Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

i have went as far 220 on most cars

Hey Reggie whats up, didn't you call me like 4 or 5 months ago or so when you were first starting out on this? How are things goin?

 

[mitsuman95]

Lowest i've gone is 320 and that was on a really bad pair...wasn't super yellow..just super thick coating and the 500 wasn't cutting in. On the norm i'll do 500/800/1500 compound or 3000, whichever floats your boat. Everyone is talking about 3000 being the cats meow now so...i might do a set and finish with 3000 and go to seal and see how it looks. I think i only have sheet paper at 3000, no discs...but hell i had hands way before i had machines lol. So no biggie.

I'd say 320 though is the lowest you should have to go..just keep your sandpaper clean and wipe the dust off the light so that way you're not just spreading the dust around and THINKING your getting a cut (been there done that). Also if you do the harshest cut wet...i'd think it would help some because the water would rise away most of what you've sanded off..and then if you have a bucket of clean water you can just clean your sandpaper in it and keep it movin!

Thanks for the tip! Ya i only wet sand, i tried dry sanding and it clogged up my sandpaper way too fast.

i have went as far 220 on most cars

Are you guys all sanding in 1 direction? Or up and down for xgrit and then left to right on xgrit?

Everytime i finish a car, it looks reallyy good from a foot or 2 away, but if you look really close, there are still some visable scratches. I'm going up to 1500 and then buffing with turtle wax pro grade compound. Ive also tried going up to 3000 but i get the same results. maybe im not spending enough time on 800-1000...?

 

[93fox]

Thanks for the tip! Ya i only wet sand, i tried dry sanding and it clogged up my sandpaper way too fast.



Are you guys all sanding in 1 direction? Or up and down for xgrit and then left to right on xgrit?

Everytime i finish a car, it looks reallyy good from a foot or 2 away, but if you look really close, there are still some visable scratches. I'm going up to 1500 and then buffing with turtle wax pro grade compound. Ive also tried going up to 3000 but i get the same results. maybe im not spending enough time on 800-1000...?

what grit are you starting with when you see these visible scratches? you should get Meguiars ultimate compound.... alot better than the whole turtle wax line.

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

Thanks for the tip! Ya i only wet sand, i tried dry sanding and it clogged up my sandpaper way too fast.



Are you guys all sanding in 1 direction? Or up and down for xgrit and then left to right on xgrit?

Everytime i finish a car, it looks reallyy good from a foot or 2 away, but if you look really close, there are still some visable scratches. I'm going up to 1500 and then buffing with turtle wax pro grade compound. Ive also tried going up to 3000 but i get the same results. maybe im not spending enough time on 800-1000...?

Yeah id guess if the scratches are really visable, they are from the 320 or 500 grit paper....usually 1500 or 3000 grit will just look like a haze not an actual scratch from what ive seen. So yeah work your 800 and 1000 a little more i think and then you should come out a little smoother. And like many of us have said, Ultimate compound...works much better. But i wouldn't worry yourself to death if you only have a few little scratches left....but if you want to get rid of them then thats the way to do it

 

[mitsuman95]

what grit are you starting with when you see these visible scratches? you should get Meguiars ultimate compound.... alot better than the whole turtle wax line.

im starting with 400. will give Meguiar's a whirl on my next job. thanks!

Yeah id guess if the scratches are really visable, they are from the 320 or 500 grit paper....usually 1500 or 3000 grit will just look like a haze not an actual scratch from what ive seen. So yeah work your 800 and 1000 a little more i think and then you should come out a little smoother. And like many of us have said, Ultimate compound...works much better. But i wouldn't worry yourself to death if you only have a few little scratches left....but if you want to get rid of them then thats the way to do it

I spent some more time on 800 and 1000 on a set today and they looked a ton better. Guess i wasn't spending enough time. again, thanks for the help guys! rops:

 

[93fox]

im starting with 400. will give Meguiar's a whirl on my next job. thanks!



I spent some more time on 800 and 1000 on a set today and they looked a ton better. Guess i wasn't spending enough time. again, thanks for the help guys! rops:

your welcome buddy! look at your local advance auto parts, some carry Meguiars m105 and m205. Trust me, once you lay your hands on m105 or m205, you are gonna fall in love.

 

[mitsuman95]

your welcome buddy! look at your local advance auto parts, some carry Meguiars m105 and m205. Trust me, once you lay your hands on m105 or m205, you are gonna fall in love.

I wish i had an advanced auto parts around here! Luckily the detailing.com store front is 30min from here. i could use a few things.

I ran into another problem. The shop towel is leaving tiny little specs of residue. They look like little specs of dust but their not. Are you guys drenching the towel? I've been squirting the sealant directly onto the towel but i think it may be soaking too much of it up....

