Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

Hi everyone, I am sorry if this is posted somewhere else but I have looked through 60 pages already.t I am wondering what everyone uses to get the rough calcified looking spots on some headlights. I have used the 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 then spar and it looks great most of the time. But I hand sand and it gets a little tough on some lights that are just really rough. Once I apply the spar it seems to soak in to some spots and not others. It leaves the light looking uneven. shiny in some spots and dull in others.

If I want to be able to speed up the sanding process does anyone have a suggestion on what tools to use i.e. Orbital sander? Because I am mobile I don't want something that I need electricity for so I would love a battery operated, but it needs to be able to handle wet sanding and be small enough to get into small areas. Most of the ones I have seen have been too large to be practical.

Also, I only go to 2000 and the headlights look awesome in most cases. Is there really any reason to go to 2500 or 3000? and then on top of that to polish with something? I don't want to spend an extra 15 minutes when it's not needed.

Any help anyone has with the battery operated wetsand equipment would be greatly appreciated. then I need to have something I can quickly change through the various grits so it doesn't become a hassle.

By the way, I use a large open mouth mason jar about 1.5 inches deep and mix 50/50. I dip the towel in and drag the excess lightly off against the side. It seems to work best for me of all methods I've tried. I mix a new batch about once per week and it holds up great.

Thanks in advance for any insight.
 
normster said:
Hi everyone, I am sorry if this is posted somewhere else but I have looked through 60 pages already.t I am wondering what everyone uses to get the rough calcified looking spots on some headlights. I have used the 800, 1200, 1500, 2000 then spar and it looks great most of the time. But I hand sand and it gets a little tough on some lights that are just really rough. Once I apply the spar it seems to soak in to some spots and not others. It leaves the light looking uneven. shiny in some spots and dull in others.

Thanks in advance for any insight.
Click to expand...
Hi Norm, I can think of 2 possibilities. You may not be getting all of the old coatiing off. On really bad lights you might want to start with a coarser paper like 500 or even 320. Headlight coatings especially older ones can take some real effort to remove. Secondly, make sure yoyr surface is completly clean and dry before you apply your new coating, an MS wipedown helps insure the surface is ready.

There is (Was) a 4" battery (Rechargeable) polisher built by WEN called "System 4 Plus model 4020" I have one, with a fully charged battery it will do a set of headlights. I use a 3" interface pad for the paper and pads. It works great but, I don;'t think it has been built for about 5 years. I bought 2 on Ebay about a year ago fpr $60.00. They were also sold as a Simonize product. If you can find one grab it.
 
Thanks Fred,

Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. Do you know of any electrical corded tools that people are using? If so, how does a mobile service used corded tools? Is it done with an inverter off the car lighter? I feel stupid not understanding that but it seems like it would be a hassle to do that but it would save me a lot of hand sanding.

I have gone as low as 500 before with a little battery sander and it is still tough to get clean. it was dry sanding. Maybe 320 or 500 hand sand wet would work better.
 
normster said:
Thanks Fred,

Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. Do you know of any electrical corded tools that people are using? If so, how does a mobile service used corded tools?
Click to expand...
My favorite tool for headlights is the Griot 3" RO buffer Griot's Garage Professional Random Orbital 3 Inch Polisher, Random Orbit Buffer, Dual Action Polisher, 3" buffer fitted with a 2 3/4" rotary backing plate 2-3/4 inch Hook & Loop Rotary Backing Plate and the Megiars foam interface pad Meguiars Unigrit 3 Inch Foam Interface Pad, foam backup pad, sanding disc interface . An adapter D.A Adapter 5/8" X 11 is needed to fit the rotary plate to the DA polisher. This is my go to corded tool for headlight correction. I do need AC power and have to make sure it is available. For mobile power you need a generator or a good size inverter. My Wen polisher well do 1 set of headlights on a full charge.
 
normster said:
Thanks Fred,

Maybe I am going about it the wrong way. Do you know of any electrical corded tools that people are using? If so, how does a mobile service used corded tools? Is it done with an inverter off the car lighter? I feel stupid not understanding that but it seems like it would be a hassle to do that but it would save me a lot of hand sanding.

I have gone as low as 500 before with a little battery sander and it is still tough to get clean. it was dry sanding. Maybe 320 or 500 hand sand wet would work better.
Click to expand...
I agree with feslope its what I use Griots 3inch Orbital polisher with an 750 watt inverter I hook up to my battery works great and does the job quickly and well check out my thread have some pics using the Griots
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/show-n-shine/43615-some-headlights-i-ve-done-past-week.html
hope that helps :xyxthumbs:
 
Thanks Fred, I think I am going to order this. A couple quick questions for you or anyone else who knows.

Is this something you would use wetsanding with or is it only dry sanding?

