Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

Part-timer said:
What method of sanding and clearcote/sealer do you use? How long does it last?
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I wetsand with 500, 800, 1000 and 3000 using the Meguiar's Unigrit discs. I just finish the lights off with some Blackfire Wet Diamond.

I don't understand why people say Opti Coat is expensive. You can do an incredible amount of headlights with one tube.
 
Part-timer said:
Interesting......I've never tried 2 coats with the spar.
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It can be VERY tricky. You have to get the consistency of the second coat JUST right so it will still self-level, have the applicator (blue shop towel) throroughly wet, and NOT rub too hard and excessively soften the first coat, which will be solvent-dry but not cured. I only do this experimentally. One of my own cars, a 1994 Ford Taurus, was also done this way but its headlights have optics moulded into the plastic; they are not completely clear, so it is difficult to keep track of how the urethane is aging. The application of the second coat to the Nissan Quest, which DOES have clear headlight lenses, is a chance to follow how the two-coat application ages.
 
96Lude said:
I wetsand with 500, 800, 1000 and 3000 using the Meguiar's Unigrit discs. I just finish the lights off with some Blackfire Wet Diamond.

I don't understand why people say Opti Coat is expensive. You can do an incredible amount of headlights with one tube.
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So, if the Opti-cote doesn't require any mixing........Is it hard to prevent streaking? or is it very thin so it will self-level?
 
hi all,

This time I went again with OP method, will apply 2nd coat tonight.
I know it will holds for an year and after I'll see what else to use.

Can any one comment on OP method durability? How long it lasted for your or your customers?

Also, any one with Opti-coat experience, would you comment on durability you see from Opti-coat? For how long it's hold already? How many months?

Thanks.
 
Hi everyone,

Just thought I would post the Spar Urethane I will try out since none of the Home Depots or Lowes are carrying the oil based Helmsman Spar Urethane. I had initially ordered online but they sent me the semi gloss as the pic shows.

I asked my local salesman if the Olympic Brand was the same as the Minwax and he said it was. So...because I live in Cali I am going to give it a shot. Thought I would post a pic for reference.

SparUrethane.jpg
 
Clear, as close to water-white as possible, gloss and UV protection are what you're after. You're probably OK. If the stuff in the can looks yellowish...so does the Minwax!
 
GP49 said:
Clear, as close to water-white as possible, gloss and UV protection are what you're after. You're probably OK. If the stuff in the can looks yellowish...so does the Minwax!
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The Olympic Urethane is actually a lighter yellowish color. I should have posted a pic to compare colors, :doh:

I will try and post a pic tomorrow.
 
I have read so many different things about Opti-Coat and Spar Urethane, and I feel like my head will explode if I keep thinking about it lol, I was planning to buy the Spar Urethane tomorrow and doing the mix, was going to offer my customers a one year warranty, but i don't know now what to do..

Also some people say you can mix the Spar Urethane with the Mineral Spirits and put it in a bottle seal tight and it will still be good for a month, then again I see others saying you have to mix it on the spot and use it right away...if that's the case couldn't I just buy a couple of applicator bottles with a good sealed cap/top and mix this stuff whenever I want ?

Was thinking of keeping the Spar Urethane and the Mineral Spirits in this type of bottles separated or mix
autogeek_2175_24491562
Please let me know what you guys think .?
Thanks
Louie
 
I've also heard of people pre-mixing it with success. All I know is that I mixed it in a mason jar(dunno how much tighter seal you can get than that) and it turned dark colored after about a month. Since that time, I only mix it when I need it.
 
Alright,

I thought I would post my results on my headlight restoration for my Camry. I was a little reluctant about hand sanding a headlight but after reading peoples success stories I decided to give it a shot. Here are my results, in short, I was very impressed. My only mistake was not using a 2000 grit sand paper. I only went up to 1500 grit.

The urethane I used is on the left and was lighter in color than the common Minwax Urethane used here.

