Heavy Cutting Compound

[chilly]

I need a small bottle of the gnarliest most abrasive cutting compound I can find for a first step on some headlight restorations

It might be following sanding on really bad headlights or it might be just the first step in more moderate cases

I’m not concerned with how it finishes out, just ultimate cut that I can follow with a “normal” compound and then a polish

I’ve never used anything at that end of the compound spectrum and all the hype on the different brands websites basically make the same claims

So any suggestions would be appreciated


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[mc2hill]

I like Rupes DA Course cutting compound and coarse wool pads for headlights. It finishes out well enough that nothing extra is needed.

 

[DUBL0WS6]

Meguiars 105

 

[chilly]

Meguiars 105

I used 105/205 quite a bit back in the day and I never considered 105 to have that heavy of a cut, although I never used anything more than a heavy cut foam pad so I'm sure it would cut more with a more aggressive pad

Thanks

 

[SNP209]

Scholls S0 Extreme Cut Matting Compound aka liquid sandpaper

 

[chilly]

Scholls S0 Extreme Cut Matting Compound aka liquid sandpaper

That’s what I’m talking about

Some liquid with a handful of gravel thrown in

I was looking at S20 Black for another project anyway so I’ll pull the trigger twice

Fanks!


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[Eldorado2k]

That’s what I’m talking about

Some liquid with a handful of gravel thrown in

I was looking at S20 Black for another project anyway so I’ll pull the trigger twice

Fanks!


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Step up your standards… Ask for broken glass in a bottle. Now we’re cuttin!lol.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Chilly, I haven't had to sand any headlights for a while, but consider some 5000 grit pads. I found that a good use for my early-gen GG3 is sanding headlights, and the 5000 grit lets you skip the compound and go right to polish...if I'm remembering right. I think I would go from 3000 to 5000, after starting with 1500 or 2000.

 

[Eldorado2k]

Chilly, I haven't had to sand any headlights for a while, but consider some 5000 grit pads. I found that a good use for my early-gen GG3 is sanding headlights, and the 5000 grit lets you skip the compound and go right to polish...if I'm remembering right. I think I would go from 3000 to 5000, after starting with 1500 or 2000.

1985 Ford Tempo doesn’t have those sort of worries, right? What’s your daily driver again? Chevy, not Citation, can’t remember the name. Am I close?

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I got rid of my Citation a long time ago, Eldo. I'm rockin' a Dodge Omni now--glass headlights for the win!

 

[Eldorado2k]

I got rid of my Citation a long time ago, Eldo. I'm rockin' a Dodge Omni now--glass headlights for the win!

Citation is the type of ride you drop onto some 16yr. old who thought he was in line for [fill in the blank whatever car is supposed to be cool these days]… But instead, you drop a Citation on his ass!
Go pick your date up now, sucka! Lol.

 

[Setec Astronomy]

Have you been talking to my father, Eldo?? That story sounds eerily familiar. My Citation was cool, though.

 

[chilly]

Chilly, I haven't had to sand any headlights for a while, but consider some 5000 grit pads. I found that a good use for my early-gen GG3 is sanding headlights, and the 5000 grit lets you skip the compound and go right to polish...if I'm remembering right. I think I would go from 3000 to 5000, after starting with 1500 or 2000.

That's probably a good plan, and now that I have a mini polisher it is probably a real labor and time saver

The last headlights I had to sand were on my Audi TT and I started way coarser than 1500 in order to get all the pitting and scratches out

I just remember I sat down thinking I would knock them out in an hour or so and I was still hand sanding and stepping up 500 grit at a time for what seemed like forever

The coating on those was shot to he!! but it was also soft and gummy and was a nightmare to wet sand

I will look into some sanding discs

Thanks

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I think you're right I may have started with a lower grit when sanding off failed coating, it was a long time ago. For some reason 800 comes to mind, my memory is failing me, I remember following some sort of protocol, whether it was a kit--or maybe just something on the Meguiar's forum? I added the 5000 grit after Mike Phillips posted on here about using that on paint (I think it was MP).

 

[chilly]

I think you're right I may have started with a lower grit when sanding off failed coating, it was a long time ago. For some reason 800 comes to mind, my memory is failing me, I remember following some sort of protocol, whether it was a kit--or maybe just something on the Meguiar's forum? I added the 5000 grit after Mike Phillips posted on here about using that on paint (I think it was MP).

I remember that once you got past the failed coating into the actual plastic it was smooth sailing from there on

I was wishing for a chemical that could strip the coating off and not harm anything else and was about to the point of trying some of my arsenal of non detailing chemicals but I figured that was a bad idea and just gutted it out

I also remember when I was done and they had a coat of OCW or something on them I was so proud

Then a month or 3 later they were already looking like crap again

This was before the dedicated headlight restoration coating days

 

[Setec Astronomy]

I'm sure I've posted about this before, but any headlight I've sanded the factory coating off, yellows in a short amount of time and needs to be repolished, regardless of what I put on it (usually it was multiple coats of Opti-Lens). I bought a Cerakote kit last year but I haven't gotten around to using it yet...partly because they insisted I had to sand first.

 

[chilly]

I'm sure I've posted about this before, but any headlight I've sanded the factory coating off, yellows in a short amount of time and needs to be repolished, regardless of what I put on it (usually it was multiple coats of Opti-Lens). I bought a Cerakote kit last year but I haven't gotten around to using it yet...partly because they insisted I had to sand first.

I have been tempted in years past to try the spar varnish hack but never actually pulled the trigger

The headlights I desperately need to refinish are on my daughter in laws Lexus RX350 and they are yellow

I will probably get a Cerakote kit or something similar as well in hopes they last more than a winter

She hasn't even asked me to do them but I saw how bad they were last year and she is driving my granddaughter around so I am not going to stand by and see her driving with such horrible lighting

My daughter has also asked me to polish her headlights on her 2009 Subaru; they are somewhat cloudy but haven't reached that yellow stage yet and should be fairly easy to whip back into shape