When I look at the sanding disks that Louie linked to it looks like it says that the lower 500, 800 disks are for dry sanding and the 1500's are for wetsanding. It seems like the disks would get clogged quickly if you dry sanded. There was another mention of wiping off the disk with a wet rag but wouldn't that be a problem with a dry only sandpaper disk?

If it is wet, do I just spray the light and the disk to keep them both wet?

does one disk just do one light so you would be using 2 of each grit for a set of lights?

It seems like it would be tough to get into spots on lights that are right next to obstacles. I just did a set yesterday where there were 2 or 3 spots where you only had about an inch between two obstructions. In that case it was a nib that stuck out and a grill. Can this get into those spots? Those areas are where I have the most trouble.

Thanks for all your help
 
Thanks Louie, I am in the process of ordering the material? I was wondering how long that jag took you start to finish? Those are some of the toughest jobs I've done just because of working in tight spaces.

A couple more questions if you don't mind...

On the jag did you use your first listed method of starting at 500 and working your way all the way till 3000? I see you jumped from 1500 to 2000 or 2500. Can you jump from 1500 to 2500 without a problem and if so, why throw the extra 2000 step in?

I have been doing 800 to 1200, then 1500, then 2000 and they seem to look great. People think they look brand new. I am wondering if I need to go beyond 2000 and if so maybe I can jump from 1500 to 2500 to get a better polish. Like I said before my only problem has been getting to the end and there are still some spots where the spar seems to soak in more than others and it leaves the light looking dull in those spots instead of shiny.

In your links I only see up to 800 says dry sanding and then it jumps to1500 which says "damp" sanding. The only 1000 I saw comes in a box of 15 for 4 times the money. It says "finishing" disk as well as the 3000 but the others say sanding disk. Is there a difference?

Sorry about all the questions but I don't want to spend a bunch of money on something I don't understand and then realize I got the wrong thing by mistake.

Thanks again for your help.

One last quick thing, probably dumb, but I have never used an inverter. when I hook it to the battery and plug in do I have to leave the truck running the whole time or will the battery be good enough to power it through a whole job without running the engine?
 
normster said:
Thanks Fred, I think I am going to order this. A couple quick questions for you or anyone else who knows.

Is this something you would use wetsanding with or is it only dry sanding?

When I look at the sanding disks that Louie linked to it looks like it says that the lower 500, 800 disks are for dry sanding and the 1500's are for wetsanding. It seems like the disks would get clogged quickly if you dry sanded. There was another mention of wiping off the disk with a wet rag but wouldn't that be a problem with a dry only sandpaper disk?

If it is wet, do I just spray the light and the disk to keep them both wet?

does one disk just do one light so you would be using 2 of each grit for a set of lights?
Click to expand...
The papers I have available are 320, 500, 800, 1500 and 3000. If I start with 320 or 500 I will use those and the 800 dry. Sander in one hand and a small bristle brush in the other. The brush is a little bigger than a toothbrush, black and has nylon bristles and clears the paper in about one second. I get the brushes at Harbor Freight about two dollars for a card of three. If available a better option is an air gun to blow the paoer off. The BEST option is your buddy working the air gun on the light and paper while you are sanding.

If I am starting at 800 I go wet. Yes I use the 800 wet. I use a spray bottle , wet the lens and work it until it starts to dry or becomes milky at which time I re-wet the lens and continue. 1500 and 3000 always wet.

Usually a disk of each grit for each lens 800 sometimes two. A single 3000 usually will do both.

Your own experience will dictate what works best for you.
 
normster said:
Thanks Louie, I am in the process of ordering the material? I was wondering how long that jag took you start to finish? Those are some of the toughest jobs I've done just because of working in tight spaces.

A couple more questions if you don't mind...

On the jag did you use your first listed method of starting at 500 and working your way all the way till 3000? I see you jumped from 1500 to 2000 or 2500. Can you jump from 1500 to 2500 without a problem and if so, why throw the extra 2000 step in?

I have been doing 800 to 1200, then 1500, then 2000 and they seem to look great. People think they look brand new. I am wondering if I need to go beyond 2000 and if so maybe I can jump from 1500 to 2500 to get a better polish. Like I said before my only problem has been getting to the end and there are still some spots where the spar seems to soak in more than others and it leaves the light looking dull in those spots instead of shiny.

In your links I only see up to 800 says dry sanding and then it jumps to1500 which says "damp" sanding. The only 1000 I saw comes in a box of 15 for 4 times the money. It says "finishing" disk as well as the 3000 but the others say sanding disk. Is there a difference?

Sorry about all the questions but I don't want to spend a bunch of money on something I don't understand and then realize I got the wrong thing by mistake.

Thanks again for your help.

One last quick thing, probably dumb, but I have never used an inverter. when I hook it to the battery and plug in do I have to leave the truck running the whole time or will the battery be good enough to power it through a whole job without running the engine?
Click to expand...

