How to give the plastic its original look. Useful information on self-polishing plexiglass. Using specialized tools

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What to do if the plastic molding or other part of the oldtimer made of plastic has lost its appearance, color, or completely cracked and began to collapse? Despite the strength of ABS plastic, it is highly susceptible to the negative influence of the external environment.

Plastic elements in the interior and exterior of cars began to appear in the second half of the 20th century. For example, in the American auto industry, the plastic era began to develop rapidly in the 1970s. From an economic point of view, this was a real discovery - the material was strong enough, durable, inexpensive to manufacture. However, nothing lasts forever, and time still takes its toll. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, the plastic gradually burns out in the sun, becomes faded and "worn out", and in the case of external decorative elements of the body, there is another aggressor - reagents that are sprinkled and watered on roads in the cold season. In addition, in the process of active use, scratches and cracks will inevitably appear.

As a rule, plastic body elements are made of a material under the complex name acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, or simply ABS plastic. It is a shockproof resin that is resistant to moisture and oil. This polymer, which is very popular in the automotive industry, is also used for interior details. However, the material does not tolerate ultraviolet radiation well enough, and some types of this plastic are even destroyed by sunlight. In 1998, this led to one of the largest car recalls in US history - the seatbelt button, made of UV-resistant ABS plastic, broke and blocked the seatbelt buckle, preventing the seatbelt from being inserted or - much more dangerous - unfastening it. As a result, 8,800,000 vehicles were recalled.

It's good if the part has retained its integrity, but just faded from time to time. In this case, you can get by with updating the top layer. For this, a whole series of products have been developed that restore the color of the part and extend its service life. Some of them even add details of flexibility that is lost over time, thereby reducing the risk of breakage. The American publication Consumer Reports conducted its own research, studying the characteristics of the products on the market. Depending on their characteristics (and, accordingly, cost), the drugs provide protection for parts for a period of two weeks to two years. It is worth noting that Consumer Reports analysts considered only means for black plastic elements, although it is not difficult to find the necessary color scheme today. The test was carried out in a rather amusing format: the plastic body lining was divided into several parts (according to the amount of funds that took part in the test), treated with test compounds and ... put on the roof of the building where the Consumer Reports editorial office is located for 10 weeks. Each week, the panels were removed, washed, dried and sent back to the roof.

Best of all, according to experts, the harsh test of the scorching sun and torrential rains withstood the samples coated with ReNu Finish and Wipe New - the parts covered with them retained a bright black color throughout the entire 70 days of the test. The disadvantage of both products is that they are sold in small bottles, and at the same time they are much more expensive than analogues. Although, the experts recognized the difference in the results as tangible. The rest of the funds ( Turtle wax Premium Grade, Meguiar’s Ultimate Black, Mothers Back-to-Black) showed a brisk start, but by the end of the test all the parts processed by them had faded.

The old color of the plastic can be restored with a building hairdryer: with accurate uniform heating, the color appears on the surface of the part. For black plastic parts, you can use bumper ink (for example, Hi Gear or Astrokhim), however, judging by the reviews, the part quickly loses its attractive appearance again.

A blow dryer can help freshen up the look of the part, but unfortunately this is a temporary measure.

But what if the plastic element of your car has received a serious crack, and this is not a molding, but a whole body panel? In this case, welding will help, but here everything is much more complicated, and it would be better to turn to specialists. The fact is that ABS plastic unites a whole family of materials, the characteristics of which depend on the proportions of the constituents - acronitrile, butadiene and styrene. Depending on the proportion, each type of plastic also has its own melting point, and hence the welding temperature. If you select too high a temperature during welding and overheat the plastic, the material will begin to foam and solidify in a porous state, which will make the weld brittle and short-lived. It is logical to assume that if the temperature is insufficient, the plastic will melt very badly, and a strong seam will not work. Therefore, when welding, a special hair dryer is used, on which you can manually set the exact temperature value depending on the type of plastic.

