How to Polish and Repair Scratched Plastic

[xXxZGixXx]

will novus work on colored plastic like say the outside of my black xbox which has a shiny finish to it. and where can i get it?

[tapplastics]

@xXxZGixXx If the plastic does not have some kind of factory applied coating, the Novus will work fine. You can buy Novus on line at TAP Plastics, or in TAP Plastics stores. Check our website for locations.

[XSsuzy]

Great info !

Could you do a tutorial about polishing acrylic drill holes.

[tapplastics]

@XSsuzy The best way to polish acrylic drill holed is with a torch. The process is demonstrated in our video "How to Polish and Shape Plastic Edges."

[thebeliva17]

lol, i did this to remove scratches from my ps3 case, and return it like new

[homiegali]

Would the buffering method work for a piece that was accidentally sandblasted in parts?

[tapplastics]

@homiegali For a surface that damaged, you would probably need to start with sandpaper.  Start with a course grit (150-200) and work up to 400, then buff.

[1isaacmusic]

Excellent, thank you.

[evilamish]

How would you clean the third plastic

[tapplastics]

@evilamish You are referring to styrene. It tends to be a brittle plastic, but Novus will work on it too.

[naldopr]

you guys should do a college of this your videos are the best. thank you for sharing your tips

[tapplastics]

@naldopr Thank you.

[jane5984]

Very helpful, thank you.

What grade/type of buffer should I buy for my drill in order to polish out scratches? I have a lot of acrylic in some artworks that have come back from an exhibition with some scratches. best wishes, Jane

[tapplastics]

@jane5984 Any 4" or 6" cotton/muslin buffing wheel will work.

[bryan7771]

can i use this for my motorcycle helmet visor?

[tapplastics]

@bryan7771 If the visor has some kind of protective, anti-reflective, or other coating, Novus will damage it. If the plastic is uncoated, then Novus will work fine. The helmet manufacturer should be able to tell you if the visor is coated.

[nicobleu]

How about cars headlights?? does that work for it?

[tapplastics]

@nicobleu Yes it does. However, TAP Plastics carries a Headlight Lens Repair Kit for that specific purpose. It uses a drill to polish, so requires much less effort than hand polishing with Novus.

[TheGarvito]

wat about car headlights would that work?

[tapplastics]

@TheGarvito Yes it does. However, TAP Plastics carries a Headlight Lens Repair Kit for that specific purpose. It uses a drill to polish, so requires much less effort than hand polishing with Novus.

[Djauvdey]

Could you please tell me what gas we have to use for "Edge Polish of Acrylic"... Can u tell me the name? From your veido, u've mention "the blue bottle's flame" was not hot enough to melt.. could u pls let me know the details name so that we can look for it... Hope can get yr reply as soon as possible... Thanks..

[tapplastics]

@Djauvdey The blue bottle is propane, which does not produce a hot enough flame. The proper gas is called MAPP Gas. (MAPP is actually an abbreviation for methylacetylene-propadiene propane.) It burn hotter than propane and produces a good flame polished edge.

[MustangPowerXXX]

Great info and more tips than I expected. Thanks

[buddahass]

One thing that never seems to get mentioned when explaining scratch removal, is the amount of elbow grease thats involved in the hand polish approach.

As confoundingly suseptible as acrylic is to scratches, or even gouges, in order to keep it optically clear, the nexus compound has minimal abrasity, thus for anything but the small, superficial ghost hair, I'd rather wax, and buff my car for the same effort. Don't try to torch polish any scratched thin acrylic, or expect it to warp.

[MrMrtiki]

Great I form all kinds of plastics I sure would like to know how to fix a crack on a septic tank or water tank of a RV it`s not ABS but black

[tapplastics]

@MrMrtiki Go to our website and view our video, "How to repair and glue Polyethylene and Seaboard". It will address your question.

[burtonlegand]

what method should be used for cd gem covers?

like the clear plastic covers you put CD's in?

[tapplastics]

@burtonlegand Novus should work on that plastic, but as always, it is best to test first.

[burtonlegand]

@tapplastics  will do. thank you and thanks for the video.

[x1RunXBLx]

scratched my oakley ski googles lens pretty 90 dollars to replace the lens can i do this im pretty sure its polycarbinate I dont know!