 

[Rewind97]

What kind of 3000 sandpaper you y'all use? I went looking for some yesterday and all I could find was a 6" 3M Trizact pad. Is that the only way it comes, or do they make 3000 that is actually like a "paper" (like the lower grit papers)?

 

[96Lude]

What kind of 3000 sandpaper you y'all use? I went looking for some yesterday and all I could find was a 6" 3M Trizact pad. Is that the only way it comes, or do they make 3000 that is actually like a "paper" (like the lower grit papers)?

You can use the Meguiar's Unigrit paper, they make it in grits up to 3000.

 

[tony711]

hey what up have you seen this website go to Home
they offer a produce that has a money back gurantee and a video on it
i've try it and it great.They also offer sale tips, I've made some real nice extra cash with this just on the weekend

 

[GP49]

I have not dropped in for a while, thought I'd give an update on my own car and its headlights, which had been restored and coated with Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.

After almost two years of outside exposure, some weathering was visible. It appeared that the urethane coat had worn thin, or lost some gloss in spots. Bear in mind, this car always sits outside, in an area Northern California where summers can be hot, and the sun can be strong.

It was easy enough to remove the coating; I previously posted about the use of one particular brand of denatured alcohol, which will soften the urethane and make it easier to wipe off. I did this on one headlight so I could see what the plastic surface looked like; on the other one I used conventional sandpaper methods. I can't say one was a lot easier than the other, since I wound up sanding both anyway, to get a clean, new surface. It was apparent, though, that the headlight on which I removed the coating using denatured alcohol showed no deterioration of the actual surface of the plastic, under the coating. The protection the urethane provided was excellent, over the two years exposure to the elements and the sun. I am positively impressed.

For sandpaper it was not necessary to use anything coarser than 1000 grit, sanding wet. Once I was satisfied with the even, satin appearance from that paper, I went over it with 2000 grit, again liberally wetting the paper as I went. From there, I compounded with...as an experiment...DiamondBrite Truck Box Polish. This is an abrasive polish intended for use on aluminum pickup truck tool boxes and the like; I bought mine at Lowe's, in the aisle where they sell truck boxes. Its abrasive action starts off somewhat aggressively but the suspended particles break down and become finer and finer as you rub more. This went quickly and left a surface so good that Meguiar's Plast-X, applied as a finishing polish and buffed off, yielded no visible improvement.

I then cleaned and recoated the headlights with the Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane. I now dilute it at about 60% urethane to 40% mineral spirits. I have also had good results, after the first application is thoroughly dry (an hour in full sun), applying a second coat. I always make sure the paper toweling is WET; you can feel the difference if the towel dries out midway, and the results won't be as good if that is allowed to remain.

Two years for this kind of restoration is, I think, quite good. These lights were not to the point yet, that the average customer would want them redone; even those who do it professionally, or just take exceptional pride in their cars, would have considered them still acceptable...but I could see the difference!

 

[mitsuman95]

hey what up have you seen this website go to Home
they offer a produce that has a money back gurantee and a video on it
i've try it and it great.They also offer sale tips, I've made some real nice extra cash with this just on the weekend

absolute garbage.

now instead of being yellow and hazy. its yellow, hazy, and looks wet.

I have not dropped in for a while, thought I'd give an update on my own car and its headlights, which had been restored and coated with Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.

After almost two years of outside exposure, some weathering was visible. It appeared that the urethane coat had worn thin, or lost some gloss in spots. Bear in mind, this car always sits outside, in an area Northern California where summers can be hot, and the sun can be strong.

It was easy enough to remove the coating; I previously posted about the use of one particular brand of denatured alcohol, which will soften the urethane and make it easier to wipe off. I did this on one headlight so I could see what the plastic surface looked like; on the other one I used conventional sandpaper methods. I can't say one was a lot easier than the other, since I wound up sanding both anyway, to get a clean, new surface. It was apparent, though, that the headlight on which I removed the coating using denatured alcohol showed no deterioration of the actual surface of the plastic, under the coating. The protection the urethane provided was excellent, over the two years exposure to the elements and the sun. I am positively impressed.

For sandpaper it was not necessary to use anything coarser than 1000 grit, sanding wet. Once I was satisfied with the even, satin appearance from that paper, I went over it with 2000 grit, again liberally wetting the paper as I went. From there, I compounded with...as an experiment...DiamondBrite Truck Box Polish. This is an abrasive polish intended for use on aluminum pickup truck tool boxes and the like; I bought mine at Lowe's, in the aisle where they sell truck boxes. Its abrasive action starts off somewhat aggressively but the suspended particles break down and become finer and finer as you rub more. This went quickly and left a surface so good that Meguiar's Plast-X, applied as a finishing polish and buffed off, yielded no visible improvement.

