Tip for Cleaning Up Faded Composite Light Lenses

[70deuce]

Use a cloth wheel on the end of a drill and Novus #2 fine scratch remover (I purchased mine at the local Harley dealer) to clean and polish the plastic lenses on composite light assemblies. This method brings a badly faded lenses back to not quite new but close. You may have to go over it a few times.

 

[DanDan]

We use toothpaste on our cruiser roof lights as they fade very quickly...

 

[Lieutenant Dan]

I'm going to try wet sanding my led lights with 1000 then 2000 then buff them out with polishing compound. We do it on headlights all the time and it works well. My leds have some over spray on the lenses.

 

[61sleepercab]

I have used Mother's Mag wheel cleaner and a polishing rag and hand rubbed plastic headlights back to life. Mark

 

[M813rc]

That Novus 2 is great stuff. I initially started using it to clean up the lenses on light bars some 25 years ago, then tried it on MV tail lights, works like a charm.

Cheers

 

[Csm Davis]

Haven't done it to mine but have seen it and was amazed at how well it works, brake parts cleaner. Guy came down to Camp Shelby to get a truck and the lights had been painted over and I ask him if he wanted to swap out the covers for some with out paint on them, he said no that would take to much work. He went to his pickup and got a can of brake clean and sprayed one down and wiped it off, the paint came right off and the lens looked great. I asked him how long it last he said he hadn't had to redo any and had some over a year.

 

[smoothoperator]

Great info!

 

[BillIdaho]

Go to a local China-mart and pick up a bottle of "swirl remover" right next to the rubbing/polishing compound (in the automotive wax area"). About $2 or $3.
Get a 2"-3" buffing wheel at Harbor Freight. (Another $2 or $3.)
Chuck the wheel into your cordless, and SLOWLY buff it out. REMEMBER-Speed equals heat. Slowly drip the swirl remover compound on the lens while buffing it out. Within a few minutes, it will look like new. Even medium sized scratches can be worked out-as long as you don't press down hard, or speed the wheel up too much. Cheap, and effective.

 

[ke5eua]

Go to a local China-mart and pick up a bottle of "swirl remover" right next to the rubbing/polishing compound (in the automotive wax area"). About $2 or $3.
Get a 2"-3" buffing wheel at Harbor Freight. (Another $2 or $3.)
Chuck the wheel into your cordless, and SLOWLY buff it out. REMEMBER-Speed equals heat. Slowly drip the swirl remover compound on the lens while buffing it out. Within a few minutes, it will look like new. Even medium sized scratches can be worked out-as long as you don't press down hard, or speed the wheel up too much. Cheap, and effective.

I use the mothers headlight restorer just because it comes with a buffer for the drill.

I also use turtle wax rubbing compound for the stubborn spots.

 

[VPed]

The problem after you are done polishing is that the sun (UV) quickly fades them again, at least here in the desert. The method I use on headlight lenses is wet sand with 600-800 wet or dry, dry the lenses completely, then spray on some automotive clear coat from the paint section at your local auto parts store. The clear coat paint includes UV protection and the whole process is quick and easy. Literally, about a minute of sanding, whatever it takes to dry and possibly mask off, and spray. Of course you have to wait to let it dry. The sanding is intended to not only remove the oxidized layer but also to provide bite for the clear coat. If you are leery, try it on an old taillight or turn signal or old headlight lens before you try it on your prized possession.

 

[Ray70]

I've been wet sanding and buffing "yellowed" headlights for years, but never thought of clear coating them afterwards, great tip!
Here in New England they usually last a few years after you buff them, but that yellowed layer you sand off is an anti-scratch coating on the lens.
Once you remove it the lights are more susceptible to scratching and UV dulling.... Think I'll try clearing the next ones I have to buff.... Great suggestion!

 

[gringeltaube]

So far I've restored many scratched and faded plastic lenses, with great success. But I still need to find a trick how to effectively polishing them on the inside!
For some reason some of my NIB front lamp's lenses did fade but it only happened on the inside (left in the picture).

I thought this was easy to fix, but it isn't...



G.

 

[Ray70]

Never tried it but supposedly you can tumble plastics in a vibratory polisher with hardwood pellets and "High-glos" (or so it's called) polishing cream.
Check out www.Kramerindustriesonline.com there is an article on polishing plastic in a vibratory polisher.
I'm sure there are other ways, but this might be a "set-it and forget-it" method that doesn't require any elbow grease, just money to buy the materials!