Removing Super Glue Cloudiness from Plastic?

Greetings,

I have a question regarding removing a cloudiness on plastic caused by super glue. I've been working on a latex mask for a while (my first attempt at doing something like this) and have glued in some lenses in the eyes (the lenses are just thin strips of clear plastic). Not knowing what else to use because I couldn't clamp them in, I used a little super glue to hold them in place before I used to a different glue to hold them in better. But I noticed that after the super glue dried it left a cloudiness around the edges of the plastic lenses... It's not a terrible cloudiness but when I have the mask on it makes seeing through the corners of the eyes a bit blurry. There is a slight roughness when I run my finger over where the cloudiness is on the plastic.

After reading something about it I discovered that the cloudiness is caused by a chemical reaction in the super glue producing a vapor and it leaves a cloudiness on plastic. Wish I would have known that earlier. Anyway, I was wondering if there was some way to clean it off? I tried a little bit of Windex and while the cloudiness disappeared when it was damp as soon as it dried it came right back. I had thought of trying to use a little Goo Gone but I wasn't sure if it might damage the rubber of the mask or the paint on the mask...

Is there some way I could wipe off this cloudy super glue residue?

I don't think there is.

You could try a very fine polishing compound like Brasso, it should work & shouldn't scratch the surface of your plastic. I'd suggest testing this on a spare piece of the same plastic first.
I've done this once or twice before with success but I guess it'll depend on the type of plastic your using. Some of these compounds have Ammonia in them that can damage the surface of some plastics. So test it first!
HTH

I've had this issue with R/C plane windshields, and I've never found a way to get the cloudiness off, and none of the old-timers had any suggestions. I'm thinking along the lines of Leigh, though; a polishing compound for plastics may be your best bet.

If you have more clear plastic, I would replace the lenses and glue the new ones in with a good flexible glue like "Goop" or "Shoe Goo."

Failing that, polishing the "frosting" off the original lenses might be possible but you are going to need to remove them, first or try to polish them in place with a pointed Dremel buffing tip and progressively finer buffing compounds at slow speed. Sounds like a nightmare to me!

I'll give the polishing a shot and see what happens. I think I have some Brasso sitting around somewhere. I have some silver polish, too, though I don't remember what brand it is.

If I do end up having to replace the plastic, what would be a good glue to use that would dry quick enough that I could get the pieces in place? That's why I used the super glue, because I can't clamp the lenses (they're too far up, I'd have to have huge clamps to reach the place) so I used super glue to set the plastic lenses in place and hold them there for a few seconds while the glue dried, and then I could user a slower-drying glue to get them attached well. But a slower-drying glue alone wouldn't give me that bond as quickly and wouldn't hold as quickly...

I wonder if an automotive headlight restoration kit would work? I know 3M makes one that works for glass and plastic.

Try toothpaste on a soft cloth works for me on model kits.

Toothpaste? Interesting. That's definitely one I've never heard of!

It seems like a combination of Brasso, Goo Gone and hot soapy water has helped. The lenses are still a little blurry in the corners but not as bad as they were and that white cloudiness is barely visible (so I'm not sure why things are still a little blurry). The lenses aren't perfect but they are a little better, enough so that I think that I can deal with what blurriness there is.

Thankfully the blurs are only on the corners and not in the middle of the lenses...

The cause of the clouding is due to your fingers. Even if you got dry fingers, you still have a slight moisture and produce an aminoacid called "Squalen", the main component of super glue is Cyanoacrylate, which reacts with the Aminoacid Squalen in a crystalization process. You may know that from CSI, where the Investigators are using a pen vaporizer to make fingerprints visible on uneven surfaces.

Normally to remove those clouding would be nail polisher aka Acteon, but the clouding would be more worse, since the Keton is able to solve plastic. As long as it isn't visible to the naked eye, I would leave as it is, before you ruin your lens more. You could try the polishing route via the dremel, using the soft buffing tip, but I don't know how that works out.

I'm glad you've had some positive results You could try the polish on a cotton bud to get into those hard to reach area's if your really that bothered As long as the polishing compound is very fine you should be onto a winner! If you know someone in the motor trade (specifically bodywork) ask them if they have a little 3M imperial hand glaze or an equivalent, its a very fine finishing compound & has no Ammonia. You should be able to polish your lenses well enough to see through clearly
I use this stuff on my welding visor!
HTH


Edit: I learned about the super glue cloudy thing from Beverly hills cop

Thanks for the information, everyone. It's much appreciated.

I think I'll just leave it alone for now. If it really ends up bugging me it wouldn't be too hard to take out the lenses and stuff later and put in new ones, but for now, because it's not too bad and is a little bit better, I think that I'll just leave it alone. Next time I guess that I'll have to find something else to use.

I would try Novus polish with a very soft cloth, or toilet paper, something that won't scratch.