I know you asked Louie these questions but I will add my two cents if thats ok.
I bought the Griot's 3" orbital. Their instructions say to dry sand with most of the grits. I used it like they said and found that the discs do in fact clog up quite often and must be cleaned by wiping with a dry rag(or something made to clean sand paper). I know that many people also own this tool and love it. Everyone has a favorite tool and system that works for them. Try it and judge for your self. I ended up not liking mine and sent it back. I couldn't get used to the dry sanding. The discs clogged often and then put these funny swirl marks on the lens. The tool, (although having many speeds) still spun too fast for me to feel comfortable and safe using it around the painted areas. (Thats just me though)
Many people on here also have their own ideas of what grits to use. I read one once that said they used 400 and then 1500 and then spar. I think the spar is pretty forgiving for a lot of things. I personally judge each lens differently. I did a Lexus yesterday and used 800, 1000, 1500 and 3000. They looked excellent. I've always wanted to take a single lens and tape it off into 4 sections. Then sand one to 800, one to 1000, one to 2000 and one to 3000. Then wipe em with mineral spirits and spar the whole works and see how they compare visually. Someone should do that.......lol
As I've stated before, I do the whole works wet and by hand. It makes for less taping because its more safe by hand(in my mind). It takes me less time by hand.(again, thats just me).
 
Thanks for the info. I thought it would be too big of a jump to go from 800 to 1500 but maybe that is because i am hand sanding and the griot makes it work better. So the two jumps- from 800 to 1500 and then from 1500 to 3000 is enough? That would be great. It would eliminate a couple steps and still get the final at 3000 instead of 2000 which I would think would have to be better.

Also, you said that you start with 800 wet if that is your starting grit. Is that just for cars that don't seem to have too many problems?

And I guess since you are using it wet means that the griot can handle the wetsand without hurting it.



feslope said:
The papers I have available are 320, 500, 800, 1500 and 3000. If I start with 320 or 500 I will use those and the 800 dry. Sander in one hand and a small bristle brush in the other. The brush is a little bigger than a toothbrush, black and has nylon bristles and clears the paper in about one second. I get the brushes at Harbor Freight about two dollars for a card of three. If available a better option is an air gun to blow the paoer off. The BEST option is your buddy working the air gun on the light and paper while you are sanding.

If I am starting at 800 I go wet. Yes I use the 800 wet. I use a spray bottle , wet the lens and work it until it starts to dry or becomes milky at which time I re-wet the lens and continue. 1500 and 3000 always wet.

Usually a disk of each grit for each lens 800 sometimes two. A single 3000 usually will do both.

Your own experience will dictate what works best for you.
Click to expand...
 
thanks for that opinion. I can use all the help I can get. I have been hand sanding and it seems to work fine but then sometimes it just doesn't seem to get the really tough lights just right. Or to get them right I have to work very hard. I am also having some trouble since i damaged my hand recently and I think I have some ligament damage. I can still do it but it can sometimes take me an hour on a really rough set and I figured the griot might help cut that time in half and also help save my hands.

I do worry about the machine scratching the paint as I have taped before and even with hand sanding noticed that i got some scratches under the tape once I removed it. I am going to give it a try and see what happens.

You said you returned it. Is that a possibility even if i have used it and realize I don't like it? Did you buy it and return it through autogeek?

Part-timer said:
I know you asked Louie these questions but I will add my two cents if thats ok.
I bought the Griot's 3" orbital. Their instructions say to dry sand with most of the grits. I used it like they said and found that the discs do in fact clog up quite often and must be cleaned by wiping with a dry rag(or something made to clean sand paper). I know that many people also own this tool and love it. Everyone has a favorite tool and system that works for them. Try it and judge for your self. I ended up not liking mine and sent it back. I couldn't get used to the dry sanding. The discs clogged often and then put these funny swirl marks on the lens. The tool, (although having many speeds) still spun too fast for me to feel comfortable and safe using it around the painted areas. (Thats just me though)
Many people on here also have their own ideas of what grits to use. I read one once that said they used 400 and then 1500 and then spar. I think the spar is pretty forgiving for a lot of things. I personally judge each lens differently. I did a Lexus yesterday and used 800, 1000, 1500 and 3000. They looked excellent. I've always wanted to take a single lens and tape it off into 4 sections. Then sand one to 800, one to 1000, one to 2000 and one to 3000. Then wipe em with mineral spirits and spar the whole works and see how they compare visually. Someone should do that.......lol
As I've stated before, I do the whole works wet and by hand. It makes for less taping because its more safe by hand(in my mind). It takes me less time by hand.(again, thats just me).
Click to expand...
 
I also noticed that in the ad it says the griot has several speed settings. Is there one that you found works the best?

