Like this one. Rinse the residue from the clean headlight lenses with a paper towel dipped in warm water. Nicely explained - thanks for sharing! Step 3: Start sanding the headlights. The instructions say that the mineral spirits will take the urethane off, so why mix the two for application of the clear coat? on Step 5. Pour water on the headlights and sand them. You should get a nice, even coat on the headlights when you are finished. Hint: you can add a little soap to the water. Step 3: Wet sanding. This method isn’t intended for glass style lights. Move the wet sandpaper continuously on the headlights to remove large, visible scratches until the surface becomes smooth. That sanding removes the most oxidised plastic. Starting with 1000 grit, make sure the lens is wet, then sand the surface working evenly across the lens. The UV coating has been removed in some spots, therefore the light does not have that full protection again and I’ll show you how to protect the light in a moment. Less time is needed here as we’ve already removed a majority of the imperfections. You will be spending quite some time on your headlights. What type of polishing compound should I use? Acetone will damage the plastic lens and a 1k clear coat is subpar quality. Always make sure the surface is well lubricated and rinse the sandpaper and surface as needed. Why not use a spray spar urethane instead? You can do this by hand or with a power sander. and paint w/ brush starting at top too bottom, be careful to get 1 solid coat, you will see slight lines but after complete turn headlights on and paint will smooth out. I will give an example of using a machine polisher in a moment. When you have removed all the oxidation, and there is a uniform finish, continue on to the next step. When dried, it will still appear hazy and this is normal. Question to you or anyone with experience, do you at times find that you can't buff out the oxidation totally so that after the polish, the texture and feel of the lens is smooth, polished, and uniform but it still looks a little cloudy in some trouble spots? The only for drying is so the tape can stick to the surface. Make sure the lenses are clean, for my method using wax, apply it to an applicator and work it across the surface. Hi gmatta,Thanks for this instruction. In most cases, that UV coating will last for a number of years before the sun finally wears it out and causes it to fail. Select desired wet sanding sheet: 2500 or 3500 grit. If sanding marks are still present, then continue polishing. 4 weeks ago The type of sandpaper you need for wet sanding is called silicon carbide -- or wet/dry -- sandpaper. This coating can fail and fade away. Spray is VERY good light so you can see the clear “shine up” as you get the spray heavy enough to flow out. DISCOVER OUR NEW SYSTEM TO REMOVE SCRATCHES AND TARNISHING (yellowing) ON POLYCARBONATE PLASTIC HEADLIGHTS This set allows to remove scratches and tarnished plastic headlights. How to Restore Headlights with Wet Sanding and Clear Coating When wet, the lens will appear somewhat clear, but if dry, it will be hazy and this is perfectly normal. This method is more labor-intensive and requires extra time. Being that the lightly sits slightly below the fender edge, this is a high-risk area where you can damage the paint with either wet sanding or machine polishing. Did you make this project? If you use the kit, you’ll use sanding discs. That is the old UV layer being removed. If the lens starts to … More uniform coating and easier application. Question Rinse the lens and sandpaper as needed to remove any sanding residue and continue to work the surface. It still has some oxidation, just not as much as the plastic you just sanded off. I spent about an hour wet sanding the passenger side headlight housing (it was a mess) and then I put the final protective coating from crystalview on the headlight housing. Like this one. Place the backing plate to the drill and then the 800 grit sanding pad. Sanding your headlights is an important step to restore their old shine. Try wet-sanding the lens again with 600 grit wet-or-dry paper (the black stuff) and then 1000 grit. I’m redoing an old video, this was the 10th video I uploaded to YouTube back in March 2011. Ive tried rubbing on turtle wax rubbing compound and then using some plastic polish after something simular to armor all. 4. This residue is just the old hazy clear coat and plastic … Take your compound pad and rub the compound on the headlight without turning the drill on. I did this after I hit a deer in '97 or 8 that took out the hood and left headlight on my 94 Escort. Sanding The Headlights With Sandpaper. I took a sheet of 1500 grit wet-sanding paper and soaked it in a bucket with 1 gal water:1 oz car wash for 20 minutes. If the lights were on the vehicle, you’ll need to rinse the area around the headlight as the residue will stay on the paint and can be hard to clean once dried. After about three days of sun exposure and curing, you are safe to wash the car as normal. Step 1: Block off the surrounding area with tape. Wet sanding (what we will be doing) helps to remove this oxidation and restore your headlights to a safer condition. For consumers about the only sealant you will find is car wax. This product not only cleans the headlight but also protect the surface from future oxidation. I have been dong tis commercially for 10 years, 2 or 3 items to try, Only sand if necessary, (headlights turned brown) I just tape off and use dupont #7 plastic compound, I also use high speed buffer (most may not have but drill works) with wool pad. Keep the plastic wet throughout the sanding process. Continue polishing the light and after a little longer, here is the final finish. I'll have to try that out. Like 800 grit, sand in one direction, making sure to keep the headlight lubricated while sanding and making sure to sand all of the headlight. Patience and a good sanding technique will yield good results. Some people do start with 800 grit on severe lights, however, that will remove material quicker and it’s not something I’d recommend for beginners. Before sanding, make sure you wet the lens enough to avoid damage during sanding. 