headlight lens restoration

[harold30]

hi guys, i just bought a hella smileys and it has pittings on the lens. while searching the net i saw diy tutorials on how to restore using wet sanding and polishing with plastx. since, ill be doing it personally and its my first time, i would like to ask if anyone done this before and how it went? i am open for any comments and suggestions. tia!

cheers!

[KenC]

Sounds like you watched one that pertains to plastic lenses. That will be insufficient to polish glass.

[harold30]

while searching solution in the net i assumed the lenses were plastic but i guess you just confirmed it that they were glasses. so the only way to get rid of the pittings is to replace lenses with new one, right?

[KenC]

There are a few compounds that will polish glass. An electric drill is a necessity. Google specifically for glass polishing.

[jrobie79]

there was someone on here who would do all 4 for like 50 bucks, with cerium oxide and everything....he had pictures of his work, and the results were nothing short of amazing...cant find the thread though

[harold30]

there was someone on here who would do all 4 for like 50 bucks, with cerium oxide and everything....he had pictures of his work, and the results were nothing short of amazing...cant find the thread though

the problem is i am halfway around the globe. i bought the smileys from germany, ship to new york and to the philippines and i just got it today. i been searching for diy and encountered wet sanding. but i don't think i can do cerium oxide on them (i don't even know what that is). anyway, ill just let it be, though, i can get use to it... thanks for suggestions guys!

[jrobie79]

clear coat em.. it'll help

[harold30]

clear coat em.. it'll help

will try that. thanks man

[dogsbark26]

Cerium oxide is readily available, for example on Amazon but cerium oxide is um... mild abrasive. It is used as a final polish on telescope mirrors. You are going to need something more powerful than that to remove pitting unless you spend years polishing.

[Jszy25]

I picked up some us ellips and Bosch smilies to refinish. Thinking about polishing the glass myself if it's going to be too much of a PITA

[Voyd]

cerium oxide is the only method I have had success with. You can get it on ebay on the cheap.

[dogsbark26]

cerium oxide is the only method I have had success with.

Hey Voyd, tell us more please. How did you apply it? By hand? Drill? What kind of buffing pad did you use? How long did it take?

[Jurt]

Hey Voyd, tell us more please. How did you apply it? By hand? Drill? What kind of buffing pad did you use? How long did it take?

Any more info would be great. I've got some head lights that's need restoring.

[OnMy2ndE30]

You can search youtube for polishing glass with cerium oxide and there are tons of how to videos. You are DEFINITELY going to have to use some sort of machine for the polishing, just like you would polish aluminum rims.