Darren S
ClioSport Club Member
Well, after my thread a short while back.....
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/headlight-restoration-kits-do-they-work.774357/
I decided to have another go last weekend. The fundamental issue I had previously was with the 3M kit itself. The circular attachment fitted to a drill, which is then expected to be used smoothly on a curved surface - is probably one step more difficult than trying to herd cats.
I'd only ever tried the restoration kit on the drivers headlight before - not the passenger side. So I had a half-fixed headlight on one side and the other as a prime example of what 11 years worth of daily abuse and sunlight can actually do.
Reading up on it (and going balls out more than applying scientific logic) - I went down the delta sander route. Clearly, the majority of pads out there were far too abrasive - some grit levels being in just double-figures. I had a quick look on the internet and found some Fein 800 grit sanding pads from Tool-Net (http://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-350446/fein-800-grit-delta-sanding-sheets-for-stone-50-pack.html) - the only downside being that a pack of 50 was there smallest pack quantity. I even asked for less!
Anyway, these arrived and I got the rest of the kit down in the underground and got ready to get stuck in.
A couple of before shots:-
The pads were a MASSIVE improvement over the 3M drill attachment. Far more controllable as a device and very clear as to how much you'd done and how far you had to go. Dusting off the residue with a cloth, made it very easy to see how progress was being made...
All told, I probably went through about a dozen pads - good job I had the box of 50 after all...
Once the more aggressive part of this was done - I did use the 3M applicator and the 3M rubbing compound, attached to my Sonus Porter Cable. That again, worked a treat and methodically, I went over and over the lenses, clearing up the surface that had been left by the sanding.
Once that was done - a fresh Sonus pad with little more than AutoGlym's Car Glass Polish was used to sweep over the lenses for several minutes. Once done and wiped clean with a cloth, I was very impressed with the results. Certainly not concours or showroom condition, but a huge improvement over previous - and more importantly, than with the 3M kit alone.
^^^ - a shame that the phone pic caught the reflection of the white wall at the top of the lens. It makes it look like nothing has been done!
All in all, a good learning experience, but not a job that I'd want to regularly do. I would however, definitely recommend the sanding option with a delta sander. It's far better suited to the job than a drill-bit attachment. Perhaps the most difficult part to find (individually) would be the 3M polishing compound. Apparently its a tricky item to find on its own.
http://www.cliosport.net/threads/headlight-restoration-kits-do-they-work.774357/
I decided to have another go last weekend. The fundamental issue I had previously was with the 3M kit itself. The circular attachment fitted to a drill, which is then expected to be used smoothly on a curved surface - is probably one step more difficult than trying to herd cats.
I'd only ever tried the restoration kit on the drivers headlight before - not the passenger side. So I had a half-fixed headlight on one side and the other as a prime example of what 11 years worth of daily abuse and sunlight can actually do.
Reading up on it (and going balls out more than applying scientific logic) - I went down the delta sander route. Clearly, the majority of pads out there were far too abrasive - some grit levels being in just double-figures. I had a quick look on the internet and found some Fein 800 grit sanding pads from Tool-Net (http://www.tool-net.co.uk/p-350446/fein-800-grit-delta-sanding-sheets-for-stone-50-pack.html) - the only downside being that a pack of 50 was there smallest pack quantity. I even asked for less!
Anyway, these arrived and I got the rest of the kit down in the underground and got ready to get stuck in.
A couple of before shots:-
The pads were a MASSIVE improvement over the 3M drill attachment. Far more controllable as a device and very clear as to how much you'd done and how far you had to go. Dusting off the residue with a cloth, made it very easy to see how progress was being made...
All told, I probably went through about a dozen pads - good job I had the box of 50 after all...
Once the more aggressive part of this was done - I did use the 3M applicator and the 3M rubbing compound, attached to my Sonus Porter Cable. That again, worked a treat and methodically, I went over and over the lenses, clearing up the surface that had been left by the sanding.
Once that was done - a fresh Sonus pad with little more than AutoGlym's Car Glass Polish was used to sweep over the lenses for several minutes. Once done and wiped clean with a cloth, I was very impressed with the results. Certainly not concours or showroom condition, but a huge improvement over previous - and more importantly, than with the 3M kit alone.
^^^ - a shame that the phone pic caught the reflection of the white wall at the top of the lens. It makes it look like nothing has been done!
All in all, a good learning experience, but not a job that I'd want to regularly do. I would however, definitely recommend the sanding option with a delta sander. It's far better suited to the job than a drill-bit attachment. Perhaps the most difficult part to find (individually) would be the 3M polishing compound. Apparently its a tricky item to find on its own.
