Alternative abrasives

The cleaning and polishing jobs undertaken here have been carried out using a range of branded products that just so happened to be on the shelves of the workshop but other materials can be equally useful. For example if a lens is really badly marked it’s possible to remove the worst of the damage using successively finer grades of wet & dry paper. When the plastic is sufficiently smooth it’s then possible to move onto materials such as the cutting compounds that are normally used on paintwork. From there any form of metal polish is fair game, once again working down in grades of abrasive until the plastic is smooth and shiny. Toothpastes are also said to be good at taking out sun damage from plastics: ditto domestic UPVC window frame cleaner/polish. A final wipe over with a soft rag and some hard surface spray polish should have your plastic lenses gleaming once more.

4 2/ But where there’s a will etc. Careful controlled heat applied around the entire periphery should get a result but don’t be tempted to start levering or forcing anything or it could end in tears. 3/ Patience generally pays off and after five...

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5 5/ Blow any grit or dust off the reflector with an airline; don’t try to rub it off or you’ll cause scratching. A gentle clean with a lint free cloth, hand soap and water will remove most of the dirt. Grease, oil and finger prints can be lifted off...

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