Buffing Plastic Tail lens
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| Original well used lens | Sanded with 600 grit | Sanded with 1500 and then 2000 grit | Polished with coarse plastic compound and Loose sewn wheel. |
Sanding tips
Use low speed if using a machine. This plastic melts very easy. Using a bit of water while sanding will help this.
If you see little spots appear, that is plastic sanding dust melting to the lens as you sand. SLOW down!
Light pressure on the sander.
Here we started with 600 grit. I wouldn't go any coarser than that unless necessary on a taillight.
Polishing Tips
Do not use too much wheel speed.
Buff in different directions. This helps to polish out the scratches easier.
Clean between each step, previous step compound could reintroduce a coarse scratch
Keep buffing wheel clean,
The lens done and reinstalled next to it's partner.
So you don't want to sand one.
The right side was cleaned and then polished with the coarse plastic polish with a Loose sewn wheel.
What is a "loose sewn wheel"?
How about a badly oxidized taillight housing?
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| Original badly oxidized 1973 Polaris Charger Taillight Bezel. | Sanded to 240 grit | Housing sanded to 400 grit | Housing sanded to 2000 grit |
I am not sure of what kind of plastic that this is made out of. It does not sand or buff like polycarbonate though. This was first sanded with 240, then 400, 600, 1500 and finished in 2000.
It was then polished. This took a bit more pressure on the wheel for the polish to be effective.
Picture of the finished product to be added.