Charlies guide to polishing acrylic /plastic windows / headlights (1 Viewer)

Charlie

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Many MH owners have plastic or acrylic windows on their vans and its often been asked how to deal with these when they become scratched by perhaps bushes or tree branches when going down narrow lanes or become swirled from washing.

The truth is polishing these elements is about as easy as it gets when we endevour to remove these scratch or swirl marks from any surfaces .

There are many products designed to polish these areas . Do we need them ? AN EMPHATIC NO !

To restore plastic / acrylic windows. Window guards , Front headlights, Or rear light clusters all you need are ordinary traditional car bodywork polishes. All the fancy products are re packaged and/or Re branded automotive polishes only several times the price .

As with any polishing task Always start with a low cut polish and increase the level of cut only if the marks are disappearing . A low cut is safe and will correct the finish but may just take a wee while longer.

Always lubricate the polishing pad with water misted over whatever you are polishing. This will accelerate the speed at so as to break the polish down so it will cut and will aid the overall speed of finish.

ALWAYS try a small area first before committing to say a large window. Its just to ensure the polish and pad combination is not destructive.

Headlights that have yellowed can be restored but is fair to say they will usually discolor after time but polishing them back time after time is acceptable.

By machine select a low cut polish and a soft pad (Usual blue) Polish at no more than speed number 3 which is nice and slow. Slow really is so much safer and there is far less risk of damage from heat build up. Plus its much easier anyway !

It is possible of course to restore these elements by polishing by hand. Its going to be slow but possible nonetheless.
 

ambulancekidd

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I've always used T-cut to polish the face on my watch which has been scratched half to death. Just use it in a straight line & never swirls & its always come out perfectly. I bought a caravan a number of years ago that someone had taken a deck scrubber to!!!! I was busy looking for windows & decided to try the T-cut trick, I had nothing to lose but they came out perfectly! Again, just always in straight lines & hey presto. I know the chemicals are harsh but that caravan belongs to a friend of mine & its still tip top.
 

TheBig1

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you really do need to use wet and dry in various grades to remove deep scratches. but then finish with cutting compound and polish. when done right, its like having new windows as you have removed the pitted and scratched surface. makes a massive difference to the appearance especially if preparing a motorhome or caravan for sale. have lost count of the number i have done over the years
 

FJmike

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This is where I have to disagree with Charlie ( slightly ). Having polished literally hundreds of van windows I can recommend Meguiars Plastic, good results can be obtained by hand polishing but to get crystal clear plastic windows it's best to use a DA polisher , using Charleis method this will ensure you do not build up too much heat and not damage the window. Be very cautious using a polisher as all poly windows fitted to motor homes an caravans are coated and if you are too agresive you can polish through this coating, resulting in a very blotchy finish

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DBK

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This is where I have to disagree with Charlie ( slightly ). Having polished literally hundreds of van windows I can recommend Meguiars Plastic, good results can be obtained by hand polishing but to get crystal clear plastic windows it's best to use a DA polisher , using Charleis method this will ensure you do not build up too much heat and not damage the window. Be very cautious using a polisher as all poly windows fitted to motor homes an caravans are coated and if you are too agresive you can polish through this coating, resulting in a very blotchy finish
The suggestion from Charlie is for glass windows, not plastic.
 

MattR

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The suggestion from Charlie is for glass windows, not plastic.
Charlie did a similar thread today on glass polishing :)

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FJmike

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I have seen Brass recommended on another forum, personally I wouldn't be too happy using something that contained that much ammonia
 
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Brasso and Tcut have ammonia and other nasties in them and should not be used on plastic windows. Some plastics can be degraded using them. The thing to remember is certain plastics can be damaged by certain chemicals. i.e. polycarbonate will be completly dissolved if treated with acetone, that is one of the reasons why polycarbonate headlights and lenses have a coating on them. A second reason is polycarbonate is extremly strong, in fact 10 times stronger than many plastics, but without the coating even a wipe with a soft tissue would cause scratching as its a very soft plastic. So, if you polish the coating off polycarbonate you would need to have it re-coated. Plastic headlights are very likely to be polycarbon.

