Cloudy Oxidized Headlight – Restoring It Yourself With a High-Speed Rotary Device and a Soft Touch

A sunray-oxidized plastic headlight lens is common on older motor vehicles and these left outdoors continuously. The diploma of oxidation can vary from a slight film to a major uneven just one. Mine was crusty and thick, and was turning yellow in places. I could not see the headlight bulb powering the in any other case obvious lens. Consequently, its nighttime lights was compromised, generating it a basic safety hazard.

Replacing this lens is high priced, all over $200. It was substantially cheaper and less difficult to repair it myself with a $10 restoring kit and a rotary resource. Below is how.

Retail store-purchased restoration package used ($10 or considerably less)

• 4-oz of thick burnishing fluid
• 4-oz of spray lubricant (taken care of h2o)
• 3 burnishing pads (2″x2″-square) of differing wonderful grits
• 1 sealed-in liquid wax wipe
• 1 slim plastic glove

Added products applied

• a roll of one particular-inch-wide masking tape
• sturdy rubber gloves
• application rag
• wiping cloth or towel
• safety eyeglasses or goggles (splattering happens)
• circulating supporter, if done indoors
• 1 handheld rotary device (Dremel-form), 5000-rpm or significantly less
• 1 rotary polishing attachment with 2 rotary felt buffering pads attached to its stem (the pads are 1/4″-thick wheels, 1″ in diameter, each)

Procedure

Warning! This high-velocity burnishing stage should be carried out with a incredibly mild/delicate contact, else it will soften or burn up-scar the lens’ plastic surface area. Preserve the outer rolling floor of the felt pads flat from the lens when they touch it. Or, if you think it are not able to be finished this way, use a hand-drill buffing attachment (1500-rpm) alternatively, or do it by hand.

1. Cleanse the headlight floor.
2. Mask tape any painted steel edges all around it.
3. Place on the rubber gloves.
4. With a little rag, use a the thick burnishing fluid more than the cloudy component of the lens.
5. With the rotary device established at its slowest speed (#1), frivolously burnish the clouded part of the lens with steady adjacent back again-and-forth strokes. Move the roller-side of the felt pads steadily both equally horizontally and vertically throughout the lens surface area, lightly. Suggestion: Just take your time. This process is considerably more quickly than accomplishing it by hand.
6. To maintain the thick liquid moist, spray it once in a while with the lubricant.
7. After 2-3 complete swipes around the clouded place, wipe the lens thoroughly clean with a large rag or towel. Check out the development.
8. As needed, repeat steps 4 by 7 right up until the lens is restored ample to move its head-lighting safely and securely. Tip: Quit although you are ahead. Consider not to make the lens seem brand new again. Small amounts of cloudiness may possibly continue to stay when the primary restoration is carried out.
9. Rinse and wipe the lens thoroughly clean.
10. Apply two coats of liquid wax to it, and allow dry for 24-hrs.

The gentle 50 %-inch-thick turning area of the felt pads is smaller in contrast to the broader surfaces of the hand-drill buffing attachment or the handheld scrubbing pads. On the other hand, its speed will make up for it by correctly eradicating the oxidation film small little bit at a time.

Also, the finely engineered burnishing fluid from a industrial kit is possibly the most effective sort to use with a higher-velocity rotary machine. I can now see my headlight bulb in its properly powering the restored lens just great. For additional details on restoring headlight surfaces, see this internet site.