However, if solid strength is not required from the part, then more can be dispensed with. in simple ways, which are actually enough: for example, use epoxy resin, glue the damaged area with fiberglass or reinforce with a metal mesh. Soldering also belongs to a simplified recovery method, which must be distinguished from welding. Actually, the difference lies precisely in the fact that during soldering it is extremely difficult to "get" to the required temperature, so the seam turns out to be fragile and porous. Enough to visually hide the defect, but will not provide strength and durability. In any case, the first step is to thoroughly rinse the part using a cleaning agent designed to remove tar, salts and other dirt. For this, you can use a special bitumen stain cleaner. There are a lot of offers on the market: АС-395, Hi Gear Buster Bug, Pingo Tar Remover, Liqui moly Teerentferner and others. By the way, you can use the old-fashioned way - "white spirit" or kerosene. Also, it will not be superfluous to walk over the part with a brush. A horsehair brush works best for this purpose.

Finally, a very "difficult case" - if the part cannot be easily restored, and it is easier to replace it than to restore it. It is good if we are talking about a mass car model for which it is easy to find the necessary parts. But what if you have a rare specimen, for which it is almost impossible to find components? Today, in addition to fiberglass, 3D printers are gaining popularity. Over the past two years, a host of industrial and scientific initiatives have been applied to master 3D printing technology in the automotive industry. Recently, polymer modification company Techmer PM presented even a full-fledged copy of the legendary Shelby Cobra, fully printed on a 3D printer. In this way, the company has demonstrated that this technology can be easily applied in the restoration of old cars. True, in this case, the authenticity of the car is lost, which is undesirable when working with autoclassics, and the technology itself is still only developing and therefore is quite an expensive pleasure. However, the increasing percentage of 3D printing in the automotive industry gives hope that this option will become more affordable over time.

This Shelby Cobra is fully 3D printed

The plastic parts of the passenger compartment are not easier: the interior is protected from road reagents, but it suffers from the sun, oversized cargo and sloppy passengers, earning scuffs, scratches and cracks.

However, it is possible to update the plastic parts and return them to their former novelty with budgetary funds. If the car is no longer young and represents a certain historical value, with a competent approach, you can increase its value by 500 dollars, while spending ten times less. Although, of course, it all depends on the scale of the problem.

To begin with, the surface of the plastic part of the interior must be properly cleaned. A number of American experts, in particular, American restorer and presenter Stacy David, advise using trisodium phosphate, a compound that forms the basis of various detergents and cleaning agents. The next step in preparation for painting is to ensure sufficient adhesion of the surface to the paint you intend to apply. This can be done with a special adhesion promoter (Stacy David recommends Duplicolor), which will provide a secure adhesion by acting as a primary primer coat before applying the base paint. If this is not done, then the new coating will fall on the old paint and will not adhere well - pretty soon the part will have to be repainted again. The first, rough paint layer is also used as an additional bonding agent. In the case of interior plastic, a very popular tool is vinyl paint (the so-called liquid vinyl) such as Plasti-Kote or the same Duplicolor. Which of these brands is better is a controversial issue, and the opinions of Western restorers on this issue differ. The paint is applied in several layers for secure fixing. It is at this moment that the magic happens: the old part turns into a new one, as if from a factory, and all the years of its service are hidden under a layer of fresh paint. The final touch is the treatment of the part with a special reducing agent to give shine and additional protection. Armor All and Black Magic are in demand.

You can refresh the detail without painting. To do this, after the washing stage, the part is dried, and then treated with sandpaper, sanding all small irregularities. However, do not get too carried away - the most "delicate" of the coarse-grained, 6-H, which is usually used for the final sanding of soft woods, is enough. After that, the part is gently and evenly heated with an ordinary hair dryer, while wiping the element with a clean rag without much pressure. After such processing, the part will noticeably rejuvenate, however, with severe abrasions, the homogeneous texture of the plastic cannot be completely restored.

If, among other things, there are still cracks on the parts, they can be dealt with using a simple superglue that is applied along the entire length of the crack. For additional rigidity and durability, you can walk along the same place with inside with a glue gun - this will guarantee that the crack will not disperse. Excess dried glue is sanded with sandpaper.