3 months ago, Yes yes yes absolutely YES!! Would I be able to pick it up at my local hobby shop or at a hardware store? 1-1/4 piece of sandpaper per headlight. Good news, this is the last of the sanding. For this, I will be a wax, the same as what is used for protecting the paint. This is a rotary polisher that will have the most risk of damaging the surface. Headlight Restoration using Clear Coat. As you can see with these lenses, the deterioration is mainly on the top of the lens, this is the area most exposed to weathering, UV light, etc. The longer you spend on this step, the better your results will turn out. Use a spray bottle to get the surface of the headlight and the sandpaper wet with water. Once you’ve completed the entire headlight, all scratches and imperfections will be gone. Use the polishing compound on a soft cloth in a circular motion on your headlights, as described above. :D. About: Car enthusiast YouTuber creating helpful tutorial videos on both repairs and customizations. Rinse the lens and sandpaper as needed. Can I use steel wool instead of a compound pad? Then apply a small amount to a soft clean cloth and work it into the surface. Using Our 6 Stage Wet-Sanding Process, We Completely Restore & Properly UV Coat your headlights to Factory New. Next is using 1500 grit, again make sure the lens is well lubricated with water, then continue the same process. After 30 minutes, the top of the clear coat will have become thick, and not so sticky. Blue Red etc I'll post if I get a chance to try one. So without further adieu, let's get started. Now that we have finished 1000 grit, we can move on to 2000 grit. A backing pad can be used and I’ll show you that in a moment. For the most heavily damaged surfaces though, it may be necessary to use harsher abrasives than those found in paint correction products. If yours aren't shining quite like they used to, here's how to clean your headlights. A small amount of soap is added to the water to help with lubrication. Spray is VERY good light so you can see the clear “shine up” as you get the spray heavy enough to flow out. you are sanding the headlights to get all the other **** off, not scratch the plastic. I'm guessing it's just a matter of more sanding but as I say, I wanted to be cautious.Would love to hear your expert opinion!Thanks again! Red Scotchbrite also has the equivalent of 400 grit sandpaper and it doesn't level out the surface like sandpaper which would result in surface distortion after. To clean plastic headlights you would need an abrasive to lightly scrape off the oxidized layer. I hope you found my instructable helpful, and I am here for anyone with any questions. Did you make this project? Using Wet Sanding Method to Clean Headlights. "WET OR DRY sandpaper" do not use anything under 1500 grit also USE LIGHT PRESSURE!! -Continue sanding until you can see a uniform surface of 800 grit scratches (where sanding in one direction helps). Immerse the paper in water for 10 minutes, then sand in a circular motion. In a nutshell, the only proper way to restore your headlights is by color sanding to remove the damaged plastic followed by cut and color buffing. If your vehicle is parked indoors, the headlights will last longer. Make sure the light is dry, next is onto the polishing stage. Place a piece of 800-grit paper on your foam sanding pad, dip in water and make one last pass over your plastic. Leave the bulbs installed or tape off the holes, do not get water inside as this can damage the reflector or cause staining inside. This causes those oxidized and yellow headlights you see today. There are various polishes available on the market, one of the easier to use polishes is Meguiars Ultimate Polish. I have been restoring headlights now (mine and a few friends and family) for quite some time, and I feel that the knowledge should be passed to others. Then, start to sand the surface of the headlight in horizontal strokes. The Future Of Wet Sanding. When you get a uniform finish, you will notice the headlight is beginning to clear up (but only slightly). For added protection to headlights, a specialized solution helps prolong the life of the plastic. Depending on the model, some vehicles do have replaceable lenses, some vehicles even have glass lenses depending on the market and that can be a retrofit option too depending on your budget. Design and 3D Print a Modern and Cozy Reading Light! I prefer removing them as they’re only held in with three bolts. I also only used 600 and 800 grit sand paper and no polishing with great success and saves your hands. Question Car headlights are made out of polycarbonate plastic, which tends to oxidize when exposed to UV rays. We recommend using 400-grit sandpaper if your headlights are very foggy and then progressing to 600-grit sandpaper for a finer polish. The headlights will have a cloudy appearance due to the loose coating forming as a result of the sanding. Light pressure is all that's required - if you push too hard, you could potentially scar the plastic. This must be a wet/dry compatible sandpaper, otherwise, it will fall apart when exposed to water. 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