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Plastic lens polish

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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 15:10 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Plastic lens polish Reply with quote

Not for headlights, but probably the same principle.

I have an assortment of used taximeters that I intend to refurbish.

They have a removable clear plastic (I think acrylic) lens that clips over the top of the display. Some of the lenses have become quite badly scuffed and scratched.

I've seen a lot of headlight restoration kits that would probably do the job but these all seem rather overpriced and single-use. Considering I intend to do this kind of on a bulk scale I wanted to find an economical way of doing it.

Anything around the home or the local DIY shop fairly inexpensive that I could try?

I've already tried a Dremel on slow with this kind of nylon wool sander head (kinda looks like steel wool but is clearly plastic) which keyed the surface up nicely and made it hazy (although didn't tackle some of the deeper scratches so I either need to start with something more abrasive first or just spend longer on it with the nylon wool head) followed up by trying to buff toothpaste in to polish it off. I'm left with the sort of hazy finish done by the nylon wool attachment but the toothpaste doesn't seem to be doing much to help get the clear, shiny, glass-like finish back to the surface.

Someone suggested Brasso but not sure about that? Is that more or less abrasive than toothpaste?

Clearly the key is to do it in stages, starting with more abrasive and working down to smaller abrasives. So I'm thinking of just going down the sandpaper route and then finally buffing off with something like Brasso or another recommended polishing substance... starting low grit (larger abrasives) on the sandpaper and working up to high (smaller abrasives). B&Q only go up to 240 grit. Is that still going to be too low a grit for what I need? I've heard people talk of grit into the thousands.

Anyone who has has success on headlights, the same can probably be used here.

All advice welcome, thanks!
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 15:40 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I found some wet and dry I had kicking around. 240, 320, 400 and 600. Went through all 4 finishing on 600 on a test subject. The surface is nice and hazy now and much more consistently even than before. Should I shop for some higher grit paper or move to a polishing compound here? Suggestions please x
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Polarbear
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PostPosted: 15:52 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Is it a lens or just flat acrylic? If it's flat acrylic just buy sheet and cut to size.

If it's an actual lens then I cant help. I've never had any joy getting rid of deep scratches in clear plastic.
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 15:55 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Yeah it's a proper fitted lens not just a flat piece of acrylic. I'm being a cheap arse as replacement lenses are only £7.20 but times that by 10 or more equals more than rubbing away with some sand paper.

Hmm I'll order up some higher grit paper and ponder on what sort of polishing compound to finish on...
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Nobby the Bastard
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PostPosted: 17:26 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I could tell you exactly how to fix them but you're a fucking twat so I won't.
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 23:49 - 27 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Oh, the irony Thinking
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Easy-X
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PostPosted: 11:44 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
I could tell you exactly how to fix them but you're a fucking twat so I won't.


While that may be true there could be others reading this thread with the same problem.
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Islander
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PostPosted: 11:46 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Easy-X wrote:
Nobby the Bastard wrote:
I could tell you exactly how to fix them but you're a fucking twat so I won't.


While that may be true there could be others reading this thread with the same problem.


They could start a new thread in the appropriate section for their needs, Wink
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 13:15 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

And which section would that be? Bearing in mind my query has nothing to do with motoring altogether let alone motorbikes. Had I posted it in the workshop section I'd have been lambasted for posting it theere.

I can't win Doh!
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MCN
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PostPosted: 13:43 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Nobby the Bastard wrote:
I could tell you exactly how to fix them but you're a fucking twat so I won't.


Quandary: Not sure if this post is a flame or informative? Thinking
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MCN
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PostPosted: 13:48 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

TravisBickle wrote:
And which section would that be? Bearing in mind my query has nothing to do with motoring altogether let alone motorbikes. Had I posted it in the workshop section I'd have been lambasted for posting it theere.

I can't win Doh!


The shite you need to polish the prastic lenses probably costs more or as much as a new lens.

Cerium Oxide powder is the stuff. And to remove a scratch the entire surfaces have to be removed down to the deepest level of scratches.

You could Araldite them around your bell end and polish them that way. 2 birds with one stone.
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arry
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PostPosted: 14:15 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Meguiars Plastx is great stuff. Used it with a wool drillpad on my car's headlights and brought them up nicely. It's also removed scratches from the instrument binnacle cover.

