaining project.

Cheers,
Rick

[LANCECASPER]

17 minutes ago, Rick Junkin said:

I went after what’s remaining with a plastic spudger/scraper and it just didn’t want to come off. I was able to flake away the parts that had delaminated but the rest of it won’t peel/scrape off. I haven’t tried goo gone or any other solvent yet, afraid of doing more harm than good.

Does the goo gone penetrate the plastic film and loosen it up? I’ve been thinking it won’t but if I’m wrong I’ll give it a go and see what happens. I still have a few weeks before the panel goes back together to get this figured out.

If nothing else it’s been an entertaining project.

Cheers,
Rick

Goof Off would definitely damage them, but Goo Gone, a plastic "razor" blade and a hair dryer didn't hurt them at all. If I remember correctly I might have hit them with some rubbing compound after that.

[Rick Junkin]

I took the leap with goo gone and am making slow progress. I’m a boring person so this will fill my time for the next several hours/days. 

[Rick Junkin]

I wasn't able to repair/restore the lenses to my satisfaction so I ended up ordering new ones from Mooney through AGL MSC.

Trim/flap lense: $133.34

Rudder trim lense: $129.32

Cheers,
Rick

[N201MKTurbo]

Just now, Rick Junkin said:

I wasn't able to repair/restore the lenses to my satisfaction so I ended up ordering new ones from Mooney through AGL MSC.

Trim/flap lense: $133.34

Rudder trim lense: $129.32

Cheers,
Rick

An amazingly reasonable price! Much easier than fabricating a new one.

[LANCECASPER]

3 hours ago, Rick Junkin said:

I wasn't able to repair/restore the lenses to my satisfaction so I ended up ordering new ones from Mooney through AGL MSC.

Trim/flap lense: $133.34

Rudder trim lense: $129.32

Cheers,
Rick

A drop in the bucket compared to the entire panel re-do. Might as well make everything look new.

[Rick Junkin]

9 minutes ago, LANCECASPER said:

A drop in the bucket compared to the entire panel re-do. Might as well make everything look new.

I get my first look at the CNC’d plastic trial panel with all the UV printed legends and graphics on Thursday. You’re right, I’d be disappointed with trim lenses that weren’t to the same standard.

[1Germaican]

I’d like to see pics of the new plastic.

Please and thank you,

 

[Fly Boomer]

On 6/20/2023 at 6:41 PM, Rick Junkin said:

I get my first look at the CNC’d plastic trial panel with all the UV printed legends and graphics on Thursday. You’re right, I’d be disappointed with trim lenses that weren’t to the same standard.

I don't understand CNC and trial -- I thought you ordered factory parts?

[Rick Junkin]

57 minutes ago, 1Germaican said:

I’d like to see pics of the new plastic.

Please and thank you,

 

 

53 minutes ago, Fly Boomer said:

I don't understand CNC and trial -- I thought you ordered factory parts?

My bad, I crossed the streams. I did buy new lenses from Mooney.

The plastic trial panel I was referring to was the first hack at the CNC’d replacement instrument panel for fit checks. It ended up being about a month later before it happened anyway.

Cheers,
Rick