The situation is somewhat different with steering wheels with plastic rims. A layer of varnish is sanded off, after which all cracks and scratches are drilled out and expanded to make it easier to fill the damaged areas with epoxy. Many people use a standard two-component epoxy at this stage, but you can use, for example, a filler called Bondo, a brand from 3M. He has become almost a household name in America, in fact - automobile grinding mastic. When the mastic hardens to the state of melted cheese, the author recommends to process the pouring area with coarse sandpaper 25-H. The main thing here is not to waste time and not miss the right moment: fully hardened Bondo mastic is very problematic to sand with sandpaper.

Andrey Shuldeshov

Plastic has many advantages, but it also has one significant drawback - fragility. Plastic products can crack, break, chunks, etc. If the damage is significant, then it is easier to throw the thing away and buy a new one than to repair it, but small damage is quite within the power to fix it yourself. The restoration of plastic can be carried out by different methods, the choice of which largely depends on the type of plastic itself. Many plastic products can be labeled with the composition of the plastic and this will help in the choice of recovery technology. So, thermosets are glued with a special glue, and thermoplastics are sealed. Also, the method of repairing plastic products depends on the nature of the damage - crack, scratch, chip, etc.

When repairing plastic items, the following materials and tools may be needed: solvents (for example, acetone), sanding paper # 1000, soldering iron or glue for plastic, clamps, abrasive paste, brushes or syringe, solder, plastic cleaner, brass mesh, primer and paint for plastic, sander, varnish.

Repairing plastic with glue

Before starting the restoration, the plastic is treated with sanding paper, removing dirt. It is also necessary to degrease the bonding site.
Glue is applied to the crack or seam with a brush or syringe. If necessary, parts of the plastic for bonding can be reinforced with fiberglass.
Next, the parts are combined so that they do not move and at the same time are tightly pressed against each other. For better result you can use a clamp.

Repair of plastic using soldering

Repairing plastic with epoxy

For this method, you will need an epoxy mole and hardener, glass cloth or serpyanka tape (sold in hardware stores), acetone, castor oil, a file and sanding paper, electrical tape or tape, plastic dishes and wooden sticks, plastic primer, polyester putty, auto enamel.

Surface preparation. The plastic product is washed in hot water with detergent to remove dirt and grease. The damaged areas are cleaned with fine sandpaper and degreased with a solvent (acetone). If there are chips at the corners and edges, then vinyl tape is glued on the outside of the product, creating a barrier for the epoxy resin. Cloth tape is not allowed as it can adhere firmly to the resin and can only be removed with sandpaper. It is not necessary to create the exact shape of the broken edge of the product, since in the future, polyester putty and a file will help to shape it.
Large fragments of the part are glued with tape from the outside, and small fragments are laid out in the form of a mosaic on an adhesive tape, and then put in place.

Preparing the epoxy. A jar of resin is placed in warm water for a couple of minutes to make the composition easier to pour out of the jar. Resin is poured into a plastic container, a hardener is added in a proportion of 1 part to 10 parts of resin and the composition is mixed with a wooden stick. Then add 1-3 parts of castor oil (acts as a plasticizer). If the resin is thick, you can add a little acetone to it. In a state ready for gluing, the mixture remains for 2-4 hours, therefore, as much epoxy is prepared as can be used in 2 hours. All this work must be carried out with rubber gloves, since the resin firmly adheres to the hands. And if for the first time a couple of hours it can still be washed with acetone, then it is very difficult to remove it later.
The resin is allowed to settle for 10-15 to remove air bubbles. Next, they proceed to gluing from the inside of the product. Small cracks are eliminated as follows: resin is applied to the damaged areas and rubbed into the cracks. A piece of sickle tape or fiberglass is placed on top of the damage, covered with resin and also rubbed in. Usually, up to 2-3 layers of serpyanka are applied crosswise.

