Damaged Grostar Help! - (forgot to peel plastic)

[ScapeGoat]

Yes... I'm an idiot sometimes and this is one of the stupidest things I've done.

I have the grostar... forgot to peel the plastic and its now baked onto the reflector.

Hopefully this will serve as a guide (with your guidance) to anyone who has shit for brains or is just a clumsy fucker like myself

 

And theres me blaming my shitty plant health on Hard water. (although it didn't hurt to get an RO system)

 

DO NOT lose patience and start attacking it with metal scrapers / blades as this will make it worse. 

I have used a blowtorch and / or heat gun on the highest setting to melt the plastic. *DO NOT DO THIS INDOORS* even if you have a decent extractor fan.

 

The heat and then wipe method works using tissues or a decent thickness cloth.

Its a bit tedious you will need some hours.

 

The problem is that before I realised its easier to wipe than scrape, I scratched it to fuck - thinking the scratches were just plastic compressed. 

 

Pics to follow shortly. 

Please don't roast me. We live and we learn and I'm pretty hard on myself as it is. I decided to post my error as I'm sure its happened to others but I could not find the threads.

 

I need advice on polishing and shine the Miro alloy metal to mirror (reflective) finish.

the only thing I've ever polished is my watches with microfibre cloth so I don't have experience with rotary tools or sanding. 

 

Edited November 26, 2020 by ScapeGoat
spelling

[Joint hogger]

The Miro is a coating as far as I know, so attacking it with a brillo pad or something similar will take the Miro coating off.

 

Fraid to say you might need to get a new reflector.

[ScapeGoat]

I'm gonna give it a go and see what happens.

 

Upon further inspection i noticed about 7% of the surface area is damaged by scratches.

 

I'm not sure that enough to justify the £200+ on another one.

 

Will try to remove what remains of the plastic. 50% is removed. 50% is left.

Once thats done I'll rub the residue out with isopropyl alcohol... (yes.... it works... not sure why or how but not complaining!)

 

Don't really like taking pics of the reflector for obvious reasons but I will try to get some which are non-revealing anyhow.

[ScapeGoat]

5 hours ago, Joint hogger said:

The Miro is a coating as far as I know

 

I'm hoping that the scratches are not too deep for that to be an issue. Otherwise, I'll at least try to get a mirror finish from whatever metal remains underneath the Miro layer.

 

I'm thinking sand it down with multiple girts and polish after fine grit sanding and then do a test run!

[Joint hogger]

Bloody hell, I hadn't realized that the cost of the Grostar had gone up so much. £200. I'd suffice too with the 10% damage & just get on with it.

 

I paid that for two Dimlux Alpha 98 reflectors which are Miro coated too, but they're not Parabolic, they're Horizontal facing reflectors.

 

 

 

 

[btk1977]

49 minutes ago, ScapeGoat said:

 

I'm hoping that the scratches are not too deep for that to be an issue. Otherwise, I'll at least try to get a mirror finish from whatever metal remains underneath the Miro layer.

 

I'm thinking sand it down with multiple girts and polish after fine grit sanding and then do a test run!

 

 

Try and get some photos up of the damage if you can, you might do more harm than good depending on how bad the damage is.