Use the correct product for the plastic you are treating. You might think you are saving £5 or £6 but you may cost yourself £100s in repairs !
 
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The suggestion from Charlie is for glass windows, not plastic.

For glass windows you need jewelers rouge or Cerium Oxide . But be careful jewelers rouge it stains many surfaces, is hard to work and can polish optical aberrations into the surface making the window unpleasant to look through.

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To restore plastic / acrylic windows. Window guards , Front headlights, Or rear light clusters all you need are ordinary traditional car bodywork polishes. All the fancy products are re packaged and/or Re branded automotive polishes only several times the price

Thanks Charlie(y) can you please advise which product you use or would recommend?:)
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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This is where I have to disagree with Charlie ( slightly ). Having polished literally hundreds of van windows I can recommend Meguiars Plastic, good results can be obtained by hand polishing but to get crystal clear plastic windows it's best to use a DA polisher , using Charleis method this will ensure you do not build up too much heat and not damage the window. Be very cautious using a polisher as all poly windows fitted to motor homes an caravans are coated and if you are too agresive you can polish through this coating, resulting in a very blotchy finish

Mike I never said the dedicated products didn't work I said there is no need to buy them. Any low cut automotive polish will achieve IMO the same or better results..

I imagine most of those who have polishing machines will have DA machines rather then Rotary but it matters not as long as the slow cut way of polishing is applied And the correct soft pad is used .

I mentioned clearly that a test area MUST or at least should be tried and I would underline that but we cannot edit posts for some reason after a short time.

Brasso Or Tcut ? Hells teeth these vile products should be disposed of ! They have the capability to completely ruin any material they are applied to except the specific materials there WERE designed to be used on and even then the BIN is still the best place for them.

Cerium Oxide has been mentioned in this thread.
For the purpose of clarity NEVER EVER USE CERIUM OXIDE ON POLY/PLASTIC/ OR ACRYLIC materials or you can and very likely WILL ruin them.

Cerium Oxide are very similar in base products to Jewelers rouge . But jewelers rouge can (But does not always) contain highlighting colour additives which as Jezport mentions can leave a light staining. Please remember I never mentioned Jewelers rouge in the thread specifically written on polishing Glass. NOR WOULD I EVER USE THAT PRODUCT ON VEHICLE WINDOWS.

I agree with Jezport again on not using a cheap or wrong product. I think that's covered now.

But to clarify further there is often no need to buy products that are or look to be specifically made to do one job in this case polishing Plastic/Acrylic. By all means if you are unsure buy them. For me I will use what I have provided no damage will occur and the product will achieve the results I want.

Lastly and with respect it bloody horrifies me when someone who clearly knows nothing about the subject suggests taking wet and dry paper to windows on flaming expensive vehicles. Sorry but again with respect that is just stupid.

In detailing we can correct plastic/acrylic by a method we call wet sanding .

Wet sanding can be done to various surfaces like those mentioned above and car paint. Wet sanding is an EXTREMELY RISKY business undertaken by only the very highly skilled and confident/competent people !

On car or what I call Automotive bodywork we when wet sanding use dual layer PTGs (Paint Thickness Gauges) These PTGs in dual layer form cost around £2.000 and up. So I would have to suppose not many even keen detailers have them and even if they did they would work on car Automotive bodywork and not on Plastic/Acrylic windows. Not that there is any laquer on those windows but there can be a coating.

What Im trying to say is DO NOT take wet and dry to your windows. I cannot stress enough the damage that can be done. Ask me to do the same to your windows and you will get told where to go. Its to risky.
 

Diesel

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@Charlie - a question if I may - I plan soon to polish our windows, I understand once headlamps are polished they will again oxidize, my question is does the headlamp oxidisation happen quicker after headlamps have been polished (Are they UV coated?) and if so will my windows on the Hymer oxidise quickly after polishing if unprotected - should I apply sealant after?