I then cleaned and recoated the headlights with the Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane. I now dilute it at about 60% urethane to 40% mineral spirits. I have also had good results, after the first application is thoroughly dry (an hour in full sun), applying a second coat. I always make sure the paper toweling is WET; you can feel the difference if the towel dries out midway, and the results won't be as good if that is allowed to remain.

Two years for this kind of restoration is, I think, quite good. These lights were not to the point yet, that the average customer would want them redone; even those who do it professionally, or just take exceptional pride in their cars, would have considered them still acceptable...but I could see the difference!

Thanks for the info!

 

[reggie1967]

Hey Reggie whats up, didn't you call me like 4 or 5 months ago or so when you were first starting out on this? How are things goin?

well i call u to ask a few question about some things actually i been doing it for 3yrs the first yr was free and testing febuary was my busy month march i was getting about 5 to 7 that month and april i done 6 may so far 6 im just trying to get better i deal to market myself that just putting flyier on cars and hoping some one call u got any better ideas to market

 

[Rewind97]

Is anyone here wet sanding through all the various stages of sand paper? If so how is that working for you? I haven't started wet sanding till the 1500 stage.

 

[GP49]

I have been wet-sanding prior to that, probably starting at 600. Every minute or so I dip the paper into a bucket of water to keep it wet. I don't know for sure that the results are better, but I THINK I can better "feel" the surface and the paper doesn't clog as much; so I use less paper. The water and sanding dust can make a mess but I figure I've got to at least wet down the front of the car afterwards and wipe it dry, anyway.

 

[Wills.WindowsAndWheels]

What kind of 3000 sandpaper you y'all use? I went looking for some yesterday and all I could find was a 6" 3M Trizact pad. Is that the only way it comes, or do they make 3000 that is actually like a "paper" (like the lower grit papers)?

You probably could check an auto zone or checker or napa or somewhere like that and i bet they carry sheets. Walmart carried some 3M wet/dry but i THINK they only went up to like 2000...but i could be wrong. Maybe you should check there as well...they usually have it in the section with all the RV stuff.

 

[nudetailer]

I have not dropped in for a while, thought I'd give an update on my own car and its headlights, which had been restored and coated with Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane.

After almost two years of outside exposure, some weathering was visible. It appeared that the urethane coat had worn thin, or lost some gloss in spots. Bear in mind, this car always sits outside, in an area Northern California where summers can be hot, and the sun can be strong.

It was easy enough to remove the coating; I previously posted about the use of one particular brand of denatured alcohol, which will soften the urethane and make it easier to wipe off. I did this on one headlight so I could see what the plastic surface looked like; on the other one I used conventional sandpaper methods. I can't say one was a lot easier than the other, since I wound up sanding both anyway, to get a clean, new surface. It was apparent, though, that the headlight on which I removed the coating using denatured alcohol showed no deterioration of the actual surface of the plastic, under the coating. The protection the urethane provided was excellent, over the two years exposure to the elements and the sun. I am positively impressed.

For sandpaper it was not necessary to use anything coarser than 1000 grit, sanding wet. Once I was satisfied with the even, satin appearance from that paper, I went over it with 2000 grit, again liberally wetting the paper as I went. From there, I compounded with...as an experiment...DiamondBrite Truck Box Polish. This is an abrasive polish intended for use on aluminum pickup truck tool boxes and the like; I bought mine at Lowe's, in the aisle where they sell truck boxes. Its abrasive action starts off somewhat aggressively but the suspended particles break down and become finer and finer as you rub more. This went quickly and left a surface so good that Meguiar's Plast-X, applied as a finishing polish and buffed off, yielded no visible improvement.

I then cleaned and recoated the headlights with the Minwax Helmsman Spar Urethane. I now dilute it at about 60% urethane to 40% mineral spirits. I have also had good results, after the first application is thoroughly dry (an hour in full sun), applying a second coat. I always make sure the paper toweling is WET; you can feel the difference if the towel dries out midway, and the results won't be as good if that is allowed to remain.

Two years for this kind of restoration is, I think, quite good. These lights were not to the point yet, that the average customer would want them redone; even those who do it professionally, or just take exceptional pride in their cars, would have considered them still acceptable...but I could see the difference!

Thank you for the update. Good to know we don't have to worry about it for two years.

 

[mitsuman95]

Is anyone here wet sanding through all the various stages of sand paper? If so how is that working for you? I haven't started wet sanding till the 1500 stage.

i wet sand all grits. I hate the dust caused by sanding and cleaning off the paper. Wet sanding i dont have to clean the paper as often and there is no dust. if you wipe frequently and dont spray too much water, the bumper should stay pretty dry.

 

[Rewind97]

I think on the next set I do, I'll wet sand each stage and see how I like it. It might speed up my process too!

 

[mitsuman95]

How long is it taking your guys's headlights to try to the touch? Some of my clients are in a hurry and ready to go. I tell them to wait at least 30 min before driving and to put their hi beams on. Is this long enough?