[tapplastics]

@x1RunXBLx Many goggles have a coating on the plastic. Novus may remove or damage that coating. You will need to experiment in an inconspicuous area or contact the manufacturer to determine if Novus will work on your lens.

[aceofclubskid]

Hi, I have this acrylic ball I use for juggling, recently I was practicing and singed it, which was sad because it's worth $20 why is the best way to take it out and maintain the roundness. By the way, it isn't very deep, I would describe it as a sandpaper on a smooth surface kinda look

[tapplastics]

@aceofclubskid If the methods described in this video do not solve the problem, it is because your scratches are too deep. Start with fine sandpaper and work your way up to 2000 grit paper, then use the Novus system.

[regenerati]

Hi

Nice informative video

Can you recommend something for cleaning hazy convertible top windows?

[tapplastics]

@regenerati If the vinyl is not too badly damaged, the Island Girl line of products should do the trick. You can find them at our website.

[eringuet]

What kind of buffing wheel are you using to buff the acrylic? Any buffing compound?

[tapplastics]

@eringuet A regular muslin buffing wheel is fine. Any buffing compound should be fine. Note that there are different degrees of courseness. Make sure you end up with the finest, or small scratches may remain.

[Irregulation]

WILL IT WORK ON LAPTOP LIDS PLEASE ANSWER

[tapplastics]

@Irregulation There are too many types of materials used in laptop lids to give a blanket answer. You will need to experiment in an inconspicuous area.

[Irregulation]

@tapplastics mine is a vaio f series and im pretty sure its made out of plastic like other laptops

[adrianbmx1]

do u have a video for surfaces?

and wat would you recomend for plastic football visor made by oakley??hope you kno wat that is

[tapplastics]

@adrianbmx1 What do you mean, 'a video for surfaces'? If the visor is just uncoated plastic, it should work fine. You would need to check with the manufacturer to see if there is a coating that could be damaged by polishing. Or, you can test in an inconspicuous corner of the visor.

[mateusz1945]

will novus take care of scratches from automotive ABS plastic trims?

[tapplastics]

@mateusz1945 Novus will work on virtually all hard uncoated plastics. However, the automotive industry often uses proprietary plastics which can incorporate other materials in the plastic. You will need to test in an inconspicuous location for your particular part.

[UniqueSculptures]

This is a great instructional. Thank you!

[whyhedodat]

what plastic is the most abrasion resistant?

[tapplastics]

@whyhedodat We carry an Abrasion Resistant Acrylic which can stand up to steel wool without scratching. No plastic is completely abrasion resistant. Hard coatings are often added to increase abrasion resistance.

[415dabully]

?Do hardware stores sell novus or would I have to buy it online?

[tapplastics]

@415dabully I have not come across it in hardware stores, it is available in our website.

[16mmDJ]

Can you use it to remove scratches on normal laptops? (Not the shiny white macbook types)

[tapplastics]

@16mmDJ Yes use the least abrasive first, Novus 2 and increase to Novus 3 if needed, finishing with Novus 1

[danielrcortes]

i have an old acrylic red white and blue spiral drum set, it has many deep scratches, should i use the 'buffing' method for this, is there any other method for deep scratches?

Thanks

[tapplastics]

@danielrcortes There is no way to remove deep scratches. Buffing will give them a bit of shine, which may improve the appearance.

[tapplastics]

@danielrcortes For deeper scratches buffing is the way to go, however depending on the how deep the scratches are you can try 800 – 1500 grit sandpaper. If that removes the scratches then go to a less grit sandpaper finishing with buffing.

[Smash4UF]

can this work for the the surface of a piece of acrylic as well?

[tapplastics]

@Smash4UF Acrylic is what was used in the video.

[mad4it028]

hi how would i polish out scratches on motocross plastics (polypropylene) i tryed useing a polishing wheel but the plastic melted and ruined the mop..lol

[tapplastics]

You can make it look better but not be able to restore it, 1500 grit sand paper to 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper, this will be sand down the scratches and then using a polish (Novus 2 then 1) to make it look better. Polypropylene is a soft chemical resistant material than can be easily molded but not easy to repair.

[hakemon]

I have an old Western Electric 500 telephone I recently restored internally completely.

