Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: DIY short: instrument-cluster lens polishing

  1. #1
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
    Location
    🍊SWFL🏝
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    21,588
    Thanks Given
    4,763
    Thanked 4,318 Times in 2,543 Posts

    Lightbulb DIY short: instrument-cluster lens polishing

    Just a 2-minute DIY but got a chance to help out a fellow Miater with an instrument cluster lens problem on his 2001. First off, I should have taken a before picture, my bad. I only started snapping a few photos after the process was nearly done.

    This lens was not only dingy with age (11 years old) but also exhibited chemical burns that looked like Armor All had been sprayed on and then dried in a milky white spatter and dripping pattern. At first, we thought it was just dried vinyl cleaner that somehow got on the inside and that the biggest part of the job was just extracting the cluster in order to wash the lens which I did.

    Turned out the spatter was on the outside and wouldn't come off with any washing with dish soap, GooGone or anything. Didn't want to use acetone because we figured it would really burn the plastic. Still no idea what was sprayed on that caused this as it was a long time ago but be careful what interior cleaners you use near the lens.

    Anyway, broke out the 3M headlight polishing kit with the cool buffing wheel and along with some PlastX (really a fine compound) and commenced some wet compounding of the lens, him holding the lens and me applying the compound. It took about 15 minutes and a couple applications of the PlastiX and wiping and low and behold, the lens came out factory new which was way better than we had hoped.

    Application note: *Do not crank down on this step. Just use the weight of the drill or even less. Use a little compound and be generous with the water. Do not let it dry up while you're compounding. Don't have anything nearby that you don't want spattered.

    Holding the lens this way for support and not to break the plastic tabs.


    This is everything involved: PlastX, headlight lens buffing wheel and carnauba wax for the final step


    Finished wet compounding and although the lens came out like factory new as in crystal clear! Woohoo. I put on a coat of carnauba wax (no abrasives) to seal any microfissures although I doubt there were any at this point


    The hardest thing about taking photos of the final outcome is that the lens is so clear, it looks like it's not there so I tilted it a little to reflect the light and give a better idea


    Again, I wish I had taken a before picture because the chemical spatter was pretty bad. Nevertheless, if your own lens is dingy with age and scratched, you know...when the sun hits it just right and it looks like a hopeless beater that should be replaced, give this process a shot.

    ###

  2. #2
    2,000 rpm - light wheelspin, no bog here! Johnnie's Avatar
    Drives
    06 NC
    Location
    Palm Harbor, FL
    Join Date
    Jan 2012
    Posts
    283
    Thanks Given
    16
    Thanked 38 Times in 27 Posts
    Nice work!
    John Evans
    >>>Li'l Stinker<<< https://www.facebook.com/litllestinker
    06 MX-5 Miata 6MT-- Quaife LSD >>>Li'l Stinker on MR.net<<<

  3. #3
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power f86sabjf's Avatar
    Drives
    02nb crystal blue metallic
    Location
    Florida
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    579
    Thanks Given
    6
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    did this a few weeks ago and wondered why i hadnt done it sooner

  4. #4
    5,000 rpm - there be torque here! psulja's Avatar
    Drives
    1999 Twilight Blue/1991 Mariner Blue
    Location
    Windsor, Ontario
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,583
    Thanks Given
    62
    Thanked 237 Times in 158 Posts
    Wow, awesome work! Looks great
    Paul | IG- @psulja
    Build thread:
    1991 Mariner Blue - Built 1.8 swap, EFR, Fab9Tuning, Tii drivetrain

  5. #5
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
    Location
    🍊SWFL🏝
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    21,588
    Thanks Given
    4,763
    Thanked 4,318 Times in 2,543 Posts
    Forgot my own thread and look like a snob. Thank you for the compliments.

    f86, post up some picts if you want!

  6. #6
    3,000 rpm - starting to feel the power f86sabjf's Avatar
    Drives
    02nb crystal blue metallic
    Location
    Florida
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    579
    Thanks Given
    6
    Thanked 3 Times in 3 Posts
    maybe once i get the rest of the car up to snuff. Waiting for my new paint to cure and its driving me nuts

  7. #7
    Super Moderator atank's Avatar
    Drives
    1994 LB / 2014 MX5CE / 91 SD Italia
    Location
    Chatsworth, Georgia
    Join Date
    Dec 2011
    Posts
    9,988
    Thanks Given
    3,788
    Thanked 2,712 Times in 1,646 Posts
    Works like a charm........Nice WU Yellow

  8. #8
    Individual-1 ☚ ☻ ☛ Agent☣Orange's Avatar
    Location
    🍊SWFL🏝
    Join Date
    Apr 2010
    Posts
    21,588
    Thanks Given
    4,763
    Thanked 4,318 Times in 2,543 Posts
    Cool, Anthony. It's been awhile. Forgot about this one. Still looking good though.

  9. #9
    Super Moderator tsingson's Avatar
    Drives
    99 Silver NB
    Join Date
    May 2005
    Posts
    18,501
    Thanks Given
    12,135
    Thanked 2,066 Times in 1,332 Posts
    I need to try this.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •