iDetail said:
i am trying to polish my headlight lens's and i am having some problems. I cant seem to get them clear as glass. I have been using Novus step 2 polish on it and its not working the way i would like. I also tried using my 3M rubbing compound and it did nothing.
Ive wetsanded them with 2000 grit paper and polished them and this is what they look like.
Can someone recommend a product that will get these things perfect. It was hard to get a good picture.
How are you polishing them...by hand, PC, rotary??
For wetsanding I'd recommend a rotary or a drill starting with a medium abrasive polish then stepping down to a finishing polish. This will yield the fastest results. A PC with a 4" pad will work too, it'll just takes more passes.
Make sure not to let the plastic get too hot, the heat could cause the plastic to cloud. Let it cool down between passes or steps.
I posted these on a different forum but it might be useful.
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I have used many methods/products for headlight restoration, Novus 3 step system, metal polish, paint polish and plastic polish kits.
They all work relatively well, the main thing to remember when working with plastic is not to generate too much heat when cleaning...Creating too much heat can damage the plastic and cause the lens to cloud. Just take your time, check the temp periodically and let the lens cool between applications.
Here are some before and afters with different products:
Novus 3 step system - Works by hand w/terry applicator or PC Polishing pad
Before:
After:
Metal Polish - Works by hand w/terry applicator or PC Polishing pad
Before:
After:
Paint Polish - Works by hand w/terry applicator or PC Polishing pad
Before:
After:
Diamondite - Rotary/PC or Drill 4" foam pads
Before:
After:
The easiest was Diamondite headlight kit because it had everything you need in the kit and did a great job...the downside is, it's a bit expensive.
Just take your time and depending on the condition of the lights you might need a few applications or you may even have to wetsand them. If you do have to wetsand, all products mentioned above will remove 2000 grit sanding marks.
Good luck!
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