Steps, 800,1000,1500, spar urethane.
SparUrethane.jpg


IMAG0136.jpg


IMAG0137.jpg


IMAG0138.jpg


IMAG0139.jpg
 
Looks good. Keep us posted on how long it lasts, as this would be very useful for others who can't get the Minwax product but can get Olympic.
 
fishnugget said:
Alright,

I thought I would post my results on my headlight restoration for my Camry. I was a little reluctant about hand sanding a headlight but after reading peoples success stories I decided to give it a shot. Here are my results, in short, I was very impressed. My only mistake was not using a 2000 grit sand paper. I only went up to 1500 grit.

The urethane I used is on the left and was lighter in color than the common Minwax Urethane used here.

Did you dilute 50/50 or 60/40? I've heard both ways. I'm still curious how long the Opti-coat would last.
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I diluted 50/50, I too am curious about Hot Rods Opti-coat vs Urethane testing. I have a feeling Opti-Coat is going to win.
 
fishnugget said:
I diluted 50/50, I too am curious about Hot Rods Opti-coat vs Urethane testing. I have a feeling Opti-Coat is going to win.
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I just checked Hotrods 3 month update post and the Spar is doing better than the Opti-coat......amazing.
 
I have referred so many people to this thread, and I was thinking it would be great if there was a summary of all of Hotrod's updates in the first post?
It would make it a lot easier for people to see the results and be more willing to give it a shot themselves.
 
Hey everyone, new to the scene of headlight restorations as well. Finally finished reading all 656 posts! I've been going with 3m's 3 inch unigrit disks 500/800 dry then 1500 wet followed by 60/40 spar urethane/mineral spirits. The only question I have is do you guys use 1 disk per headlight or use the same one on both sides? I always clean the disk with a microfiber while sanding but after doing one side I always feel like there is not enough grit left to do the other light.
Any opinions?
 
I just did a set of the old square Volvo headlights that were the worst I've ever done.
And it took a LOT of 3M sanding discs. I used two 500 grits discs per headlight. Then an 800 per side, a 1500 per side, and finally one 3000 Trizact disc for both sides. And the Trizact disc still looked like new when I was done.
Headlights turned out better than I expected them to. They were as yellow as a school bus when I started! And I didn't use a DA. I used a Milwaukee drill on high speed. A DA would have taken forever!
 
Cbrguy899 said:
Hey everyone, new to the scene of headlight restorations as well. Finally finished reading all 656 posts! I've been going with 3m's 3 inch unigrit disks 500/800 dry then 1500 wet followed by 60/40 spar urethane/mineral spirits. The only question I have is do you guys use 1 disk per headlight or use the same one on both sides? I always clean the disk with a microfiber while sanding but after doing one side I always feel like there is not enough grit left to do the other light.
Any opinions?
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I did use the discs in the past......but then was introduced to the wet hand sanding method by Fox93. Now I only use sandpaper sheets (much cheaper than discs). I generally start with 800. Then go to 1000 grit, then 1500 (all steps wet and hand sanded horizontally). Finally I use a 3M 3000 trizact disc on an angle drill (this is the only disc I use). I just bought some 3000 sheets though and am anxious to see if they work as good as the trizact. (those trizacts are real expensive) Then I wipe both lenses with mineral spirits and use the spar with a 60/40 mix because I had some 50/50 mix lights result in streaking and losing the coating after about 6 months. This 60/40 mix seems to work better for me.
 
oldmodman said:
I just did a set of the old square Volvo headlights that were the worst I've ever done.
And it took a LOT of 3M sanding discs. I used two 500 grits discs per headlight. Then an 800 per side, a 1500 per side, and finally one 3000 Trizact disc for both sides. And the Trizact disc still looked like new when I was done.
Headlights turned out better than I expected them to. They were as yellow as a school bus when I started! And I didn't use a DA. I used a Milwaukee drill on high speed. A DA would have taken forever!
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Yeah, I like the 3M 3000 trizact discs for the final step of sanding. I use sheets for the other steps though. Much cheaper and actually seems quicker too. The 9" X 11" sheets are $15.00 for a box of 50 sheets and you only need about 1/8 of each grit sheet to do a set of lights.
 
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