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/diy/ - Do It Yourself

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File: 79 KB, 650x650, lights polishing.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1627885 No.1627885 [Reply] [Original]

I fucked up big time /diy/
I tried to repair my yellowish opaque lights and the thing came really nice except for the part where I just right fuck it really high. After applying an oven cleaner foam on them, the yellow just went away. Then I hand-applied a metal polishing product and they came really transparent and bright. Good thing these inventions of mine worked really well.
Now, in the meaning of getting them glaring, I sprayed a finish coating. This resulted in a really clean result.
Then I did something terrible, I let the car under the hot sun before the varnish dried up and it wrinkled badly.
Now my lights look WORSE than the ones in the upper picture and the coating refuses to come out. Tried polishing but does nothing now.

I'm I permanently fucked?
(actual car not pictured).

>> No.1627889

Squeeze on some toothpaste and brush them for a while. Toothpaste is a really fine polishing agent which should strip the varnish while not biting too deeply into the lens.

>> No.1627890

>>1627889
also tried this but, rather the paste is not good enough or I'm not applying enough pressure or time.
Whats your opinion on using a heat gun, or even a solvent product?

>> No.1627903

You're gonna have to sand it off, work through the grits, and polish it again

>> No.1627925

>>1627903
This. Just use a 600 grid and then go up and up.

>> No.1627945

>>1627885
Bruh, go on RockAuto. I was about to buy the headlight kits and waste a whole afternoon on my GF’s car until I went on RockAuto and got brand new assemblies with new sockets and bulbs for <$30 each. I figured they would be a couple hundred bucks for both but I got OE quality replacements for like $55, definitely better than wasting $30 and an afternoon on the kit for some half results.

>> No.1628782

>>1627889
Will any toothpaste do, or must I use my diamond whitening toothpaste?

>> No.1628810

>>1628782
Colgate is trash. We a Crest houshold

>> No.1628816
File: 1.25 MB, 3264x1836, IMG_20170604_122616.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1628816

>>1627885
You fucked up, now you must do 8 hours of hand sanding + clearcoat to unfuck them.
Pic related, before I redid them.
>someone scratched my hood, had it repainted, paid cash
>they got some over spray on lights, clay barred it off. Fast forward lights started getting cloudy, I removed the clearcoat.

>> No.1628817
File: 1.08 MB, 3264x1836, IMG_20170604_122606.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1628817

>>1628816
After pic
Honestly if I had to do it again I'd just buy new lights.

>> No.1628822
File: 141 KB, 1024x999, 71F1fOO5YJL._SL1024_.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1628822

This took like 30 min per light.

I chucked the bit up in a drill press and removed my lights from the car and just held them while working them against the various grits.

>> No.1628843

>>1628822
Just using a Polish instead of a clearcoat will just mean it will yellow/get cloudy again in a year or two.
Last sand should be side to side only so the paint holds better and doesn't run.

>> No.1628870

>>1628843
The other side of the rubbing compound is actually sealer and they encourage you to buy more and put more on every couple months

>> No.1629039

>>1627885
>>1627889
>oven cleaner
>metal polish
>toothpaste
Maybe get a headlight polishing kit?

>>1627945
Those aren't OE quality, doofus.
t. had one toyota and one eagle eye lens

>> No.1629258

>>1627885
>>1627945
>>1628822
>>1628843
>not using Mr. Wooter's method
https://youtu.be/UEJbKLZ7RmM
I did mine this way last summer and they are still like new

>> No.1629398

>>1629258
That's the guide I used, and it took a full day of work. Like I said, if I had to do it again I'd just buy new lights and replace them.

>> No.1629405

Things escalated worse. This is the family car, not just mine. My father found out and now I am in serious trouble. he doesn't let me sand it off, not even be near the car.

>> No.1629427

just sand them down with 600grit and spray some urethane clear clear on them..problem solved for years..polishing only works for about 1 yr

own paint shop

>> No.1629434

>>1629405
Who polishes Dads headlights?
A troll...a very very lame ass punk bitch Troll

>> No.1629435 [DELETED] 

>>1629405
only thing you polish is your tictac dick with mommys granny pants on yer head pussy

>> No.1629437
File: 115 KB, 432x178, MYCAR!.png [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1629437

>>1629405
>dads car, decide to fix yellow headlights without asking
>fuck up
>dad comes out and pic related
H..ha.happy father's day!

Your father only has himself to blame for raising you a retard.

>> No.1630475

>>1629258
Nice one anon, I might give this one a try when I get a spare couple of days!

>> No.1630487

>>1627885
all these "fix_it restoration methods are temporary at best.
unless you want to be brushing and sanding your lenses again every 3 monthes, just buy a new set and dont leave your car parked out in the sun all the time

>> No.1630492
File: 330 KB, 640x778, D5C8B21C-DA4F-4858-8707-747619A43222.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1630492

>>1629039
There were even cheaper ones for like $20, but got the NSF/CAPA certified ones for ~$30ea.

>> No.1630826
File: 116 KB, 1080x1080, 2018-07-19_19.19.27.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1630826

Wet sanded from 120 grit up to 400, don't skip any grits. Then switched to polishing compound and finished with clear coat.

>> No.1630892

>>1627885
sand down, spray with rattle can clear coat and polish

people have all these shirty temp solutions but it's a simple fix

>> No.1630904

>>1630826
>120 grit
Wtf is wrong with you lol

>> No.1630961
File: 3.76 MB, 4032x3024, F116DD47-6275-4DE2-B7A4-D5723BB8ED5F.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1630961

Don’t use oven cleaner
Don’t use toothpaste
Don’t use baking soda
Or headlight cleaning kits or any other crap like that.
Buy 600 grit, 1000 grit, 1500 grit wet dry sandpaper, a bottle of plastic polish and some cheap cotton rags.
All can be purchased at Walmart for $10-$15us.
With a little soapy water BY HAND sand the headlights through the different grits, then buff with cotton and plastic polish.
No need to use a drill, because those can cause heat. Sanding by hand will take 10 minutes per headlight. Pic related My 1998 Silverado headlight assembly

>> No.1630965
File: 1.28 MB, 3264x2448, 86E2EFB5-6103-4A32-840D-259B8AA958A6.jpg [View same] [iqdb] [saucenao] [google]
1630965

>>1630961
This is the plastic polish I used on the light assembly. I also use it on my acrylic pen blanks.

>> No.1630966

>>1630961
not bad advice. but ma\ybe follow the procedure by rinsing the lenses completely clean and free of soap or polish residue, then paint with a spray on clear coat. that will preserve your surface as a shiny crystal clear appearance

>> No.1630978

>>1630904
I do that when I want remove the raised letters and have a totally smooth surface. I hate when dirt and wax builds up in them.