Cheers
 

MattR

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Mike I never said the dedicated products didn't work I said there is no need to buy them. Any low cut automotive polish will achieve IMO the same or better results..

I imagine most of those who have polishing machines will have DA machines rather then Rotary but it matters not as long as the slow cut way of polishing is applied And the correct soft pad is used .

I mentioned clearly that a test area MUST or at least should be tried and I would underline that but we cannot edit posts for some reason after a short time.

Brasso Or Tcut ? Hells teeth these vile products should be disposed of ! They have the capability to completely ruin any material they are applied to except the specific materials there WERE designed to be used on and even then the BIN is still the best place for them.

Cerium Oxide has been mentioned in this thread.
For the purpose of clarity NEVER EVER USE CERIUM OXIDE ON POLY/PLASTIC/ OR ACRYLIC materials or you can and very likely WILL ruin them.

Cerium Oxide are very similar in base products to Jewelers rouge . But jewelers rouge can (But does not always) contain highlighting colour additives which as Jezport mentions can leave a light staining. Please remember I never mentioned Jewelers rouge in the thread specifically written on polishing Glass. NOR WOULD I EVER USE THAT PRODUCT ON VEHICLE WINDOWS.

I agree with Jezport again on not using a cheap or wrong product. I think that's covered now.

But to clarify further there is often no need to buy products that are or look to be specifically made to do one job in this case polishing Plastic/Acrylic. By all means if you are unsure buy them. For me I will use what I have provided no damage will occur and the product will achieve the results I want.

Lastly and with respect it bloody horrifies me when someone who clearly knows nothing about the subject suggests taking wet and dry paper to windows on flaming expensive vehicles. Sorry but again with respect that is just stupid.

In detailing we can correct plastic/acrylic by a method we call wet sanding .

Wet sanding can be done to various surfaces like those mentioned above and car paint. Wet sanding is an EXTREMELY RISKY business undertaken by only the very highly skilled and confident/competent people !

On car or what I call Automotive bodywork we when wet sanding use dual layer PTGs (Paint Thickness Gauges) These PTGs in dual layer form cost around £2.000 and up. So I would have to suppose not many even keen detailers have them and even if they did they would work on car Automotive bodywork and not on Plastic/Acrylic windows. Not that there is any laquer on those windows but there can be a coating.

What Im trying to say is DO NOT take wet and dry to your windows. I cannot stress enough the damage that can be done. Ask me to do the same to your windows and you will get told where to go. Its to risky.

To clarify, I've had good results using wet and dry on acrylic headlights - they were yellowed and hazy before and failed the MOT but were restored to clear with very fine wet no dry (1,000 up to 4,000 grit) and passed. The coating had deteriorated so wasn't offering any uv protection. The headlights require a quick buff once a year to resore.

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Charlie

Charlie

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@Charlie - a question if I may - I plan soon to polish our windows, I understand once headlamps are polished they will again oxidize, my question is does the headlamp oxidisation happen quicker after headlamps have been polished (Are they UV coated?) and if so will my windows on the Hymer oxidise quickly after polishing if unprotected - should I apply sealant after?

Cheers

Use of a sealant will help.. Sealants need time to cure typically 15 minutes or so. Read the label to be sure and apply twice..
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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To clarify, I've had good results using wet and dry on acrylic headlights - they were yellowed and hazy before and failed the MOT but were restored to clear with very fine wet no dry (1,000 up to 4,000 grit) and passed. The coating had deteriorated so wasn't offering any uv protection. The headlights require a quick buff once a year to resore.

You can use wet and dry but go for ultra light cut. Of course polish after to remove the fine marks wet and dry leave.

It is only necessary to use it on extremely bad units. Most will not need to do it .
 

FJmike

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Please do not use anything too abrasive (including wet and dry) on your acrylic windows as most manufacturers put a very thin coating which can easily be rubbed through, leaving a very patchy finish. General rule of thumb is if you can't feel the scratch with your thumb nail then it can be polished out. My preferred polish is Meguiares PlastX but most polishes if used with care will do the job.I have not noticed any oxidation after polishing windows, I believe that unless the van is constantly in strong sunlight oxidation happens over a long time span so would not bother with a sealant.

