Awesome. Can’t believe it’s that simple. Thanks 🙏

this video saved me... so simple and very well explained. Thanks a lot

I have a small scratch in my dome that I’ve wanted to fix for a few years now. I know you said to be brave, that it’s going to be worse before it gets better and trust the process BUT THIS IS DAUNTING. Thanks for the video!

Found that very useful thank you. Excellent. I’ll get polishing the scratch across the middle of my flat port. 👍

Awesome video Matty, thanks for sharing your tips!

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks Chris! Anytime ;-)

Wow that's so helpful. Cheers for that

Thanks Matty. It’s great to know how to deal with scratches on the port. Very detailed and thorough explanation. :)

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for taking the time to comment. I'm glad you found it useful!

woow very helpfull, so i dont need to buy any new dome, stunned!!

Awesome - I have used camera domes which are expensive to replace, this is just what I needed! Thank you!

@mattysmithphoto8002

Жыл бұрын

No problem :)

Great tip Matt!

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Glad you liked it Matt!

Thank you brother... I am trying to fix my bike head light scratches.... I hope it works...🙏

Thanks Matty need that on my wet wide angle lens

Brilliant. Thank you!

Thanks for this Matty. Would this work on the entire dome? If it were covered on little scratches?

Great info, thanks!

Thanks I'm gonna try this on my super kixx

thank you for sharing and it real helpful.

You saved my ass. Thanks man.

Thanks so much super useful!! :)

Many thanks. Most helpful

@mattysmithphoto8002

3 жыл бұрын

Glad it was helpful!

Thanks man. Needed to see to believe it!!! Watering the sandpaper is a must, right?

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Fernando, yes you must wet the fine paper to get the best finish. Cheers,

What about buffing some super small scratches on the inside of the port.

I've got Ikelite housing, it that valid advice?

Holy Cow!!! that's a massive dome. Do you shoot for BBC Blue Planet??

Thanks for the video, although I have a concern regarding the technique. I’ve always being told that when you polish a dome you have to polish it all to avoid an optical problem. That it may look different the part you polish with the rest of the dome one you work with it underwater, sort of when you look through a crystal glass... Have you ever had any issues regarding what I’m trying to explain? One last thing. Can you tell me the brand of the quimic you use for this? Thanks.

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Ernesto. Thanks for the question. If you use a firm sponge/cork block it will mould to the curvature of your port and will help you to avoid rubbing flat spots on your port if you use a nice circular motion. I think it would be very impractical to try and polish the whole port and not without errors anyway, so I wouldn't recommend it and don't do that myself. Also, remember that the water has very similar density and optical qualities as the acrylic your port is made from so any external port imperfections are well hidden on contact with water. The acrylic effectively becomes an "extension" to the water so any small scratches and optical errors practically disappear underwater. Hope that helps.

Hi Matty. Wanted to know if you had any advice for PolyCarbonate wet lenses with hard coatings? I read one of your comments below that this technique is probably not suitable. Do you know any technique that is? I have the AOI m52 wide angle air lens (ual-05)

@mattysmithphoto8002

Жыл бұрын

Hey, that's a tricky one and I'm not sure of a technique that would work, sorry.

greate! thanks

I followed all of the steps and the scratch is gone but the dome looks smokey/smudged.

Matty, I'm thinking that's incredible!!! Can you do your headlights on the car that same way?

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Starla, you won't be able to use this technique if your headlights are made of glass (which they probably are) this technique only works on acrylic/plastic. If you have plastic headlight covers it will work on those!

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

@@Tish46 Oh no! Glad you found the video and I hope you get your gear back to it's former glory.

good tutorial - for me its an acrylic all sky camera dome. Same idea, thanks.

What u suggest for a dome that is get opaque? ( micro scratches all over ) ?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Just try using the metal polish and a soft cloth to clean it up.

lol i tried using pledge metal polish and it didn't work.. the mat finish is still there, o used the same P1200

Not working for dive cases, the result is a new dive case since the place stays dim now I may throw it away.

