[Shiny]

What materials and process works for you?

I have 5 or 6 rear taillight lenses that I want to polish. They are all scratched and dirty but worth it to me to clean up.

I tried it by elbow and used the experience to justify purchase of a mini polisher with 1", 2" and 3" backers. Hopefully the elbow will thank me. The back sides of these are complex and hard to access but I think I'll be happy if I just get the backs clean and polish the fronts.

Here's one of the worst:



I started with this collection of stuff. They all polish fine but none so far seems aggressive enough to remove the scratches.



I am going to try Meguiar's 105 on a stiff foam pad next. Hopefully it will be a reasonably aggressive 1st step. I also ordered Meguiar's 205 as a second step but don't expect it to be much different than the stuff I have. The Novus #2 seems to work pretty well for polishing, just didn't remove enough of the scratches.

What has worked for you?

Mike

[Redpiston]

Well your elbow may not thank you because the shape may not work well for a motorized pad. 1k, 2k, 4000 grit paper then follow with 4 (000) steel wool, and then you polish. Keep plenty of water on it to keep paper clean.

[Shiny]

Thanks for the guidance.

I have no problem reaching the front surfaces with the mini-polisher pads. The tool is DA and pads are 1" and 2" dia.

But if I have to sand, I will have trouble. What do you use for a sanding block/pad for the small pieces of paper I will need? Glue it to a cut up sponge or ??

[1965gp]

You can use regular compound and polish. I’m always scared to sand down plastic. The Adams white polish and blue compound both work well. I have their 1” detail buffer and it really works well on plastic lights and chrome.

[Shiny]

Thank you too for the help.

I want to avoid sanding but I guess it depends on the depth of the scratches and how badly I want to get rid of them... which is not so badly.

That Adams polisher looks nice. I bought a sketchy budget version off Amazon. So far, it works great but I don't expect it to hold up.

If the Meguiar's 105 doesn't get it done, I'll try a heavier compound next.

Mike

[dataway]

Always seems to me they are easy to get shiny, hard to get glossy/smooth.

[Entropy11]

To me it’s just like plastic headlight lenses… if they’re bad or discolored enough to require aggressive compounds or sanding, you’re going to have to clear them to not only make them look perfect, but to keep them looking perfect in regular use.

I use the 3M Finesse-it Roloc sanding pads. I think they only come in the required small sizes in “stick-it” form so you can cut your own sticky back paper to attain whatever grit you require (if you don’t intend to pay them a fortune for their pre-cut offerings). I use the 3/4” ones the most. The foam backer makes a huge difference and you could do wet/dry or whatever. Usually just enough to get the raised up portions of the scratches flush and any rough areas that just look “dirty” to smooth and clean. The clear will take care of most of the rest and look new.

Aside from that I always thought there was a way you could compound/sand them flush to a perfectly smooth finish then quickly flame treat them to get the gloss back. Maybe that was something I just always wanted to try but never did. It works with other plastics 🤔

[Entropy11]

I forgot the pic sorry…

Oh, and if you want to try one let me know and I’ll just send you one. Ithink I still have a bunch. If you can find a place that’ll actually sell them to you they always want to only sell them in a box of 20 for a fortune $$$.

If you do this another tip would be to find a way to limit the throttle when you sand. I use the 3M nib sander where you can set the dial low, but you can easily just cut your air pressure to limit your max rpm of course. Nothing worse than slipping on the trigger and maxing out at 12 or 15k rpm with sandpaper on plastic!

** sorry for the long narrative… not saying by any means it’s the only way! Curious to see what you come up with. Good luck!

[burd]

Novus makes a #3 too.

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by Entropy11

...you’re going to have to clear them to not only make them look perfect, but to keep them looking perfect in regular use.

I use the 3M Finesse-it Roloc sanding pads. I think they only come in the required small sizes in “stick-it” form so you can cut your own sticky back paper to attain whatever grit you require (if you don’t intend to pay them a fortune for their pre-cut offerings). I use the 3/4” ones the most. The foam backer makes a huge difference and you could do wet/dry or whatever. Usually just enough to get the raised up portions of the scratches flush and any rough areas that just look “dirty” to smooth and clean. The clear will take care of most of the rest and look new.

Aside from that I always thought there was a way you could compound/sand them flush to a perfectly smooth finish then quickly flame treat them to get the gloss back. Maybe that was something I just always wanted to try but never did. It works with other plastics 🤔

Originally Posted by Entropy11

I forgot the pic sorry…

Oh, and if you want to try one let me know and I’ll just send you one. Ithink I still have a bunch. If you can find a place that’ll actually sell them to you they always want to only sell them in a box of 20 for a fortune $$$.

If you do this another tip would be to find a way to limit the throttle when you sand. I use the 3M nib sander where you can set the dial low, but you can easily just cut your air pressure to limit your max rpm of course. Nothing worse than slipping on the trigger and maxing out at 12 or 15k rpm with sandpaper on plastic!

** sorry for the long narrative… not saying by any means it’s the only way! Curious to see what you come up with. Good luck!

That helps, thank you!

When you say "clear them", what specific coating have you used?

