Hello Everyone,

I recently took my extra set of stock lights apart and currently painting them black. I notice though that my lenses have scratches on them from when i bought them from ebay. I was reading online about plastics, and do you think i could take some 600/1000/2000 grit wetsand paper to lightly sand the scratches out and then get a polish from walmart for afterwards. I know you can get stuff to eliminate cloudiness but I am looking for something to fill in or buff out light scratches. My lenses are completely removed so i can clean them inside and out before putting my lights back together.

thanks,

Josh

 

wouldnt go any less then 1000 but yeah you can.

 

they make headlight lense restorer at any or most auto parts places, works quite well to.,

 

yeah i have used the stuff that goes on the end of a grill and it doesnt get the scratches out but it does get the yellow or oxidation out. I am looking for a way to my scratches out as there has to be a way.

Do you think 1000 though would even polish out light scratches?

 

1000 would probably be a little rough if you ask me. I'd start with a could rubbing compound if there just light scratches/scuff marks.

 

Any certain kind of rubbing compound. I know i could just pick some up at walmart. There little scratches and there from when the person use to wash there car and dry them it was the towels they used that put light scratches on them but there noticeable.

 

I used to use rubbing compound, then polishing compound and cleaner wax to get rid of scratches on plastic. Same as paint but if you use a buffer be careful.

 

Well i would rather not use a buffer as i don't really want to mess the lenses up even though it is my extra set. I should be able to get all of that at walmart that your saying. So i would just rub the rubbing compound in, wipe it smooth, then the polishing, wipe, cleaner wax then wipe and be good you think. I want to clean inside/outside good before i put my lights back together and I am in no hurry really on this as i want to make it right.

What about something like this.

http://www.amazon.com/Novus-Polish-P...8708559&sr=8-1

 

It will be easier to use a buffer to take scratches out... it will take forever by hand.

If you use the right buffer, would need to try hard as hell to burn the plastic. A random orbital buffer is very user friendly unlike the more professional rotary buffers. I have yet to burn any plastic for the lenses.

 

What kind of application stuff would i use with a buffer though?

 

Plastic Polish by Mequiars

 

that shows it gently removes fine scratches. I have used stuff that said the same thing and they never work by hand.

 

You won't remove scratches by hand. Use a buffer at a low speed and just keep it moving.

 

use a small 2" polisher you could go as course as 800 if there are real dep scratches but you shouldn't really need to go any courser than 1000. I have to do it all time at the body shop

 

From my experience with tinting tails lights:

If you can feel the scratches with your nail, do 1000/2000, POLISHING compound, and then Plast X by Meguiers. Also, don't get anxious and move to the next step without getting the scratches out because it will not go away later.

 

So should i use 800 grit wetsand paper on the lense and then a 2" polisher to buff it out. Here is a picture of my painted lights so far as i am seeing what else i can with them before i put them back together plus i want to fix the lenses.

http://i149.photobucket.com/albums/s...d/DSC01160.jpg

I also could use vht night shades and put one thin coat on the lens and then clear coat it and it should cover up the scratches and look damm nice too. What do you think of that. I am two tone the lights today and i will take pics later on tonight of them as there going to look awesome.

 

ahhh me < reading haha sorry man..

Ive used the same thing above posters said for scratches. Rubbing Compound / cleaner wax.. kinda treat it like you would paint, and you should be good to go... good luck man

 

tagged for reference later

 

Hey i see turtle wax has the rubbing compound and also a cleaner wax in the little can at walmart for 2.50 each. Would that probably work for me do you think or are there better rubbing compounds to get and a different cleaner wax. Would i just do this by hand also.

Josh

 

not sure about turtle wax... but it will probably work, I think I used maguires (however u spell it) and ya you can do it by hand. Just use a micro fiber cloth, and dont rub to hard

 

Do they make both the rubbing compound and cleaner wax? I mean meguires.

 

why not just wetsand and spray clearcoat on it. I think that would work perfectly

 

Plastic-X is a finishing polish... it is meant for very very light imperfections. Also, it is something that you must actually work into the plastic if you're doing it by hand... it is a common misconception that products like Plastic-X and Scratch-X are a product you wipe on, let sit for a few minutes, then just wipe off... it won't work that way... you have to actually act like you're trying to force that product into the paint or plastic.

For me, I do my plastic parts in 3 steps: Wetsand (For major imperfections), then compound (I used a product normally used for paint, but it worked beautifully. Meguiars So1o polish and medium cut pad. For the fine polish, I used a finishing pad and Plastic-X.

Yes. Meguiars has quite an extensive cataloge of products that range from very heavy cut machine polishes to waxes.

It doesn't really work that way. Clear coat is meant to be a protective layer. What you would basically be doing is covering the unfinished plastic and have horrible hazing.

You need to polish the plastic smooth and remove all of the sanding scratches before applying a protective clear coat, otherwise, the sanding marks will still be present and cause light refraction. When you remove scratches, you're trying to even out the surface to eliminate flaws that refract the light.

 

I do this atleast a couple times a week at work, i use 1500 and buff it out with a high speed...if you can get a hold of a buffer it really isnt that bad, just don't stay in one spot...but it would take quite a bit to mess up that plastic so no worries. To be safe tape up the bumper around the lights cuz that is easy to burn

 

Well the lights are not on my car so i wouldn't have to worry about taping off my bumper at all. I mean i use to have a sata II gun and I painted my last car so i dont see i would have a problem wetsanding and buffing it out.