Medium-sized and large cracks are also closed, but there should be 4-6 layers of serpyanka, and the width of the gluing should be 5-10 cm. Another layer can be applied from the front side. In places with a heavy load, instead of a sickle tape, fiberglass is used (not on the front side).
Chips at the corners are removed as follows: pre-glued electrical tape and plastic are lubricated with epoxy resin and a patch is laid out from the serpyanka in several layers on the damaged area. It is difficult to completely fill the gap between the serpentine and the electrical tape, but this drawback can be corrected with putty.
A small mosaic of fragments is smeared with resin, trying not to disturb the layout, and rubbed into the cracks. You can also make a liquid resin, pour it in and wait for it to absorb. Serpyanka or fiberglass is applied with patches in 3-4 layers, and it is better to do this 16-20 hours after pouring with resin. Air bubbles and voids are not desirable. Dries all this day at a temperature of 18-25 degrees.
Further, the dried products are cleaned of resin drips, scuffs, the seams are also cleaned and the surface is leveled with a polyester putty using a spatula. The putty dries for about 12 hours, then you can sand the product with a "zero" sandpaper.
At the last stage, the product is primed with a compound for plastic (usually the primer comes in a spray can) and painted with auto enamel or other paint for plastic.

During operation vehicle, scratches appear on the plastic inside the car. Defects spoil the view dashboard, and a large number of such damage leads to the appearance of microcracks and destruction of plastic. Knowing how to remove scratches on the plastic in the car, the driver returns to the parts initial appearance, avoids more serious repairs and replacement of damaged elements.

Scratches on the plastic of a torpedo are common. Various objects, or even opening and closing doors, can cause them to appear. This is due to the fact that plastic surfaces do not have a shockproof coating, and the slightest mechanical impact leads to a flaw. Minor defects deep scratches on the dashboard spoil the look of the car interior as a whole. but such damage can be repaired without dismantling the plastic elements.

Direct sunlight causes paint fading on the interior elements of the car. To restore such a part, it will be necessary to overhaul the element.

How to remove scratches on plastic in a car

To remove scratches from plastic in a car, several methods are used:

Small defects are eliminated by heat treatment. For this, a hairdryer or a lighter is used.
Small injuries are removed with special repair napkins and towels.
Deep defects are painted over with automotive wax crayons.
Scratches are removed from glossy surfaces with polishes and abrasive gels.
Cracks, chips and deep damage paintwork torpedoes are eliminated by overhaul details.

Repair of grooved surfaces is not possible. They cannot be polished or heat treated. When such elements are worn out, they are replaced with new ones.

Revitalizing pencils and wipes

One of the most simple methods restoring the appearance of a damaged part, this is the use of special napkins, microfiber towels and a pencil to remove scratches from plastic. However, the use of these remedies that eliminate defects has a number of nuances:

Napkins and towels make it possible to get rid of minor scratches on the plastic surface of the car dealership.
Deep chips and scratches can be rubbed out with a special pencil. These attachments are sold at auto dealerships. The advantage of such a tool is considered its effectiveness. The substance fills in defects, gives the surface its original appearance. However, take into account that only an original pencil can cope with the problem. Its cost is high, and Chinese cheap counterparts, if the car's torpedo gets scratched, will be of little help.
When painting, select the closest pencil color to the shade of the dashboard. Otherwise, after restoration, black traces remain on the surface, spoiling the appearance of the part.

Using a hair dryer

Damage to the plastic can be repaired with your own hands using a hair dryer. Before heating, the treated area is cleaned of contaminants and degreased. After, turn on the hair dryer at maximum power and very closely monitor the reaction of the plastic to heating. When exposed high temperatures by smoothing out defects, the detail takes on its original appearance.

If there is no reaction to heating with a hairdryer, then you need to increase the power of the device, and bring it closer to the surface to be treated. Deep damage cannot be repaired in this way. Excessive heating will deform the plastic element and degrade the appearance of the part.

Polishes and gels

After removing scratches on the plastic, the part needs to be polished. This is important when refurbishing glossy interior elements. The means will return the surfaces to their original appearance. For polishing, it is recommended to use an abrasive cloth or sander. Using an electric tool, it is impossible to eliminate defects at the maximum speed of the grinding wheel. The plastic will heat up and deform, leading to expensive repairs.

