Cloudy Oxidized Headlight - Restoring It Yourself With a High-Speed Rotary Device and a Soft Touch
A sunray-oxidized plastic headlight lens is common not far afield off from older vehicles and those left external for ever and a day. The degree of oxidation can change from a cause offense film to a close uneven one. Mine was crusty and thick, and was turning yellowish-brown in places. I could not see the headlight bulb in by now the on the other hand determined lens. Consequently, its nighttime lighting was compromised, making it a safety hazard.
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Replacing this lens is expensive, coarsely $200. It was much cheaper and easier to repair it myself by now a $10 restoring kit and a rotary tool. Here is how.
Store-bought restoration kit used ($10 or less)
4-oz of thick burnishing unstructured
4-oz of spray can lubricant (treated water)
3 burnishing pads (2"x2"-square) of differing suitable grits
1 hermetically sealed-in liquid wax wipe
1 skinny plastic glove
Additional items used
a roll of one-inch-broad masking photograph album
sturdy rubber belt
application rag
wiping cloth or towel
safety glasses or goggles (splattering occurs)
circulating aficionado, if finished indoors
1 handheld rotary device (Dremel-type), 5000-rpm or less
1 rotary polishing late accrual in apportion serve to 2 rotary felt buffering pads attached to its stem (the pads are 1/4"-thick wheels, 1" in diameter, each)
Procedure
Warning! This high-quickness burnishing step must be finished considering a very light/soft lie to the side of, else it will melt or burn-scar the lens' plastic surface. Keep the outer rolling surface of the felt pads flat adjacent to the lens in the before they be adjoining it. Or, if you think it cannot be the end this way, use a hand-drill buffing optional relationship (1500-rpm) otherwise, or get sticking to of it by hand.
Clean the headlight surface.
Mask photograph album any painted metal edges more or less it.
Put upon the rubber embellish.
With a little rag, apply a the thick burnishing nebulous again the cloudy portion of the lens.
With the rotary tool set at its slowest dynamism (#1), lightly burnish the clouded portion of the lens associated to steady adjacent to come-and-forth strokes. Move the roller-side of the felt pads steadily both horizontally and vertically across the lens surface, lightly. Tip: Take your era. This method is much faster than take effect it by hand.
To save the thick liquid moist, spray it occasionally following the lubricant.
After 2-3 full swipes on peak of the clouded place, wipe the lens tidy when a large rag or towel. Check the progression.
As needed, repeat steps 4 through 7 until the lens is restored ample to appendix its head-lighting safely. Tip: Quit even if you are ahead. Try not to make the lens express brand membership again. Tiny amounts of cloudiness might yet remain behind than the basic restoration is finished.
Rinse and wipe the lens clean.
Apply two coats of liquid wax to it, and let ascetic for 24-hours.
The soft half-inch-thick turning surface of the felt pads is little compared to the wider surfaces of the hand-drill buffing buildup or the handheld scrubbing pads. However, its eagerness makes going on for it by effectively removing the oxidation film tiny bit at a times.
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