sanding lines...

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davidsleg09
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sanding lines...

Post by davidsleg09 »

I need some help, I know you guys take much pride in your work so please excuse my inexperience. I'm having trouble with getting all the sand lined out. I'll explain my equipment and process, any guidance will be greatly appreciated.
I usually start with sanding with 320-600-1200-2000. I've tried wet sanding all grits. I've tried dry sanding the 320-600, wet 1200-2000. I started with hand sanding, now use a drill with mequiars da adapter. I finish with basic non silicon compound and pad on rotary. Then seal it. Some have turned out great but some I still see sanding marks. I'm having trouble determining when im done with a certain grit. During the process seems fine, I usually dont notice any issues till after I polish. I worked on a set for about 2 1/2 hours, doing a little extra to be sure I got all marks out but some were still present. Any advice or guidance would be great. Again, I'm a newb so be gentle lol. Feel free to inbox or just reply on here.
Thanks,
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Kgobin
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Re: sanding lines...

Post by Kgobin »

Do you have any images of the sanding lines you are referring to?
Korey Gobin
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davidsleg09
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Re: sanding lines...

Post by davidsleg09 »

I'm on shift today but I'll try to get some posted or send them to you by tomorrow. I'll try getting up real close to where you can see them. I have before and afters of all the ones I've done of the full headlight but you can't see them in those.
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Brent Deines
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Re: sanding lines...

Post by Brent Deines »

Did you purchase a complete headlight restoration system or did you assemble your own?

First of all using a drill for sanding is difficult. I highly recommend using a random orbit tool. My personal preference is an electric tool but a good air tool will work as well. The DA adapter is better than nothing but still harder to control than an actual random orbit tool. You should see a big improvement if you ditch the drill for sanding.

You are also making some big jumps between steps at critical points. The steps we use are 180, 320, 500, 800, 1200, 1500, 3000, then finish with a special polishing compound. The 180 is only necessary on the hardest of lenses and the polishing compound is optional but does take it to the next level on many vehicles. Using the right combination of 3" sanding discs is extremely important.

The deepest sanding marks are left by the first 3 steps so the 800 is absolutely critical so if you don't spend enough time on that step you will end up with sanding marks (scratches or lines). We've tried jumping from 320 to 600, 600 to 1000, 1000 to 1500, and dozens of other combinations but those just seem to be too big of jumps to get all the lines out. Adding a step or two in the middle will help a lot.

The 2000 disc you are using is great but still just a sanding disc whereas our 3000 disc is a polishing disc. Whether you stop sanding at 1500 or 2000 you will notice a huge difference if you follow with a 3" 3000 grit polishing disc. The 3000 disc will not remove sanding marks left by anything lower than a 1500 grit disc so it won't solve your problem by itself but it will improve your end result.

What headlight polishing compound are you using? We didn't use one at all for several years because we couldn't find one that did any better than a 3000 polishing disc so maybe you are not using the right one. As with the 3000 disc, a polishing compound will not take out deep scratches.

I think if you want to see professional results you are going to need to add a few more steps. The tighter you keep your grit spacing the fewer sanding marks you will see. It will cost a couple of dollars more to add the recommended steps but you will cut your time down from 2 1/2 hours to well under 1 hour. Don't underestimate the value of your time or the importance of having confidence that you will get the results you desire on every headlight restoration job!
Brent Deines
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davidsleg09
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Re: sanding lines...

Post by davidsleg09 »

Thanks Brent! I was actually considering more sanding steps in between, my thought was it taking more time but considering the reasons you mentioned I can see why it wouldn't. I'll have to test this by hand at first due to waiting for shipping on new discs. And I also thought the drill method may be a factor as well. Would love a random orbital, just gotta save up for it. I will definitely try the grit sequence you suggested and reply with the results. About the 3000 polishing pad, is that a special pad or are most 3000 considered a polishing grit? Again, may have to wait a few days till it arrives. I appreciate the feedback!!
davidsleg09
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Re: sanding lines...

Post by davidsleg09 »

Also Brent, are you wet or dry sanding, or both depending on what step you're on? And would I be correct to assume the longer steps would be the 180/320 and 800?
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