Can I use also p 1000 as last touch before polishing?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

P1000 May be a little coarse and will take longer to polish out.

Jeez is that a 24” dome port 😂. Thanks for the video!

Hi Matty, I have a scratch on AOI UWL 400A , which is a small dome (~12cm diameter) compared to yours. Should I change the technique in anyway? Given the curvature is much more pronounced on a small dome, should I use a softer sanding block to avoid any flattening? Thanks! Seb

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

STOP! Hey Seb, the AOI UWL 400A is a glass dome, this technique works on acrylic only. I'm sorry but there isn't much you can do with glass ports, polishing them just makes the problem worse. You're only option really is to contact a professional glazier to see if they can help you. Sorry for the bad news.

@sebastienlecas3407

4 жыл бұрын

@@mattysmithphoto8002 Hi Matty, are you sure the dome is made of glass? The specs on the AOI website say Front PC Dome Lens with Hard Coating, which I assume means PolyCarbonate and not glass?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

@@sebastienlecas3407 Hey Sebastien, I just checked their website and you're correct, 4 of the elements are glass and it says the front dome is PC, I can only guess that means Poly Carbonate but I can't be 100% sure. It does seem strange that they used Poly Carbonate over Acylic if that is the case. It also does say that it has a hard coating, I'm also not sure how the hard coating will go with the polishing proces, it may become patchy. Also note that what you have is a "wet lens" and not a normal dome port, so it's hard to tell how polishing it will effect it's optical lens characterists. If the scratch is minor and not effecting your pictures I would be tempted to leave it. If it's a real problem, give this a go but be prepared that you may need to replace the wet lens should it go wrong. I would proceed with caution.

@Bryce.nichol

Жыл бұрын

Hello Sebastien. Did you ever try this technique with your AOI lens or did you try something else? if yes how did it go? I have an AOI m52 wide angle air lens (ual-05) which the website says is a Polycarbonate dome with a hard coating. I have read Matty's concerns and am not sure yet if i want to risk it.

Hey Matty, Thanks so much for sharing this invaluable information. It's really saved my dome. Just a quick question though. I've managed to buff the scratch out to a point that I can't see it anymore, but when I look through the back of the dome I can see a small indent/blur in the image where the scratch was. Can this be rectified with more buffing and polishing or should I just leave good alone, as I would hate for it to get worse. Thanks in advance and keep up the excellent work.

@mattysmithphoto8002

5 жыл бұрын

Hey Clayton, No worries man. Maybe try it underwater, often the contact with water will hide many port blemishes and problems. Did you use a flat sanding block and circular movement as in the video?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Clayton, glad it has helped. Did you use a soft sanding block as described? What I would do is test it underwater and see if you can see the ripple, you will probably find it will disappear once in contact with water. Let me know how you go. Cheers,

Hey brother, have you noticed the reflection of the sanded area with sunlight? It’s like blotches or a streak with the straight sandpaper job I did.

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Hey man, It sounds like you need to polish it a little more with the metal polish and cloth. Make sure you're using a clean and very soft cloth and circular motion to polish. It should totally remove any steaks etc when done correctly.

@Righteouness

4 жыл бұрын

Matty Smith Photo I think it’s what you’ve mentioned (divot). Is there a way to remove/lessen this?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

@@Righteouness Did you use a sanding block and circular motion as you sanded? That should stop the divots. Once you put the dome underwater the divot should be much less obvious, try it. If it's still noticeable you might need to sand it with a block to try and reduce it.

@Righteouness

4 жыл бұрын

Matty Smith Photo sand block, circular motion, wet sanding and polished with the exact product: indent still remains and I created another one ☹️ I’m very tempted to chuck this dome port out

@AleVaMakeup

3 жыл бұрын

I followed your instructions to remove an small scratch and I ended up with scratches all over the dome, I’m guessing the texture of Brasso just ruined my dome

Tried this exact technique w 800 and then 1500 wet sand paper and block on my aquatech 8” dome. After polishing with the bras so I now just have a cloudy dome port that’s unuseable. I can’t get the “matte” finish off. Copied the video to the T with exact products. Not sure why it didn’t work for me unless the aquatech ports are a different type of acrylic