For it's plastic outside, what should I use to polish it with, to finish up the restoration?

[tapplastics]

That depends on what the plastic material is and how bad the surface is. In many cases the Novus system works fine. In worse cases sandpaper is required. We have a new windshield repair kit that uses super fine sandpaper and polishing compound with a drill. That might work too. Experimenting is the best way to find out what works.

[NewEraKAK]

Hey tapplastics I need some help and advice. OK, Ive glued 5 similar shapes made out of acrylic together. They are all align. But after I went over the egdes with wet and dry paper (sandpaper) I can still see some of the lines where the different layers are stuck on. Will polishing make these lines less evident.

And also, will metal chrome polish work on olishing the acrylic edges. Thanks :D

[tapplastics]

It depends on what you mean by seeing the lines. No matter how perfect the gluing is, there will be a visible line of refraction between two pieces of plastic when viewed from a certain angle. If you are stacking pieces and gluing them, it is almost impossible to get perfect alignment. You may need to route the edges and then use the sandpaper to minimize the lines.

[DrainMyLonelyTears]

Could I use this method for my laptop?

[tapplastics]

@DrainMyLonelyTears There are so many different materials being used in laptops that there is no way to give a yes or no answer. You would need to experiment in an inconspicuous area or contact the manufacturer.

[ERSWeb]

Do you recommend the use of your product for automotive headlights? If so would you follow the polycarbonate procedure?

[tapplastics]

I would recommend using a buffing pad along with Novus 3, 2 and 1. In the near future we will have a new product for restoring clarity to headlights. Check back for a future video or our website.

[BigBananaMan]

What would be the best way to polish polyester resin (clear-lite) after casting if the surface is rough or sanded?

[tapplastics]

A buffing wheel on the end of a drill and some polishing compound will work well.

[janmn]

can you buff out scratches on a ps1 cdbox?

[tapplastics]

Without knowing the exact properties of that plastic, it is hard to say. Give it a try in an inconspicuous area to test it.

[SuperGinger94]

Now, How do I know what type of plastic the outside of my Laptop is?

[tapplastics]

You would need to contact the manufacturer.

[tenshichanyo]

What about a PCTG bottle?

[tapplastics]

There are too many types to plastics to have tested them all. You would need to try it to find out. Let us know.

[TopGear6666]

Can photographs be set in clear resin?

[tapplastics]

Yes they can. They need to be sealed first with something like Ultra Seal. Otherwise the resin can penetrate the paper and cause discoloration.

[DeathDogg]

Hi, I recently scratched my Acrylic juggling contact ball, how would you suggest repairing and polishing this as it is round I am unsure if your methods would work, Thank you

[tapplastics]

You would use the same method as with a flat piece. It is just a bit more difficult, due to the shape. If you have a buffing wheel for your drill, that would make the job easier.

[50unitedstates]

I have commercial smoothie blender with a polycarbonate sound enclosure. It has some haze and the original gloss is gone but there are no deep scratches. I removed a sticker and was impressed by how glossy the original finish use to be. Can that gloss be brought back? Should I used a fine sandpaper first then a buffing/polishing compound and which number? How can the deeper scratches be taken out?Thanks

[tapplastics]

You will probably not be able to restore the original gloss, but you can certainly improve its current condition. You would need to start with Novus #3. If you have a buffing wheel on the end of a drill, that will make the job much easier. There is no way to remove deeper scratches.

[aussietotheend]

g'day i am building a show car which i would lik the make a see through dashboard which plastic would you recommend but this still has the have strength incase of an accendent but clearity for show which would you recomend?

[tapplastics]

Polycarbonate is clear and virtually unbreakable. If you want to reduce the possibility of scratches, get it with the AR (abrasion resistant) coating.

[DarkAvatar1313]

when using a buffing wheel should I use a compound like rouge or such? I want to buff the plastic screen of cell phone and a PSP.

[tapplastics]

Yes, some sort of buffing compound must be used in combination with a buffing wheel. We carry a red (course) and a white (find) buffing bar. Start with the finest grade first and see if it does the job.

[littleohah]

i love watching tap plastic video do you ave your own site

[EmperorAst]

"Tap Plastics: The fantastic plastic videos!"

Thanks.

[Astritos111]

Great vid thanks.

Keep them up.