Fixing those scratched dust covers..

Punker X

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The dust cover on my PF-800 was looking pretty shabby, Lots of small scratches and just looking dull.

I've been into show cars for quite a while and have owned many a black cars and the best polish I have ever used is Zaino Brothers.

Anyway I've been pondering using this polish on the dust cover. Well tonight while listening to a pristine copy of "The Firm" I pull out the polish and used it just like I would on my black show truck.

The results are amazing the heavy scratches are beyond anything but wetsanding, but all those fine scratches disappeared and the brillance of the the clear arylic came out. It looks so damn good I can't believe it.

Check out their website at http://www.zainobros.com/ truly amazing stuff.

I used the Z1 Z5 and Z6. The Z6 also does a great job on cleaning cd's before playing them. It is an optical enhancer for paint so I thought what the heck.

If you are interest in what truck I'm talking about it can be seen at

http://mid-mich-mopars.org/daks.htm

X
 
Thanks for the tip. Might I suggest another possibility too... Novus plastic polish works great (available from multiple sources, #2 is really all you need for most dust cover scratches). Works well with scratched CD's too and other scratched plastics.

Edit -- Yeegads, I said "CD's" :D (heheheh)...
 
I've been using various grades of automotive abrasives with the same success. Deep scratches sanded out with 1200 wet and dry and then working up the same way I would if polishing aluminum or a twin-pack paint finish. I did try a soft buffing wheel on a spare piece of plastic but it needs a very light touch - better by hand me thinks. The final polish with a quality car wax always looks fantastic. I'll definately take a look at the link, though I wonder if its available over here :(

As for CD's (!?$%) Acrylic formula Tcut followed by a lighter abrasive polish can bring back to life very badly scratched ex-jukebox CD's. You just have to be careful not to go through the laquer! When I discovered this I had nothing to lose - the 'perfect music forever' jumped like mad...

I've been trying to find a source for polishing materials to get a couple of marks out of my obsidian plinth, anyone here know anything about polishing the stuff? Everything I've read just says 'difficult' and warns of leaving minute scratches in the surface. Its also a bit brittle, being a large lump of volcanic glass. Any help much appreciated. I tried my local headstone cutter and a marble fireplace workshop but they didn't want to know - maybe a jewellers might help???
 
Vinyl,

For advice on that obsidian, have you tried a lapidary shop? Any local rockhound could probably direct you.......:cool:
 
Originally posted by vinylengine
I've been using various grades of automotive abrasives with the same success. ... snip...

As for CD's (!?$%) Acrylic formula Tcut followed by a lighter abrasive polish .... snip...



There is nothing abrasive about this polish. It will not take out deeper scratchs, but those fine swirl type marks it is great. If you look at the lengthy directions on their website, they even go into how to use high quility US made 100% cotton towels. You even go so far as to cut the seams off because they can scratch the paint. It's not a wax either, just a polish, no build up. The more you use it the more amazing the paint looks. As far as being able to get some to the UK, they are a small family run business. They have some local dealers, but their main business is over the internet. I'm sure Sal wouldn't have a problem sending it overseas.

This stuff is expensive and I probably wouldn't buy it just to do a dust cover. But I had it for my vehicles and just thought of using it. I would probably try some over the counter polishes first. But if you have a nice car and want the paint to look it's best this is a fine investment. With the added bonus of being able to polish up those dust covers.
 
Zaino's is the best! No doubt about it.
Got me wondering if the clay would work on really dirty thrift store LPs? I may need to try it out ....
 
Maybe I'll try that on my Robert Sherwood live LP.. no great loss if it messes it up..

:)

X
 
Thanks for the info on the polishes, I do like to get a good finish on my Motorcycle paint jobs and since I started using twin pack the time spent on finishing off really pays off. As for the car I don't think the other half has even washed it in months!

have you tried a lapidary shop?
You got me there Jay, and living in Blue John mining land I can't believe it passed me by. I'll be on the case first thing monday morning!
 
For a more in-depth, involved, and (probably) "perfect" method, check out theturntablefactory.com. Actually, this sight has two methods of removing scratches and polishing--be warned, though, that they take a fair amount of elbow grease. Good luck.
 
Try metal polish??

I've used Flitz, nominally a metal polish but also recommended for fiberglass. There's a free sample available (but you pay $5 S/H).

Free isn't good enough??? Well, if you respond to this post in the next 15 minutes, we'll throw in a gallon of Oxy-Clean, a George Foreman grill, a Ronco pocket fisherman, a Juiceman juicer and a jar of Focus Factor---all for just $19.95 (each month for the rest of your life).

http://www.flitz.com/freeflitzsample.htm
 
Hey

What no Ktels greatest hits of the 1970s ????
 
There MAY be some REDD FOXX LP's around the warehouse (maybe that should be spelled "wharehouse" given his bawdy jokes) that could sweeten the pot.

TY
 
Hey know Dont go making fun of Red. He was cool as hell :D He rates right there with Don Rickles as one of my fav dirty comedians of all time. Ya Big Dummy! :p:
 
Originally posted by grumpy
Hey know Dont go making fun of Red. He was cool as hell :D He rates right there with Don Rickles as one of my fav dirty comedians of all time. Ya Big Dummy! :p:

Grumpy,
maybe my moniker should be "nit-picker" but it IS "Redd" rather than "Red" I believe. Just saw a bit of profile on A&E or something--the "Foxx" with two "x" was meant to suggest "x-rated" since he was a dirty comic. The "Redd" was spelled that way to balance out the name.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=903228909
 
Toontoo Yooderr

Yes you are correct :p:
 
Meguiars is the stuff you want. Absolutely the best plastic cleaner, and polish (2 separate products). Start with the cleaner, follow with the polish.

This is what airplane owners use on Cessna, etc. windshields, which are plastic also. I learned this trick while in the hobby of restoring vintage snowmobiles....gets crappy old windshields looking like brand new.

Use on ANYTHING plastic....cassette doors, meter faces, dial 'glass', whatever. Does wonders on dust covers.
 
eThink said:
I recently used this to restore and refurbish a dust cover for a 20 year old Dual CS 627Q turntable.

I agree. I've been using the Meguiars polish for many years. It does a very good job on dust covers and it's inexpensive. It also did a fine job polishing up the plinth on my SR838, which had been miscleaned and scratched by the previous owner.

You can use most automotive polishing compounds on lexan or plexiglas dustcovers with good results and even a fine rubbing compund followed by progressively finer grades of polishing compound to finish the job. It's a bit of work but well worth the efforts. :thmbsp:
 
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I've been restoring sports cars for almost 30 years and I have used Mother's Aluminum polish followed by a cleaner/wax to get scratches out of convertible top windows and tail light lenses for many years and find it quite effective at getting out scratches that are fairly deep. Just don't polish in any one area too long and use circular motions.

I also use a buffing compound on a soft 6" buffing wheel that I bought from Eastwood which is effective but dusty and you must use a speed adjustable buffer so as not to melt the plastic. I run my buffer at about 2000 rpms or so.
 
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