Thread: Dome polishing

Here's the archive of the existing info:


Please post all dome cleaning and polishing tips as a reply here.

can this be a sticky like the last one for quick reference?

Can someone post a video of thier wet sanding method? Or at the very least, provide detailed instructions, i.e. use of soap and water vs. plain water, soak the sandpaper, or just use a spray bottle, ect.

How hard is it to use the novus cleaning stuff?? I want to get some but want to make sure I know what I'm getting into. Any pointers would be helpful.

Originally Posted by Tritonhoward64

How hard is it to use the novus cleaning stuff?? I want to get some but want to make sure I know what I'm getting into. Any pointers would be helpful.

It's like wax. Wipe it on, buff it around a little, let it dry, buff off. It's simple.

Originally Posted by rwo978

Originally Posted by Tritonhoward64

How hard is it to use the novus cleaning stuff?? I want to get some but want to make sure I know what I'm getting into. Any pointers would be helpful.

It's like wax. Wipe it on, buff it around a little, let it dry, buff off. It's simple.

What is the diffrence between the level 1, 2, 3??

Originally Posted by Tritonhoward64

Originally Posted by rwo978

Originally Posted by Tritonhoward64

How hard is it to use the novus cleaning stuff?? I want to get some but want to make sure I know what I'm getting into. Any pointers would be helpful.

It's like wax. Wipe it on, buff it around a little, let it dry, buff off. It's simple.

What is the diffrence between the level 1, 2, 3??

3-rough high grit
2-light grit polish
1-Shining spray

What is the best size containers to buy if I'm doing liberty bar lens?? I'm seeing the 2oz., 8oz., and the 64oz. bottle.

8 oz will last you several years. In 10 years, I've only gone not wuite thru 2 bottles.

experimented with the 3M headlight kit from the parts store. worked well. still left scratches, i think it needs a 1000 1500 grit stages and then the foam trizacs pad, then a compound and then a final polish. i like the size of the pad and it being drill mounted, way easier to control then my full size high speed buffer. uses less material too!

well i used the 1000,1500,2000 and plastx. it was pertty easy i thought. and they came out better than they were. thanks for in the info!!

yeah, what ^^^ he said

I did the wetsanding method today and wrote a detailed description for my website. It's in German, but you can use this google-translate-link
http://translate.google.com/translate?h ... ur&prev=_t
to read it in English.

The result is great, I think:

The original article is here: http://www.kitesurfer1404.de/lights/haubenpolitur
For your viewing pleasure I added a lot of pics.

Very helpful...thanks for posting.

I just polished up some lights on my vehicle using the Turtle Wax lens cleaner kit

thank you, for the tip

Hey. I started polishing a pair of dome s on a light force mini bar, they are clear, so i began with 1000 grit wet, 1500 then finished with 2000 grit. I then used a buffer with plastx but it still seems cloudy, what to do know, start over? here are some pics of the process and finish. thanks[attachment=3:38zovdxd]1000 grit sanding.jpg[/attachment:38zovdxd][attachment=4:38zovdxd]230519568130.jpg[/attachment:38zovdxd][attachment=2:38zovdxd]1500 grit sand.jpg[/attachment:38zovdxd][attachment=1:38zovdxd]after wet sand 2000 grit.jpg[/attachment:38zovdxd][attachment=0:38zovdxd]final 2000 grit polish.jpg[/attachment:38zovdxd]

Originally Posted by aj9j

Hey. I started polishing a pair of dome s on a light force mini bar, they are clear, so i began with 1000 grit wet, 1500 then finished with 2000 grit. I then used a buffer with plastx but it still seems cloudy, what to do know, start over? here are some pics of the process and finish. thanks

You need a rubbing compound. I like Fracela, 3m works very well. make sure its for 1500 or finer scratch remover. I use a "cutter" buffer, then fallow up with a soft polish buffer