These lenses don't need it but I understand how a degraded lens will just keep clouding up so I'm curious.

I am using a cordless electric polisher and the smallest pad is 1" but they are velcro. But I can stick sandpaper onto one of the velcro foam polishing pads and make that work if I think the scratches are big enough to need it.

Mike

[Shiny]

It is tedious but made some progress.

The Meguiar's M105 is more aggressive than any of the polishes I had so that helped. It removed most of the scratches on the two lenses I'm cleaning up and left a pretty uniform scratch.

After M105:



The polishes are the stumbling block for me. The Meguiar's M205 did not make it easy for me. I had the best results with the Novus #2 but there's room for improvement.

After Novus 2 (too much paste):



I think I'm using too much polish on the DA machine. When I use the Novus with a cloth, it works better. I think it is designed to break down as it dries out. I will try again with less goop on the pad and see how it goes.

After Novus 2 (letting it dry out). Note this part fell out and I have to glue it back in..:


I am happy with them as they are so if they don't improve I'm still way ahead.

Mike

[Entropy11]

My apologies... For clear I meant whatever you have on hand for clear coat. I usually use SPI Production Clear for stuff like that. Real easy to spray, has UV protection, is more resistant to abrasion and always just seems to be one of those "tough as nails" finishes, especially for a finish priced in the "economy" tier.

Your results are looking great!

[srmmmm]

Has anyone experimented with a flame polish treatment? We use it all the time on CNC machined acrylic and lucite edges that are used on signage.

[Shiny]

Originally Posted by Entropy11

My apologies... For clear I meant whatever you have on hand for clear coat. I usually use SPI Production Clear for stuff like that. Real easy to spray, has UV protection, is more resistant to abrasion and always just seems to be one of those "tough as nails" finishes, especially for a finish priced in the "economy" tier.

Your results are looking great!

Got it! Thanks for the extra info.

Originally Posted by srmmmm

Has anyone experimented with a flame polish treatment? We use it all the time on CNC machined acrylic and lucite edges that are used on signage.

What equipment is used? Can this be a hobby thing or does the process control dictate commercial tools?

[694.1]

See post 2.
Lenses are not much different than paint which is plastic too.
Sand with fine, finer, finest. I usually finish with 2000 grit, wet & then machine polish.
Restoring lenses has been worth my while over the years, getting the back sides clean
really makes a diff as well.
You are off to a good start.

[skunkwerks]

Originally Posted by Shiny

What materials and process works for you?

I have 5 or 6 rear taillight lenses that I want to polish. They are all scratched and dirty but worth it to me to clean up.

I tried it by elbow and used the experience to justify purchase of a mini polisher with 1", 2" and 3" backers. Hopefully the elbow will thank me. The back sides of these are complex and hard to access but I think I'll be happy if I just get the backs clean and polish the fronts.

Here's one of the worst:



I started with this collection of stuff. They all polish fine but none so far seems aggressive enough to remove the scratches.



I am going to try Meguiar's 105 on a stiff foam pad next. Hopefully it will be a reasonably aggressive 1st step. I also ordered Meguiar's 205 as a second step but don't expect it to be much different than the stuff I have. The Novus #2 seems to work pretty well for polishing, just didn't remove enough of the scratches.

What has worked for you?

Mike

After you use the meguiars finish off with Crest or Colgate toothpaste.
make sure they have no crystals of added mouthwash. Use a microfiber towel and some water. Do not clear coat those lenses. They are made of Ruby red lucite and are a special material. They were never clear coated from GM for a reason.
Wax them when finished to protect. Thats all you need.

[Shiny]

Thanks skunkwerks and to all who helped. PY is a treasure.

I saw no reason to clearcoat them but appreciate the warning. I will also try the toothpaste next round and wax is a good plan.

I just spent another hour on the first two and am now calling it good enough. I have a couple more when I next get bored.

I was basically using too much polish, spinning too slowly, and pushing too hard. This Meguiar's M105 worked well with the DA mode on the polisher and left a uniform scratch:



This is what it looked like after that M105 and my failed polishing attempts:



After using a new soft foam pad, straight spin/no DA, light pressure, high rpm, and just a little Novus #2 polish, they cleaned up a lot:



I invested enough on these tired parts, learned some stuff, have a new tool, and will move on to bigger challenges!



Mike

[indymanjoe]

FWIW instead of silver for the housings i used sem gloss white and the lights really pop anytime they are on. People have asked what LED's are in there and are really surprised when i say none.

[Shiny]

Thanks indymanjoe

I'm embarrassed by mine, should have done it your way.

Here's the sad story:

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=883123

[Entropy11]

Originally Posted by Shiny

Thanks indymanjoe

I'm embarrassed by mine, should have done it your way.

Here's the sad story:

https://forums.maxperformanceinc.com...d.php?t=883123

If you’re ever looking for an easy one step process to do the insides of the housings, give this a look. Something about the zinc in the coating reflects an insane amount of light. Have pics somewhere…
I saw it years ago on a Mustang forum (I think) and have used it ever since.

https://www.aervoe.com/product/chrome-galvanize/