How to smoothen Abrasion on clear plastic?

[Veloc]

Dear detailing Sifus...

I recently swap my meter panel with another guy. His meter panel cover, the clear plastic got some marks. I though it was stains. But it's not. It's like, the part of the plastic has undergone abrasion. Cannot call it scratch because it's not deep and cannot be felt by touch. It's just like blurred. I heard before people say toothpaste can work, but when I used it, it became more clear wth :stupid:. Please can anyone teach me how to get rid of it? Sandpaper or maybe headlamp restore solutions? Please please please... It looks fugly... It is in the picture below...

 

[s1tl]

hmm u could try Meg's plast X or if its just dirt u can try Optimum's Power Clean

 

[KrisMas]

Try to get hold of Meg's PlasX or Autosol Plastic Polish. But be careful with the plastic as it's very soft. Don't polish it with too much pressure as that *could* have been the cause of those scuffs on the first place.

 

[Veloc]

Oh thank you... I try to source it.. It is not dirt...

 

[g88]

over do will haze and cause permenant damage to the surface.

 

[DanzEterna]

just use autosol or brasso also can.....

 

[Veloc]

just use autosol or brasso also can.....

Bro Danz... Brasso can be used on plactics also? Confirm ah? Then I'll try it then coz it's easy to get...

 

[fishbonezken]

Hi Veloc, have you tried the PlastX yet?

I am not too sure, but I feel these plastics are much softer than the plastics of your headlights. I scratched them with cloth and some paint polish before.

Try a small area first whatever you plan to use.

 

[Veloc]

fishbonezken,

Unlike KL, KK is quite hard to source these kind of specialised cleaners... So no... In a previous reply, somebody suggested another brand of plastic polish. Can't find also. Don't talk about specific brands. Just finding the type of thing is hard enough. I've looked in accessories shop. Giant also don't have. KK does not have those big departmental/hardware store like in kl...

I tried a bit of "99 Soft" polish just now. Doesn't seem to scratch plastics. So I'm gonna try it for real tomorrow. Hope jadi

 

[fishbonezken]

fishbonezken,

Unlike KL, KK is quite hard to source these kind of specialised cleaners... So no... In a previous reply, somebody suggested another brand of plastic polish. Can't find also. Don't talk about specific brands. Just finding the type of thing is hard enough. I've looked in accessories shop. Giant also don't have. KK does not have those big departmental/hardware store like in kl...

I tried a bit of "99 Soft" polish just now. Doesn't seem to scratch plastics. So I'm gonna try it for real tomorrow. Hope jadi

Ahh, pardon me, didn't read your location in Sabah. Which Soft99 polish? Don't use the one in the blue tin ya...that one is an old one with rough abrasives. Also, when you are trying, try to polish where the light can show you the scratch.

Like polishing paint, polishing without a light source is same as polishing blindly, because you won't know if you have really removed the scratches or not. Same goes for polishing any surface...

just my 2 sens...all the best!

 

[Veloc]

Ahh, pardon me, didn't read your location in Sabah. Which Soft99 polish? Don't use the one in the blue tin ya...that one is an old one with rough abrasives. Also, when you are trying, try to polish where the light can show you the scratch.

Like polishing paint, polishing without a light source is same as polishing blindly, because you won't know if you have really removed the scratches or not. Same goes for polishing any surface...

just my 2 sens...all the best!

Yes its the blue tin one. Yes it's old. There is another one in silver tin right? I understand that the blue is for solid paint and the silver tin is for metallic. Just now I tried the blue one on another plastic surface seem fine. So I thought of trying tomorrow. Anyways, I don't use that polish on my car now because the paint is metallic.

About polish under light... Well, I don't want to take out the meter panel again because taking out and putting back is a bitch. Heel lot of work and very messy... So I guess I'll just hold a torch light there ^^. Thanks for your advice!

 

[DanzEterna]

aiya i tried edi la..use autosol enuf rm10 if not mistaken....
so far till now ok.......the abrasion did not come back...i use autosol to
polish my plastic headlamp cover as well...but must polish it every quarter la........cos

 

[Veloc]

aiya i tried edi la..use autosol enuf rm10 if not mistaken....
so far till now ok.......the abrasion did not come back...i use autosol to
polish my plastic headlamp cover as well...but must polish it every quarter la........cos

In that case I look around for autosol first la... here kk... Hard to find stuff like that. Where is it available in west malaysia?

 

[DanzEterna]

im sure they have it in any hardware shop.......
even tesco,giant,carrefour,speedmart all also got...quite a common product.

---------- Post added at 09:11 AM ---------- 6 hour anti-bump limit - Previous post was at 09:11 AM ----------

if they ask wat is autosol?
just say for polishing brass items....

 

[Veloc]

I found this page where people comment on a few plastic polish products. According to them, autosol has 2 products that can be used for plastic. The "scratch Remover" and "Plastic Cleaner". Their experience is that the scratch remover only gives more scratch but the plastic cleaner works. So I'm gonna try source for the plastic cleaner.

Removing Swirls From Clear Plastic On Speedometer - Autoworld Forum

I can only try giant here. No tesco, carrefour, speedmart etc. Damn giant monopolised the business. I tried to source online just now. Ebay and lelong does not have the autosol plastic cleaner. Only got metal polish. Then I finally found the autosol distributor. Got to ask them who is their dealer in kk. I guess I will try a bit with the 99 soft polish first... If cannot then only I try to get autosol from the kk dealer.

 

[DanzEterna]

okie bro...
yup the autosol metal polish ones......never heard bout the plastic cleaner though.

 

[Veloc]

Danz... I've just done it with the 99 soft polish... Quite good eh! Can smoothen out most of it. Didn't damage the plastic. But there are still some parts that couldn't go away. I guess maybe that's on the inner surface . But its not very noticeable... The very noticeable ones are gone. I won't say 100%. But it's difficult to see the abrasive marks already. Unless one really stare and check. Can say 85% - 90% gone.

 

[DanzEterna]

thats good bro...if the inner part cant do anything...unless u wanna open the meter panel la..
but becareful got lotsa wires there..

 

[Veloc]

Inner part next time then I open la... Didn't disturb the part that have a lot of wire. the clear plastic is easy to open. Just like a cap. But I lazy open the lower part of the dasboard. wiring gilerr...

Oh by the way, I went to a supermarket just now to the auto department. Damn a lot of polishes and waxes sold. But for plastic, there's only one. The brand is turtle wax. But I didn't buy it because it costs around RM40! But I heard it is quite good. From overseas. Even featured on youtube.