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@Charlie - a question if I may - I plan soon to polish our windows, I understand once headlamps are polished they will again oxidize, my question is does the headlamp oxidisation happen quicker after headlamps have been polished (Are they UV coated?) and if so will my windows on the Hymer oxidise quickly after polishing if unprotected - should I apply sealant after?

Cheers
A lot of headlights (not all) are polycarbonate and they are very strong but are a soft easily scratched surface that can be eaten away by certain chemicals. The coating is to stop them scratching and keep them sealed against chemicals which could damage them.
 

MattR

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@Charlie - a question if I may - I plan soon to polish our windows, I understand once headlamps are polished they will again oxidize, my question is does the headlamp oxidisation happen quicker after headlamps have been polished (Are they UV coated?) and if so will my windows on the Hymer oxidise quickly after polishing if unprotected - should I apply sealant after?

Cheers

Yes, headlights will oxidise quicker once polished - I need to do them once a year but without polishing, they would need replacing. Polishing is only to be used for headlights that are hazed up. I'd be interested to hear what I can use to seal them to reduce the speed of hazing.
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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I would seal... I think what Mike is saying is that some acrylic windows discolour only very slowly so sealing wont make much difference.
Jez is also right in saying some headlights are polycarbonate and some of those have tints or sealing of one type or another on them.

In short for me if the headlight or window or whatever is discolouring fast then try a sealant. It can only slow the process so no harm in sealing !

I think I have mentioned it above but I also echo Mikes comments on never use an abrasive or even an overly abrasive polish on windows unless the exact make up of the material is known. To be honest wet and dry should be avoided unless really deep imperfections are present and the person doing the job is resigned to either success or replacement .

Mattyjwr. Zaino Z8 is a high quality sealant. (y)(y)

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Diesel

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Right so in the main car headlamps are polycarbonate and windows will be acrylic in the main.....

@FJmike - its that very thing I am cautious of - any coating .....whilst happy to buy plastX if needed I might try compounds I already have 1st - would a green Hex pad be too aggressive to start?
I have some PEEK polish which I think suggests can be used for headlamps / windows IIRC - but I think Ill keep that in the drawer.

There are some deeper scratches from hedgerows which I guess im not that bothered about getting rid off ....if i can get them nice and clear without going too heavy I think that would do me :)
 

FJmike

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I'm not too sure about green pads I always use blue pads on acrylic windows. Best bet is to take your time and not press too firmly.
 
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Charlie

Charlie

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The colour and texture of the pad and also the cut of the polish should be determined by how good or bad the condition of the headlights or windows are.

IE if they are bad use a medium cut polish but stay with a blue/ soft pad.

The general rule of thumb is Always start with the least aggressive combination and work up. Never do it the other way round.

If your combination lacks cut all it means is correcting will take a little longer.

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Diesel

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Thanks for all the advice guys ....Some pics of progress.....small rear window using different pad / polish combos...

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1 pass with meguiars M205 to the right

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bottom right 2nd pass with meguiars M205

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Few other polishes

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Section in middle where tape line was untouched

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Bit more to do and will do inside too.....did a side window after but need sun out to see how it went ....
 

alanalmoff

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I've used toothpaste to remove marks on the gel coat, not sure how abrasive it is, but I have been using it for sixty odd years and still have most of them, teeth that is, you may need a few hundred tubes to do a whole van!!!!!!
PS.
I would not use it on my black Mercedes
 
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perfectionist

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Hi folks meguiers plastx plastic polish great product, also autoglym metal polish works well on headlights,
you could also use G3 compound /hand or machine, but my first choice would be meguiers.For
removing headlamp stickers I start with a plastic blade and try and ease up, removing any adhesive
with autoglym tar and glue remover, if there really stuck on there a metal blade is the only alternative
being careful not to scratch the light not recommended unless you have had experience.

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