And how do you get in the tight spaces like maybe an inch space between one of those nubs that stick out and a chrome grill? Those always seem to give me trouble and I am wondering if the griot can get up close and tight around those areas so that when I am done I don't have dull spots near the nubs like I sometimes do.

feslope said:
My favorite tool for headlights is the Griot 3" RO buffer Griot's Garage Professional Random Orbital 3 Inch Polisher, Random Orbit Buffer, Dual Action Polisher, 3" buffer fitted with a 2 3/4" rotary backing plate 2-3/4 inch Hook & Loop Rotary Backing Plate and the Megiars foam interface pad Meguiars Unigrit 3 Inch Foam Interface Pad, foam backup pad, sanding disc interface . An adapter D.A Adapter 5/8" X 11 is needed to fit the rotary plate to the DA polisher. This is my go to corded tool for headlight correction. I do need AC power and have to make sure it is available. For mobile power you need a generator or a good size inverter. My Wen polisher well do 1 set of headlights on a full charge.
Click to expand...
 
normster said:
Thanks for the info. I thought it would be too big of a jump to go from 800 to 1500 but maybe that is because i am hand sanding and the griot makes it work better. So the two jumps- from 800 to 1500 and then from 1500 to 3000 is enough? That would be great. It would eliminate a couple steps and still get the final at 3000 instead of 2000 which I would think would have to be better.

Also, you said that you start with 800 wet if that is your starting grit. Is that just for cars that don't seem to have too many problems?

And I guess since you are using it wet means that the griot can handle the wetsand without hurting it.
Click to expand...
For minor oxidation and no real scratches or nicks starting at 800 works ok for me.

If I'm starting at 800 I do it wet. The Griot 3" buffer/polisher is not waterproof and is not meant to be used with water, do so carefully. One of the reasons I use the rotary plate with the DA adapter (Linked in an earlier post) is to get buffer a little farther from the water.

Fred out for a little while, on the way to a weekend with Mike Phillips and about 19 other AutoGeekers.
 
normster said:
thanks for that opinion. I can use all the help I can get. I have been hand sanding and it seems to work fine but then sometimes it just doesn't seem to get the really tough lights just right. Or to get them right I have to work very hard. I am also having some trouble since i damaged my hand recently and I think I have some ligament damage. I can still do it but it can sometimes take me an hour on a really rough set and I figured the griot might help cut that time in half and also help save my hands.

I do worry about the machine scratching the paint as I have taped before and even with hand sanding noticed that i got some scratches under the tape once I removed it. I am going to give it a try and see what happens.

You said you returned it. Is that a possibility even if i have used it and realize I don't like it? Did you buy it and return it through autogeek?
Click to expand...

I bought mine straight through Griot's and ended up returning it and exchanging it for Griot's 6" orbital, since I do some detailing work as well. I am pretty certain that you can return the machine for a refund though. Ask them before buying it would be best. I ran into a lot of lights that had shapes the sander couldn't reach and I ended up hand sanding those areas anyway. A lot of people love it though and if your having problems with your hand, it may work better for you.
 
Has anyone sprayed the spar/spirits mixture on for a quicker application and to get in around lens nubs better? Using air brush or spray bottle.
 
I've bought the aerosal, my plan was to spray in a cup and apply from there; didn't work out too well; the mist is too fine to get much in the cup. I haven't tried spraying directly on the lens, worried about the overspray. I wish you could buy a smaller quanity than the quart, but I will end buying what's avaliable because the results are outstanding. Don't buy the spray unless you want to go to the trouble of covering and taping things to protect from overspray.
 
I've noticed that a couple Lexus suv's I've done have had their headlights look slightly tinged yellow/green a week later. Not sure if it's my imagination or not, but it appears this color to me even though it has perfect clarity. Does anyone know if that has something to do with Lexus? Or is it maybe because I'm using too much spar or ms in my mixture? I use a 60% spar and 40% ms but sometimes I know the %'s aren't always perfect. Maybe I'm possibly using too much spar and that's why it gets the tinged color after a week...but it hasn't happened on other manufacturer's headlights so I don't know. I'm using the correct and exact clear gloss spar and ms too if anyone was wondering that.

Has anyone else experienced this with Lexus or other cars?
 
Mine is sort of the same way. I only did one of my headlights and it doesn't look like the other. Its looks good, but it does have a slight yellow tint to it. I always thought mine was because the plastic is damaged from me compounding it so many times before sealing it with the spar.
 
So I browsed most of this and I got the process figured out, but how about the longevity? I didn't see anybodies follow up.
 
taymon said:
I've noticed that a couple Lexus suv's I've done have had their headlights look slightly tinged yellow/green a week later.

Has anyone else experienced this with Lexus or other cars?
Click to expand...



lexus reflector has a greenish chrome look , that`s why ...:xyxthumbs:
 
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