I'm building a 1/72 p-51 mustang III (raf). I did some heavy detailling in the cockpit, so i wanted to open the canopy. I cut it into pieces, it's looking good, but not too clear anymore, cutting it into pieces is not the most gentle process... I was wondering if somebody knows a simple technique to clean the canopy a little bit.

Thanks.

I have Flex-i-File's #3210 Polisher/Finisher that I use for things like that. It's a sanding stick with two grade of sanding surface on one side and a polishing surface on the other. Genty wet sand the canopy with the coarse end then the fine end of the stick. Flip the stick and polish it up a bit with the other side. Then give the canopy a quick dip in Future. Good as new. You may want to practice on a scrap piece first as sanding clear parts can be a pretty stressful and unnatural act the first time you try it. I know this works because I have used it several times myself.

I'm just returning to aircdaft moddelling after many years but I can remember reading somewhere an article on this very subject. The article reccommended using first a file to smooth off the edges, then then restoring the clarity of the canopy by sanding and polishing using wet and dry papergoing from coarse to fine, then toothpaste rubbed on with a piece cut from an old pair of denim jeans and finally metal polish. I used this technique once after filing off the armoured glass panel on a spitfire canopy to build a very early version and it worked very well at 1/72 scale.

The flexifile is the best method, but for the same results cheaper, pay a visit to your local beauty shop and buy the nail polishing sticks, the ones with four grades of sanding/polishing material.....black/grey/green/pink
Ask your missus / girlfriend for the ones. They are very very cheap and do the trick beautifully.

I keep stealing my wife's hehehehe