i did the wetsand methon and...

 

 

NO ORANGE PEEL!!!! YAY!!!!

 

instead of this:

 

i got THIS:

 

SO....how do i strip clearcoat off of plastic?...

Depends on the plastic. Usually, the polycarbonates are pretty impervious to most solvents but the really agressive ones like acetone will eat thru the plastic, so I'd try a "high proof" rubbing alcohol first. In some states you can't find 90% rubbing alcohol, but if it is there in PA I'd give that a try. My experience with 70% rubbing alcohol (isopropyl or denatured ethyl) has been less than great. Also in some places, you can buy 90+% methyl alcohol at hardware stores.

You maybe can even find some of that 3M product called "finesse it" that the guy on your other thread mentioned. It is water based, so it will come completely off the lens with a simple water wash after you're done with a final polish. I imagine that "finesse it" is probably something like 6000 grit particles suspended in water, which makes it a little like the "jeweler's rouge" that metalsmiths use for a final mirror finish on metals.

BTW - Your clearcoat is "alligatored," which usually means that there was a very fine layer of oil or of detergent left on the plastic before you sprayed it. If the stuff comes off with alcohol, then the alcohol will probably take off the oil film as well. I'd finish up with a hot water rinse, followed by a quick dip in distilled water, which then should leave absolutely nothing on the surface of the lens.

BTW - Your clearcoat is "alligatored," which usually means that there was a very fine layer of oil or of detergent left on the plastic before you sprayed it. If the stuff comes off with alcohol, then the alcohol will probably take off the oil film as well. I'd finish up with a hot water rinse, followed by a quick dip in distilled water, which then should leave absolutely nothing on the surface of the lens.

 

maybe there's something on my paper towels...

 

after i did all my sanding i wiped it down with 70% isopropyl rubbing alcohol then took it outside and sprayed it with dupli-color auto spray clear top coat.

 

i just did a quick re-sand through the different grits on the clearcoat to get come of the "canyons" shallower. we'll see how that works.

 

i asked this in the other thread... is the lense foggy until sprayed?

If you've polished it to a mirror finish, it won't be foggy -- but that's really hard to do with just sandpaper. Smooth mirror finishes almost always need a final "lap" polish with something like jeweler's rouge. I read on one of these threads that someone else wasn't able to get it "mirror polished" and some foggines was left. They also recommended doing at least 2 coats of the clear-coat, with the first one being very light. They also said that the lens finished smoother if it was cold before the clear-coat was applied (they threw theirs in a fridge for a while before applying the first coat.

 

I can see where that would allow the lacquer to set up much more slowly, and that might prevent the shrinking that you see as alligator cracks. I don't know this from firsthand experience, though, As always, YMMV.