Made this video of how i did the cleaning of my clear Twinsonic domes:
hope it helps!
hope it helps!
Lens, dome etc cleaning and polishing
- Thread starter JohnMarcson
- Start date
I tried using brasso and it worked good on my whelen 8000 lens. But I still have a slight tint of yellow hazing but way better. I want to try some Flitz heard walmart has it.
yeah we actually bought out the last of the Flitz lightbar restoration kits when they were discontinuing them.. Got 100 of them and only have about 20 left.. Flitz is great
OK, this is going to sound too good to be true (and too cheap) and take nowhere near the time that is consumed sanding, polishing, buffing, etc. and you will be amazed....Whats even more hilarious is my wife discovered it. While she was pregnant, she was on leave from work and I gave her a bunch of lenses to sand, polish, buff, etc. while I was at work, and she was like "screw this", did some experimenting, and came up with this....
Step 1: Wet the lens with plain cold water
Step 2: Scrub the entire lens inside and out with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser https://www.mrclean.com/en-us/shop-products/magic-erasers/magic-eraser-original (can get this anywhere for cheap)
Step 3: Rinse lens with cold water (its going to look ugly at this point, but that's the POINT)
Step 4: Find a container that will accommodate the size of your lens(s) totally submerged and fill it with HOT water and one scoop of powdered OxyClean (can get this anywhere cheap) https://www.oxiclean.com/en/product...an-odor-blasters-versatile-stain-odor-remover
Step 5: Submerge the len(s) and let soak for 45 minutes, occasionally flipping and rotating the lens(s) in the solution. (pretend its momma's secret sauce)
Step 6: After 45 minutes is up, hit them with the Magic Eraser again while wet from the solution, inside and out
Step 7: Rinse them thoroughly with cold water and then dry them IMMEDIATELY with a microfiber towel.
You will be amazed at the final finish considering the cost and time you invested. You can use an off brand of the OxiClean, but NOT the Magic Eraser (trust me, tried that). Now this does not help with significant scores and/or scratches (depending on depth of the scratch), but regardless of the method you use, you are not going to (nor should you expect) to get factory like finishes as you get with brand new lenses.
As an extra, I will coat the INSIDE ONLY of the lens(s) with RainX to prevent fogging should I have questions about the lights moisture intrusion integrity.
This method is recommended for lenses that have very fine to no scratches/scuffs and your merely looking for clarity. Hope this helps!
are you still interested in seeing someone wet sand? id be more than happy to show you.
I've been restoring emergency lights for 5+ years now for personal collectors and agency's who want to get the most out of there lights instead of buying new Everytime, as it does cost money to buy new, people from all over the world send there domes or lightbars to me to be fully refurbished and restored to look almost factory new, some people you meguires plastix I used wizards as it always comes out clean and nice hence my photos, have any questions feel free to ask, and yes I do accept jobs.
i need to find some of this stuff
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I like novus plastic polish comes in 2 levels 1 for heavy, 1 for light work then a spray polish cleaner. I only hand work mine or a toothbrush to get a lil more effort in since I don't have a polisher/buffer unit .
I have a mini jetstream, the dome condition actually isn't awful but it could use some work. The only time I ever tried to refinish a dome was a mini justice. Let's just say I needed to buy all new domes afterwards. I bought a set of novus plastic polish, and hopefully it will go better.
John,
I haven't had any luck with the 3M Headlight Restorer, (as it doesn't last here in the High UV of the Desert).
I've been using 3M Lens & Hard Plastic Cleaner, pn 39017, but wanted to see if there is something new on the market for High UV protection for L/B and plastic domes/lens.
I haven't had any luck with the 3M Headlight Restorer, (as it doesn't last here in the High UV of the Desert).
I've been using 3M Lens & Hard Plastic Cleaner, pn 39017, but wanted to see if there is something new on the market for High UV protection for L/B and plastic domes/lens.
I have had good results with 1000, 1500, and 2000 grit wet sanding followed by novus #2. It's messy and time consuming, but it seems to give pretty solid results.
Thanks
I need to find a product that has higher than industry average UV protection.
Example; after using the 3M Headlight Restoration kit (with 2 hrs labor) The yellowing returns in about 10 months.
The only viable longer lasting solution is to replace the Yellowed headlights with OEM GM Parts, (where I get about 4-5 yrs of service life from a Headlight Lens.
PS. I miss the 'Ol Days of GLASS Lamps..lol
I need to find a product that has higher than industry average UV protection.
Example; after using the 3M Headlight Restoration kit (with 2 hrs labor) The yellowing returns in about 10 months.
The only viable longer lasting solution is to replace the Yellowed headlights with OEM GM Parts, (where I get about 4-5 yrs of service life from a Headlight Lens.
PS. I miss the 'Ol Days of GLASS Lamps..lol
The method I use is great at restoring, but not protecting from future problems. Since I display my lights indoors it doesn't matter to me. That said I have done lights for in-service vehicles and I have yet to be satisfied. Many kits claim that they both restore and protect, but I'm not convinced any of the all in one products actually protect against new UV exposure. The restoration portion is basically abrasives, taking off the damaged surface layers and exposing new "virgin" plastic. By the nature of the process the exposed new plastic gets damaged again very easily. There has been debate on whether a finer "grit" finishing compound helps slow the process of "re-hazing" or if you need an actual separate protection product when you are done. The kits that have a final "protection" step have yet to wow me. A stand alone protectant for use after the restoration would be my choice vs. the all in ones which I think often skimp on the initial restoration. There is also debate about to what extent even the "stand alone protectants" actually work.
There are a handful of "UV protectant spray" reviews on YouTube, with varying results. I know this isn't spot on exactly what you are after, but I tend to trust projectfarm's reviews.
Short answer: I'd treat the restoration and the protection as two separate processes and focus on each as their own project instead of trying to find an all in one solution. Wet sanding and novus will absolutely get you restored, but what will keep you there is debatable and I have yet to be impressed by a product in that category.
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