Plastic rejuvination

[browland]

He guys I'm thinking instead of painting I want to try and just polish mine up some. I searched but I am having trouble finding a answer. I was wondering if the plastics are the same color all the way through. If they are could I use a rubbing compound on them followed by a polish and wax without worrying that I will go through the outer color?

 

[afinley]

They are molded in color

 

[rndrkeagle]

I haven't tried this myself... but I would avoid the use of anything that includes any high speed buffing tools. You can get way to hot and melt the plastic piece you're working on. The results of that can be anywhere from warping to causing tini bubbles in the plastic that would never get glossy again.

If you want to bring out a lustre on your plastic pieces I would look at one of these:
Micro-Mesh

We used to use these kits to polish out scratches in the plexiglass canopies of Navy Fighter Jets. They are "Sand-Paper" based polishing kits that start at like 1200 grit and work their way on up to like 6400 grit (feels about as abrasive as normal printer paper).

the Airframes Mechs that would go up on the planes could get those canopies to shine beautifully with a Micromesh kit in about 30 mins... only catch is that they were usually working on one small area to remove a specific scratch. Not trying to bring out the lustre of a large area. It's a pretty manual intensive approach but I doubt much else would beat it for results.

Correction: This kit includes the following grits:
One each micro-mesh sheets, 3200, 3600, 4000, 6000, / 8000, and 12000 grit

12000... now THAT's a fine grit!

 

[Pockets]

Possibly try headlight restorer. Worked great when I did my mother-in-law's van. How bad are the scratches?

 

[lleubbx]

Yep, they are molded/injected with the final color just like a plastic bucket
You can try to work first on a plastic container/piece(like a bucket)and see what comes out

 

[browland]

How bad are the scratches?

its not so much scratches as a light haze in an area or two and you can see where the tank protector used to be before I took it off even though there is no residue... I was planning on taking a lil rubbing compound with a cloth then some scratch remover/shine enhancer stuffs then wax all by hand with rags

 

[dave_xb12r]

DO NOT SAND IT!!!! I have tried several times with $hitty results(yes I know what I'm doing). Go to home depot, buy a 6" non orbital buffer. Order some micro fiber 6" pads on the internet, get novus # 2 & 3 and get to work. Clean it up first, then start with #3 and spend as long aas you can stand. When the novus starts drying out, that's when it's working. After you've used the heavy scratch remover, use the #2 and spend even longer. Again, when it's drying up, that's when it's working.

 

[Pockets]

3M polishing compound works great too. You can get it at any automotive paint supply shop and sometimes at parts stores. Don't use the rubbing compound as it has too many abrasives.

 

[Lohani]

*snatches thread away*
very briefly speaking of painting... do u have to use a plastic approved paint to paint an airbox cover?
i have a yellow one that also came with my TT, and i wanna do something wonkadoo to it, but am i limited to plastic paints?

 

[Pockets]

<is airbrush painter.
Nope, just scuff the area to be painted with RED scotchbrite. It will give enough bite but not scratch too deep to leave a mark when top coated. Using a flex additive helps just in case.I use House of Kolor exclusively.

 

[willyam1]

has anyone tried novus #2 or #3 on the windsheild?

dave, you said not to sand it but what about really deep scratches? can I sand it to make it smooth, then use the novus 2 and 3 or is that a bad Idea? the scrtches are almost 1/16 inch deep.

 

[XB12G]

FYI i used to work at a body shop so i know what im doing... with that said i dropped my seat cowl 2 weeks ago and i wet sanded it with 2000 then using a foam pad on a polisher and some 3m compound i brought it back up pretty good almost perfect

 

[Jabaniz]

I have used the 3m lines of polishing compound on everything from cut and polish after i painted my jeep, to restoring a 1979 Yamaha xs750 on plastics and metals, you have to take you time, and remember its okay to use a more abrasive compound first to get rid of DEEP gouges, but you will need a good buffer and nice pads, keep things clean and moist with polisher, be careful when you start buffing with the wheel dry

 

[jeff595]

I had to use the Turtle Wax polishing compound on the wife's white XB9 and it did a great job! It didn't completely get rid of the deep scratches, but it did pull the dirt out of them making it less noticable.