@mattysmithphoto8002

Жыл бұрын

Hi Matthew, I'm sorry to hear this. I do know people have had success polishing Aquatech ports with this method. Firstly, are you using emery cloth or sandpaper? As you mention sandpaper, wet & dry emery is the way to go. Next, I would try a finer grit emery before buffing with the brasso. Wet & dry emery goes all the way down to 7000 grade (very, very fine), try and buff grades down to 3000 at least for a super fine finish and use plenty of water. Then try the brasso again with a brand new, uncontaminated soft cloth. You can also buy a special acrylic polishing cream called Novus with is designed specifically for this job (link below), maybe substitute the brasso for this product, it's more expensive but worth a shot. Let me know how you go and good luck. www.digidirect.com.au/catalog/product/view/id/56404/s/aquatech-novus-cleaning-scratch-removal-12310?gclid=CjwKCAjw3ueiBhBmEiwA4BhspG8NvEFsNX4mJl6CK7rDaD-TsHL7484IWAJAlTnIiJ9GqyygJqlOhRoCSE0QAvD_BwE

@matthewbrush3472

Жыл бұрын

@@mattysmithphoto8002 Thanks for the reply. I did actually buy the Novus kit and used it and it worked way better than the Brasso. I was using a wet /dry sandpaper of 800 grit first and then 1500 grit and then 2000 grit. There are still some sanding scratches on the dome from it. Maybe I should get 3000 to try? It's quite a difficult process I"m finding.

@mattysmithphoto8002

Жыл бұрын

@@matthewbrush3472 Yes maybe try the 3000, it sounds like you're maybe not polishing enough with the fine paper and getting the deeper scratches out before going to the polishing paste.

Can I fix scratches on the inside of my port in the same manner?

@mattysmithphoto8002

Ай бұрын

Hey Tash, potentially yes, though I've never done it. Just check with your manufacturer that the inside doesn't have an anti reflective coating. If it does then I would recommend not touching it. Another difficulty might be the negative curve of the inside. Maybe consider using a tennis ball or similar to support the abrasive paper so you get an even finish.

Actually I have it worse I can't get away that smokey part with the metal polisher, maybe I bought the wrong, I live in Spain so I tried to translate it from English to Spanish, it smells also amnoniac like?

@Righteouness

4 жыл бұрын

the truth did you fix it?

@mauricelamain1978

4 жыл бұрын

@@Righteouness, es I fixed it, takes time, but toothpaste worked also great as last polish

@Righteouness

4 жыл бұрын

the truth actually, toothpaste is too gritty I think. The scratch isn’t visible but it’s visible when the light shines on it from the sun. Have you tried this?

@Righteouness

4 жыл бұрын

the truth I also looked through the hole from the back of the dome and I can see a weird bevel on it.

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Yes there is a quite a strong smell with that polish. If you still have a smokey part it needs polishing more, it can take some time. Make sure you're using a new and very soft cloth and polishing in a circular motion. Cheers.

My question is where can I find this dome? 😅

@mattysmithphoto8002

6 ай бұрын

Hi! I sell them on my website, www.mattysmithphoto.com/custom-dome-ports/ Thanks.

@Charles_Robert.9

6 ай бұрын

@@mattysmithphoto8002 are these plexiglass or polycarbonate?

not working.. my dom port is dead 😥

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Hey Ray, if it’s not working you may have done a step of the process incorrect because it works very well. What’s the problem you’re having?

@raykim8139

4 жыл бұрын

Matty Smith Photo I think I used different brasso. That of mine is brown plastic bottle. And my dom port state is like just finish sand paper polishing but no glassy. Can you give me more advice?? 😥

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

@@raykim8139 What grade of wet and dry paper did you use? Did you wet it? And how long have you been polishing with the brasso?

@mattysmithphoto8002

4 жыл бұрын

Can you email me a picture of your port?

@raykim8139

4 жыл бұрын

Matty Smith Photo Thanks, I send message to your instagram message. Thank your for your kindness