Headlight Restoration-new UV sealant idea

G'day all,

Last night I went and bought everything I need to carry this out on my car - though unfortunately here in Australia we don't have the 'Scotts Blue Shop Rags/Towels'.

Could anyone recommend a decent replacement, or maybe give a description (or some photos) of the Scotts product so I can try and find something myself?

I had read up to about 15 pages of the thread and only saw that microfiber isn't recommended - unfortunately I don't have the time to go through the other 115 pages! :)

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Cheers.
 
Being an expat Aussie, I learnt what I do originally in Oz.. I used 'Chux' which can be found in Coles or Woolies etc. The important thing to note here is that whatever you use, the key is to ensure it's lint free..

Are you intending to do this as a 'one off' job?
 
im in the process of reading it only on page 32 just wondering how long it takes to dry before you drive the vehicle. i assume you can use a heat gun to speed it up i think i read that
 
stitan06 said:
im in the process of reading it only on page 32 just wondering how long it takes to dry before you drive the vehicle. i assume you can use a heat gun to speed it up i think i read that
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The first post of the thread says it takes roughly 10-20 minutes for the new coating to dry.
 
My can of spar says wait 6 hrs to sand between coats and 12 before normal use. You may get away with a little less because it will be a thinner coat, but more is always better.

I am an amateur wood worker and have a good book on wood finishes. The author recommend a much longer time (1-2 months or more) for fine wood working, where then you would sand, cut and buff. This is also at a much greater film thickness.
 
stitan06 said:
im in the process of reading it only on page 32 just wondering how long it takes to dry before you drive the vehicle. i assume you can use a heat gun to speed it up i think i read that
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It only takes 10-15 minutes to dry dust free. That does not mean it is fully cured and hardened, or that you should wash your headlights yet; but it should be safe to drive the car after 20-30 minutes. Definitely don't wax the newly-spar varnished lights; until they have fully cured the wax will attack the surface and mar it.

Drying is different from fully curing; drying is by evaporation of solvents, curing is by a molecular change in the material.
 
Thanks I have another question I have a nissan titan with bigger headlights how do u wipe it on two passes ?
 
Sometimes you can't. If that's the case, try to do it on a cool day so solvent evaporation is slower (out of the sun, of course, and perhaps early in the day), get the paper towel very wet, saturated; and go back and forth, top to bottom, overlapping your strokes. You are trying to always maintain the junction between the new stroke and the prior one WET until you get to the bottom.
 
Huge thread, read posts here and there so I might have missed if someone talked about this but... Why not simply use a spray can of clear coat? Will require more protection for the car, don't want overspray everywhere, but it should offer the best protection...
no?
 
Calendyr said:
Huge thread, read posts here and there so I might have missed if someone talked about this but... Why not simply use a spray can of clear coat? Will require more protection for the car, don't want overspray everywhere, but it should offer the best protection...
no?
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its messy and most spray can clear coats have an opaque film when you apply them(at least the ones i tried using.) also most 1k clear coats dont last longer spar/ms. 2k clear coat sprays will last a LONG time but inhaling that stuff without proper equipment(air supply) will kill you quicker then crack. no thanks mike.
 
Calendyr said:
Huge thread, read posts here and there so I might have missed if someone talked about this but... Why not simply use a spray can of clear coat? Will require more protection for the car, don't want overspray everywhere, but it should offer the best protection...
no?
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1 - Unless you are removing the headlamp assemblies you have to mask almost the entire car to avoid overspray.

2 - It's costs a lot more than a can of Spar varnish and the spirits to dilute it.

3 - The paper towel application method will apply a thicker coat. Doing a much better job of UV damage prevention. To get the same build thickness would require three or four spray coats (to avoid runs in the spray paint) that one spray can might only be enough for two or three cars.
 
Bit of an update. Glasweld applied in Dec 2014. Took this picture today late in the afternoon so maybe it hides defects, but overall the coating seems to be holding up well. This car is parked on the street and sits in the sun all day, everyday.

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foolthrottle808 said:
Hi, newbie from Hawaii here. My recent attempt at the Glasweld Gclear on a 96 Dodge Caravan light. This was my first time using a coating like this so there was a bit of a run in the middle of the light. Personally I don't think its bad at all, though I wouldn't call it perfect. From a distance and to the casual eye...it looks pretty good.

7c95bee6-8ce8-41d3-8ad9-a60d3cb824cf.jpg
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No daylight pics here but lenses I did in October and November, some of which are parked outside 24/7 through our harsh winter and driven hundreds of miles a week, look the same as when I did them. Overall I'm very satisfied. Note that all of the ones I've seen were protected with paint coating (EXOv2 or CQuartz) or regularly-maintained sealant (C2v3 or Reload).
 
Hi guys, this is my first post-

I'm new to this forum and have sanded/polished a few sets of headlights before coming here.

I came across this thread/forum doing a google search trying to learn about sealing/UV protection.

I am still at a toss up between trying spar/MS, glasweld Gclear, OC/OL and any other products mentioned in the 132 pages that I finally (after a week or so) just finished reading.

Hotrod many thanks to you for getting this great thread starting, and a tip my hat to everyone that has contributed over the last 6+ years to this topic. THANK YOU ALL! :props:

That being said I am trying to make some extra money on the side, and who knows where that will lead. I just want to be able to offer a warranty for my customers piece of mind. For myself I want to feel confident that the product I go with will withstand the UV exposure in South Florida for at least 1 year.

I have read most of the other threads linked here, but I still have these to read:
http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...sealant-spar-urethane-vs-opti-coat-2-0-a.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum...3-long-term-review-spar-vs-opti-pro-pics.html

http://www.autogeekonline.net/forum/auto-detailing-101/66778-opti-coat-bird-poo-fail.html

Although so many trial/error/opinions have already been shared, I'd like to know what some of you that turned this into a business are using all these years later.

I appreciate anyones feedback, but for now I need to get some sleep.:dblthumb2:
 
Ha ha, has this thread actually been going for 6 years?? Time certainly flies when your headlights are yellowing...

I don't know, if you are actually going to warranty your work you might want to use an actual UV cure headlight coating--which would be "none of the above".
 
thanks for the reply Setec.

Are you doing any restorations as a business or just on your own vehicles as needed?

What product are you using for UV protection?
 
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