polished plastic parts DIY
05-19-11, 08:47 PM
#32
What the OP was doing is finish sanding the bare plastic and polishing it....
The gated shifter is not untreated black plastic. I assume it's real wood with clear-coat on top... or fake-wood (unlikely) with clear coat. Either way, it's got some sort of protective layer on it. If you sand it down with 2000 grit to remove any swirls or deeper scratches, you are risking removing that top layer partially or wholly. Polishing afterwards won't do much good since the coating was removed.
05-19-11, 09:40 PM
#34
I would HIGHLY advice against that...
What the OP was doing is finish sanding the bare plastic and polishing it....
The gated shifter is not untreated black plastic. I assume it's real wood with clear-coat on top... or fake-wood (unlikely) with clear coat. Either way, it's got some sort of protective layer on it. If you sand it down with 2000 grit to remove any swirls or deeper scratches, you are risking removing that top layer partially or wholly. Polishing afterwards won't do much good since the coating was removed.
What the OP was doing is finish sanding the bare plastic and polishing it....
The gated shifter is not untreated black plastic. I assume it's real wood with clear-coat on top... or fake-wood (unlikely) with clear coat. Either way, it's got some sort of protective layer on it. If you sand it down with 2000 grit to remove any swirls or deeper scratches, you are risking removing that top layer partially or wholly. Polishing afterwards won't do much good since the coating was removed.
05-20-11, 02:16 AM
#35
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phwaa rofl wow my thread went viral son. agreed dont sand the gated shifter. i wouldnt think it could hurt to use rubbing compound on it. just dont over do it and that should bring it back to life.
05-20-11, 02:26 AM
#36
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no way bro!the whole point of doing this was to avoid paint. maybe having a pro spry it with automotive grade clear. but not any off the shelf shaker can clear. that stuff yellows and is soft. its fine like it is. i dont believe it will "haze" it is for sure easy to scratch the shiny surface after but not as easy to scratch as spray can paint.. but again after a few months of wear you could just buff it out again. would take like 2 minutes of rubbing compound to remove fine scratches. what you dont wanna do is use some harsh compound. only a no scratch compound will be good like the brands i mentioned. lol sonnn.
05-20-11, 05:27 AM
#37
Always practice "least aggressive method" first. So take a VERY very fine polish with minimum abrasives and try it on the wood.... if it gets the job done and the swirls are gone, then you are a happy man. Only use heavier polish or mild compound when a fine polish can't get the job done. This method insures removing as little material (clearcoat) as possible while still achieving the results you are after.
05-20-11, 10:08 AM
#41
05-20-11, 03:39 PM
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lol.... lol chukels. i am working on my sub install today but maybe tomorrow i will do the rest of the pieces. you guys made me laugh.i was thinking the guy that mentioned clear coating them might be onto something. i dont have a compressor right now but maybe just brushing real auto grade clear on and then wet sanding out the brush strokes would work. i will try on a practice piece. as long as its durable clear coat i dont see why it couldnt work. definitely no shaker can junk though.
glad to see you popped in for a visit surferdave...
glad to see you popped in for a visit surferdave...