Polishing AeroDynic domes are known to be very time consuming.
I just used a set of "3M Headlight Lens Restoration Kit" and the results were truly amazing. I am halfway done (1/2 side) and have used about half of the kit. I your lenses are badly scratched, like mine were, I'd say 1 kit will be enough to do 1 complete side. This operation took me a little less than an hour. Once you get used to the procedure, you'll probably be able to do a whole bar in 3 hours. I wet-sanded Aerodynic domes by hand before. The results were not even as close as those of the 3M kit and it took me a whole week-end and a whooooole lot of elbow grease.
The kit is to be used with a hand drill. Follow every 17 steps (yep, 17) and you will be pleasantly surprised.
My dome came out as close as I can imagine from being new.

Originally Posted by toon80

Polishing AeroDynic domes are known to be very time consuming.
I just used a set of "3M Headlight Lens Restoration Kit" and the results were truly amazing. I am halfway done (1/2 side) and have used about half of the kit. I your lenses are badly scratched, like mine were, I'd say 1 kit will be enough to do 1 complete side. This operation took me a little less than an hour. Once you get used to the procedure, you'll probably be able to do a whole bar in 3 hours. I wet-sanded Aerodynic domes by hand before. The results were not even as close as those of the 3M kit and it took me a whole week-end and a whooooole lot of elbow grease.
The kit is to be used with a hand drill. Follow every 17 steps (yep, 17) and you will be pleasantly surprised.
My dome came out as close as I can imagine from being new.

Is this the kit?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t1RBw0IGXA

Originally Posted by JohnMarcson

Originally Posted by toon80

Polishing AeroDynic domes are known to be very time consuming.
I just used a set of "3M Headlight Lens Restoration Kit" and the results were truly amazing. I am halfway done (1/2 side) and have used about half of the kit. I your lenses are badly scratched, like mine were, I'd say 1 kit will be enough to do 1 complete side. This operation took me a little less than an hour. Once you get used to the procedure, you'll probably be able to do a whole bar in 3 hours. I wet-sanded Aerodynic domes by hand before. The results were not even as close as those of the 3M kit and it took me a whole week-end and a whooooole lot of elbow grease.
The kit is to be used with a hand drill. Follow every 17 steps (yep, 17) and you will be pleasantly surprised.
My dome came out as close as I can imagine from being new.

Is this the kit?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_t1RBw0IGXA

That's the one, John. Got 2 kits on sale for 40$.
Great results for sure. Not like new, of course, but very close!
I took some pictures while underway. I'll upload them soon

That looks like a good kit.
I wonder if using a DA sander with 800G,1000G,1500G etc would work then followed by a foam pad on the DA with a good plastic polish :?:

I have also used the 3M Headlight Restorer kit.
Except I do not use the sandpaper ,since it leaves the scratches on the lenses.
And after it is all done I use the Liquid Ice Paste wax it is Great and it will not leave the white residue like others do.
And if you use a nice clean micro fiber cloth to polish it up with ,they will look great.

Originally Posted by Shadow-D

That looks like a good kit.
I wonder if using a DA sander with 800G,1000G,1500G etc would work then followed by a foam pad on the DA with a good plastic polish :?:

800 is pretty rough. I wouldn't go.that deep unless the domes are pitted bad

i use 600 to start on some domes.

Originally Posted by ryan

i use 600 to start on some domes.

By hand or orbital sander ?

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Headlight-L.../dp/B001AIZ5HY

^^^^^^ $14.56 per kit.

There's a product over here called 'Tcut' I use it all the time on lenses that are 'cloudy opaque' without any serious scratches.

Originally Posted by WhiteLite03

http://www.amazon.com/3M-Headlight-L.../dp/B001AIZ5HY

^^^^^^ $14.56 per kit.

That's all well and good but that cost is plus shipping so the price is back up to $20 with shipping, same price as if you went to Wal-Mart...

If it were me, I'd just go to Wal-Mart and have it now rather than order it online and get it in 3 to 5 days...