Gauge Cluster Clear Plastic Lens

[1batt4u]

Hi all,

My lens has some white streak marks all over. I tried buffing it out several times with White Rouge Buffing Compound, but nothing at all!

Does anyone else have same problems on their lens?? What can be done?

I just checked out DMCH website for it http://store.delorean.com/p-7092-lens.aspx $149.95 for a piece of clear plastic??????? Is that for real???


Anyone make these??

[Dangermouse]

I recall seeing someone buffing one out with great success, but I don't remember who.

Might have been on the UK forum.

I know thats not a lot of help but it can be done!

[DeLorean03]

I'm learning how to "flame polish", and I'm going to try to do this to my plastic piece down the road.

I do this on my pinball plastic ramps. After they get so much wear, you take a small butane torch and get the tip of the blue flame to be JUST out of reach of the plastic. The heat causes the cloudy areas of plastic to clear up, and I've done it with great success on my pinball plastic ramps.

This isn't a HUGE priority to me right now, but down the road when I finally do it, I'll post my results. Don't hold your breath; I'm talking like summer 2013.

This is a good example of the art of flame-polishing in motion:

[john 05141]

Be VERY careful with this flaming polishing. This will work in very thick material only and will not be of any use in a lens like the one in the binnacle.
It melts the furface a bit but also warps the surface when it is too thin. the thick plastic pinball machine part with lots of bends will cope with the heat better than a thin lens.Also if you do not controll the movement very will, you can influence the shape if the plastic or burn the surface.

Buffung with a drillçing machine may also increase the temperature too much so it will melt the surface.. beyond repair.
I never removed the lens of mine, but can it not be cut out of a clear sheet of plastic? Tape the surface off real well, and with a saw cut it out. Drill the holes and you're done.

Jan

[Bitsyncmaster]

I've used an automotive (paint polish) compound with good success on clear plastic parts. I don't use any machine to polish for fear of over heating. You may want to try polish while under cold water.

[dustybarn]

I'd be very wary of trying to flame polish it. I use a polish called "Novus2" on my pinball machine plastic parts and it works phenomenally. I also used it to polish out an old "space helmet" hair dryer dome and it worked great.

[DMCMW Dave]

.
I never removed the lens of mine, but can it not be cut out of a clear sheet of plastic? Tape the surface off real well, and with a saw cut it out. Drill the holes and you're done.

Jan

The lens is not flat.

[Michael]

I have done plenty of plastic with very good success. Depending on how bad the scratches are you can do it by hand, but a machine always works better. I have used automotive compound, but the best thing to use is Novus plastic polish. Boat retailers usually carry it. I use a Makita buffer, but for something small like this, I would use my 3" Milwalkee drill polisher. It would no doubt be easier with the lens out as it would only take a few minutes to have it looking like new.

If it has a stain on it or if some chemical has eaten into the plastic, more drastic steps involving sandpaper are in order, which is no problem for an experienced person. An inexperienced person however can really make a mess out of it. You might swing in a few car dealerships and ask when the guy who corrects headlight lenses will be by. These guys make it a business on finishing plastic headlights to like new. Just make sure they sand and polish them and not refinish them with a coating.

[stevedmc]

The lens is not flat.

Actually the lens itself is flat. Only the mounting tabs are at an angle. Bill Robertson has been running a flat piece of exterior grade optical acrylic, mounted with custom made stainless steel tabs, for half a decade now no problem. Cost him $6 (half of a $12 sheet).

[Mark D]

I've used Meguiars PlastX polish and it works flawlessly.



I typically wet sand with 800 grit paper first to clean out dirt and to get a nice even surface. You want to remove any pitting or deeper scratches. If you have any scratches that are really deep you can go down to 600 or 400 grit but then you have to spend more time sanding with progressively higher grits to get back to 800 again. You can sand up to higher grits if you feel like it, but the plastx polish has no problem taking it to a mirror polish from 800 grit sanding.

I use a cotton buffing wheel mounted to a regular cordless drill. Don't be afraid to use plenty of polishing compound and let it do the work. Avoid heat buildup and don't let the polishing wheel go dry. You can also do it by hand instead of using a drill but it takes 10x as long.