It's about a tenner.
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Ste
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PostPosted: 14:26 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Islander wrote:
They could start a new thread in the appropriate section for their needs, Wink

Meh, as he says if he'd posted it in the workshop forum then he's just have been lambasted for posting his non mechanical question if the workshop. Razz

It could be argued that the correct place to post questions about taximeters would be in BackScuttlers inbox. Thinking
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Islander
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PostPosted: 14:39 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

[quote="Ste"]
Islander wrote:
They could start a new thread in the appropriate section for their needs, Wink

Meh, as he says if he'd posted it in the workshop forum then he's just have been lambasted for posting his non mechanical question if the workshop. Razz[/query]

I wasn't actually referring to him, I was answering Easy-X's question Wink

Ste wrote:
It could be argued that the correct place to post questions about taximeters would be in BackScuttlers inbox. Thinking


Now that I can agree with Laughing
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Islander
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PostPosted: 14:40 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
TravisBickle wrote:
And which section would that be? Bearing in mind my query has nothing to do with motoring altogether let alone motorbikes. Had I posted it in the workshop section I'd have been lambasted for posting it theere.

I can't win Doh!


The shite you need to polish the prastic lenses probably costs more or as much as a new lens.

Cerium Oxide powder is the stuff. And to remove a scratch the entire surfaces have to be removed down to the deepest level of scratches.

You could Araldite them around your bell end and polish them that way. 2 birds with one stone.


Cerium oxide was originally used as a glass polish - you don't need anything that hard for plastic. The key to knowing how to do it is to understand what polishing actually is... Thumbs Up
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 15:26 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

MCN wrote:
TravisBickle wrote:
And which section would that be? Bearing in mind my query has nothing to do with motoring altogether let alone motorbikes. Had I posted it in the workshop section I'd have been lambasted for posting it theere.

I can't win Doh!


The shite you need to polish the prastic lenses probably costs more or as much as a new lens.

Cerium Oxide powder is the stuff. And to remove a scratch the entire surfaces have to be removed down to the deepest level of scratches.

You could Araldite them around your bell end and polish them that way. 2 birds with one stone.


To kill two birds with one stone while imagining doing two birds with one bone.

I'll be AFK for a while...
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grr666
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PostPosted: 17:31 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Toothpaste.
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 17:36 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

grr666 wrote:
Toothpaste.


Tried it. Rubbed it really hard. No good.
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DUCAUDI
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PostPosted: 17:36 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Wait are we still talking about toothpaste here?
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grr666
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PostPosted: 17:37 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

You want a whitening toothpaste. something with abrasives in the compound. And preferably a machine polisher.
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recman
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PostPosted: 20:40 - 28 Jul 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

I restore my scratched plastic welding lens covers by using a light abrasive car polish and a sponge polishing mop on an orbital sander.
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steve the grease
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PostPosted: 22:44 - 01 Aug 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Plus one for " Brasso works a treat."
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Evil Hans
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PostPosted: 09:39 - 02 Aug 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

Autosol metal polish is my go-to for polishing transparent plastic. Watch faces, acrylic screens, light lenses. Should do the job with a bit of elbow grease.
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UncleFester
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PostPosted: 09:43 - 02 Aug 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

If you polish a lens make sure you don't feck up the shape of the lens during polishing.

Ultimately to fix as above, you need to take the entire surface down to the bottom of the deepest scratch / mark and then you bring the whole surface back up to shiny using progressively finer and finer compounds.

T-Cut works nicely as long as it's just surface scuffs but keep it wet / don't let it dry otherwise it marrs the surface.
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Easy-X
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PostPosted: 13:32 - 02 Aug 2021    Post subject: Reply with quote

arry wrote:
Meguiars Plastx is great stuff. Used it with a wool drillpad on my car's headlights and brought them up nicely. It's also removed scratches from the instrument binnacle cover.

It's about a tenner.


I got a free sample of some miracle CD-ROM scratch restorer with an old Amiga or PC magazine and obviously went "oh really..." but blow me it did the trick! It seemed more of a clear filler than polish like wot you'd do with a windscreen crack. And I've kicked myself ever since for not noting the brand name Sad
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