Plastic lens polish

[TravisBickle]

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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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[TravisBickle]

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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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[Polarbear]

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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Triumph Trophy Launch Edition

[TravisBickle]

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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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[Nobby the Bastard]

I could tell you exactly how to fix them but you're a fucking twat so I won't.
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trevor saxe-coburg-gotha:"Remember this simple rule - scooters are for men who like to feel the breeze on their huge, flapping cunt lips."
Triumph Sprint ST 1050

[TravisBickle]

Oh, the irony
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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[Easy-X]

[Islander]

[TravisBickle]

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
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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[MCN]

[MCN]

[arry]

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.

[Ste]

[Islander]

[quote="Ste"]

[Islander]

[TravisBickle]

[grr666]

Toothpaste.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[TravisBickle]

[TravisBickle]

Wait are we still talking about toothpaste here?
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2024 BMW M1000XR
2021 Honda CMX500 Rebel S
2016 Triumph Tiger 1050 Sport

[grr666]

You want a whitening toothpaste. something with abrasives in the compound. And preferably a machine polisher.
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Currently enjoying products from Ford, Mazda and Yamaha
Ste wrote: Avatars are fine, it's signatures that need turning off.

[recman]

I restore my scratched plastic welding lens covers by using a light abrasive car polish and a sponge polishing mop on an orbital sander.

[steve the grease]

Plus one for " Brasso works a treat."
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All the above is my personal opinion, you can see my lips move, but I'm talking out of my arse.
I've been riding, and fixing , bikes for 50 years, in that time the more I learn, the less I am absolutely sure of.....

[Evil Hans]

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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Triumph Sprint ST 1050. And it's Red.

[UncleFester]

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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2017 Z1000SX

[Easy-X]