Critical Details: Honda Civic - Headlight Restoration

[hernandez.art13]

NiSyam, did you keep the discs clean? I am not 100% sure for discs on headlights, because I always damp sanded on repaints. However, on repaints you have to keep the discs really clean from CC residue etc... So it doesn't accumulate on the discs and eventually create pig tails.

Just my .02 cents, I'll let others chime in if they have any more info.

 

[detailer25]

Excellent work! I enjoyed the video too, not to many headlight restoration videos on here that I've seen.

 

[720pete]

Hi thanks for posting the video. Just a quick question, the Opti Lens kit comes with a foam applicator pad but you chose to use some other application method. What did you use to apply toe opti lens and what is the advantage over the included applicator pad?

Also is the a minimum temperature needed to apply this? It will not get out of the 40's here the next couple of days but I already have the kit.

 

[CriticalDetails]

I've been following the same process for the last 5-6 sets I've done lately. I was tired of doing it by hand so I decided to purchase a bunch of 3" sanding discs along with a 3" bp.

The only issue I have is that I've been getting a LOT of pig tails. Tried going over the light several times with 800-100-1500-2000 & finally 3000 but still had pig tails. I must say that the ones I've been doing are SEVERELY damaged not as good as the one you posted.

Still trying to figure out what the problem is... Hopefully someone can help me out!

There are so many variables that come into play when wet sanding or performing a paint correction it's hard to pinpoint one problem. I have noticed that on severly oxidized headlights that the plastic appears to be softer. You can easily scratch the lens using the back of your fingernail and light pressure on some of the more damaged lenses.

I use almost no pressure and let the machine do all of the work when sanding. The pig tails can be caused from too much pressure in the lower grit sanding stages. You may also not be making enough passes with each grit to clean up the previous grits sanding marks. What speed are you running the DA on? I use speed 1 and 2 most of the time when wet sanding and may bump it up to speed 3 when using the 3000 grit finishing disc.

What kind of compound are you using after wet sanding? I use Menzerna Power Gloss on an Orange Lake Country pad for compounding and Menzerna Final Finish on a White Lake Country pad for polishing.

NiSyam, did you keep the discs clean? I am not 100% sure for discs on headlights, because I always damp sanded on repaints. However, on repaints you have to keep the discs really clean from CC residue etc... So it doesn't accumulate on the discs and eventually create pig tails.

Just my .02 cents, I'll let others chime in if they have any more info.

This may very well be the issue behind the excessive pig tails on the headlights. I clean the lens and sanding disc after each pass and probably end up repeating this process a few dozen times during a headlight restoration.

Excellent work! I enjoyed the video too, not to many headlight restoration videos on here that I've seen.

Thank you for the compliment.

Hi thanks for posting the video. Just a quick question, the Opti Lens kit comes with a foam applicator pad but you chose to use some other application method. What did you use to apply toe opti lens and what is the advantage over the included applicator pad?

Also is the a minimum temperature needed to apply this? It will not get out of the 40's here the next couple of days but I already have the kit.

I use a Scotts Blue Shop Towel for applying Opti-Coat, Opti-Lens and Opti-Glass. I find that the shop towel absorbs less product than the foam applicator that is included in the kit. During this video I simply folded the towel over a few times and put roughly 10 drops of Opti-Lens to prime the towel.

When applying Opti-Coat and Opti-Glass I like place the yellow foam applicator inside of a nitrile glove prior to wrapping it with a blue shop towel. The glove keeps the foam applicator from absorbing excessive product and is less grabby on vehicle surfaces. I really want to try the Optimum applicator pad that is specifically designed for their coatings.

I think you will be fine applying Opti-Lens in the 40 degree range. It seems like a lot of the care care products have a minimum suggested temperate of 50F though. If you run into a problem with the product not flashing properly you could try using a heat gun or blow dryer to heat up the lenses. I have seen a few detailiers on YouTube incorporating a heat source into their Opti-Coat application method.