Most cost efficient and effective method for headlight restoration

A.P.A.D.

A.P.A.D.

New member
Joined
Dec 2, 2010
Messages
949
Reaction score
0
I have a corded Dewalt 7-Amp 2500rpm and a 18v dewalt cordless.

i see the kits like 3M and also other kits at the local stores(running over $20), but i want to be as productive, effective, and cost effective as possible(charging $50 a pair for restoration).

will the drills i have be effective as well? your thoughts please! thank you!
 
What polishers do you own? Personally I think you'd have lower consumables costs with a free-rotating spindle DA and either 3M or Meguiar's abrasives, along with a rotary (or your drill) with 4" spot buffs.
 
Most cost effective...

4 inch pads on a da or rotary and any compound and/or polish you already have.

Wetsand if necessary.
 
I do restores all the time for $50 a pop. I use an air drill, 3" discs. I sand with 500, 800, wet sand with 1000, and 3000. Then, I compound and polish.

The 3m kits are a waste of money. If you already have a compressor...you could get what you need for around $150-$200. I just buy the best deals on the 3m hookit II discs on the internet. Get your air drill...your ready to rock.

Little tip too...look for those 3m kits on the internet, and some sites give you the 3m item numbers for everything. Makes your search easier. I've found that I have to buy from multiple sites to get all the grits I need.

Sent from my Droid using Tapatalk
 
thanks guys...i did fail to mention i have a DA PC 7424.

so its a toss up between using the DA with 4" pads with compound and polish or the drill with the 3" sanding discs right?
 
Its nice to have the 3.5 inch backing plate and 4 inch pads for not just headlights but other tight areas too. So IMO they are better option.
 
yeah, i got the 3.5 backing plate for when i do glass work with the DA. i just need to get the 4" pads
 
I haven't tried a DA, but a cordless drill will suffice with orange/yellow pads.
 
A.P.A.D. said:
I have a corded Dewalt 7-Amp 2500rpm and a 18v dewalt cordless.

i see the kits like 3M and also other kits at the local stores(running over $20), but i want to be as productive, effective, and cost effective as possible(charging $50 a pair for restoration).

will the drills i have be effective as well? your thoughts please! thank you!
Click to expand...
that a good price to start i start at 60
 
blackz said:
Its nice to have the 3.5 inch backing plate and 4 inch pads for not just headlights but other tight areas too. So IMO they are better option.
Click to expand...


I agree! I have the 4 inch pads for tight areas as well as for headlight restorations. I have yet to have to wetsand when using a yellow lake country pad and good old M105, followed up with M205 on an orange pad and then some plast x and then favorite sealant.
 
I use 800 grit sandpaper followed by 1000 then 1500. Then follow up with polish and sealant. It is very cost effective this way and some lights can be done with just m105 and m205.
 
jkk7479 said:
I agree! I have the 4 inch pads for tight areas as well as for headlight restorations. I have yet to have to wetsand when using a yellow lake country pad and good old M105, followed up with M205 on an orange pad and then some plast x and then favorite sealant.
Click to expand...


this combo seems like a great choice, seeing that i could use the M105 and M205 on paint as well. seems the most cost effective. what sealants are safe on clear plastics? i use Megs NXT alot for customers' paint, can i use this one the clear plastic as the last step?
 
A.P.A.D. said:
this combo seems like a great choice, seeing that i could use the M105 and M205 on paint as well. seems the most cost effective. what sealants are safe on clear plastics? i use Megs NXT alot for customers' paint, can i use this one the clear plastic as the last step?
Click to expand...


Meguiars NXT is perfectly safe on clear plastics. I am not sure about the longevity of it though. I used Liquid Glass as a sealant because it lasts for about 9-12 months. There is a thread about a urethane sealant that others have tried. I hear it can last a while. Maybe someone with that experience can chime in here.

Feed back please
 
Last edited:
Is using a drill better for sanding or hand? I use hand most of the time I go with 500,600,1000,12000,2000,3000 grit and follow it with compound and sealant.
 
^ I prefer to sand them by hand because I feel that I have better control and sanding with a drill scares me some. I'm afraid the outer edge will cut too much if I'm am not totally level with the surface. It should be quicker though, but I don't like the risk. A DA polisher used for the sanding, IMO, would be safer.

Another reason I don't like doing it by machine is that I have a really hard time telling when I have completely removed the previous grit sanding marks. By hand, I always sand 90 degrees to my last sanding step. That way I have good reference for when they are gone.

For compounding and polishing, either style machine is the way to go.
 
I do have a soft interface pad to use on my backing plate with my drill which should reduce the hard cutting on the edge. Just prefer it by hand.
 
I just did some headlights that were pretty bad. Orange 3" pad on my drill using sf4500 and they were clear as day. Now they still had some fine scratches on em but I didnt want to remove any more than what was necessary.
 
I did a headlight today about 30 mins ago. And after I finished they were still a lil hazy. Prior to me doing them there were horrible so they look 100 times better now, but I want to get that crystal clear look. I don't know if it was the sanding or if I need to use a different method right now I'm using the Spar Urethane method any advice. I use 500,600,1000,1200,2000, and finally 3000 grit sandpaper.
 
LuxuryMobile said:
Most cost effective...

4 inch pads on a da or rotary and any compound and/or polish you already have.

Wetsand if necessary.
Click to expand...

^^^ THIS!

I use 4" LC hybrid foam/wool purple pads on my Griots with M100(1) and only wet sand when necessary. Besides curing time for coating, most headlight resto's take me 15 minutes or less
 
tdwheeler18 said:
I did a headlight today about 30 mins ago. And after I finished they were still a lil hazy. Prior to me doing them there were horrible so they look 100 times better now, but I want to get that crystal clear look. I don't know if it was the sanding or if I need to use a different method right now I'm using the Spar Urethane method any advice. I use 500,600,1000,1200,2000, and finally 3000 grit sandpaper.
Click to expand...

If you're sanding from #500 and up you should have gotten most defects on the exterior of the lens. Hard to tell without seeing it. Sometimes there may be yellowing or discoloration on the inside of the lens cover from heat off the bulb or a leak of water.

I would just ditch the spar.. that stuff is crap. I would Opti Lens or one of the many other plastic and headlight coatings out there.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top