Also Special attention should be turned to the agent used to restore the damaged area. To protect the material from deformation or destruction, use a special abrasive paste and plastic polish.

Defects are eliminated according to the following algorithm: before polishing, the surface is washed, dried and degreased. Next, a small amount of the product is applied, and the part is polished until a glossy shine appears.

Small scratches are removed from the glossy surface by polishing.

Elimination of damage with a lighter

Using an open flame, remove scratches from plastic. To do this, the lighter is brought to the defect, and the flame is carried out over the entire area of the damage. After the surface treated in this way has completely cooled down, remove the soot with a swab moistened with alcohol. If everything is done correctly, then after such a procedure, the plastic is restored.

Be careful when using a lighter. Otherwise, open fire will cause damage to the skin and fire the vehicle.

Overhaul of plastic

It is not always possible to repair the plastic in the car interior using simple methods. Chips, cracks, areas of burnt paint - all this requires a major overhaul of the plastic elements of the car dashboard. Recovery is performed in the following way:

The damaged part is dismantled.
Thoroughly cleaned from dirt, degreased and polished.
Cracks and chips are covered with a primer.
The surface is polished.
Apply paint, allow the element to dry.
Cover with several layers of varnish.
Polished until a glossy shine appears.

How to properly remove scratches from gloss

In the design of many interior elements, transparent plastic is used. The disadvantage of this material is the rapid appearance of defects: small scratches and chips, after several years of machine operation, literally cover the entire surface salon element... Removing scratches from the plastic of the car interior has a number of nuances:

Before carrying out the restoration, it is necessary to carry out a wet cleaning of the car interior. Make sure that there is no dust. Otherwise, new scratches may appear on the surface during polishing.
The area to be treated will need to be thoroughly washed and degreased.
To get rid of scratches, use a sander.
To polish the damaged area, it is recommended to use products that are designed for sanding plastic. These are special polishes and abrasive pastes. It is important to correctly calculate the amount of the applied substance.

Abrasive pastes, gels and polishes, which are intended for, cannot be used when restoring the interior. They will damage the part being restored.

Numerous defects, scratches, chips and cracks spoil the look of the car's torpedo. Damage of such a plan is easy to repair yourself. To make the repair process effective and not lead to the replacement of a part, take into account the nuances of restoring the plastic elements of the interior.

Plexiglas is a material that has consolidated its position both in everyday life and in production. His specifications(strength, transparency, thermoplasticity) are not inferior to the properties of ordinary glass. The use of organic glass can lead to the need for polishing. Is it possible to polish the material at home and how? What is involved in the preparation and processing process? Everything is not as complicated as it might seem at first glance.

Features of the material and scope of application

Plexiglass is obtained from acrylic acid through various chemical reactions. This material is similar in various parameters to ordinary glass, but its nature is organic (hence the name of the material). There are several synonymous words - plexiglass, acriplast, carboglass, etc.

Among the main characteristics of plexiglass are:

ease;
softness;
the ability to easily transform;
pliability during processing;
high throughput;
Plexiglas decomposes when exposed to certain chemicals.

The impact resistance of many types of plexiglas is 5 times greater than that of ordinary

Polymeric transparent material is used in various areas of human life, therefore, the use of organic glass can lead to a change in it. appearance- deterioration of transparency, decrease in gloss, scratches, roughness and other unfavorable moments. Carboglass turns into ordinary plastic in case of large damage from glass. In this regard, the question often arises of the need to polish plexiglass at home.

Ways to polish plexiglass at home

You can give plaxiglass products their original appearance without resorting to the help of complex tools or expensive materials.

There are several effective methods fight against "non-commercial" type of plexiglass:

Felt + GOI paste.
The use of dichloroethane.
The use of polishes.
Homemade recipes (wine vinegar, toothpaste, etc.)

Using GOI paste, sandpaper and felt (with a detailed video)

You should know that there are coarse, medium and fine types of GOI paste

Algorithm:

Isolation of plaxiglass from other structures and elements. If possible, separate the plexiglass from other structures (glue the adjacent areas with adhesive tape, disconnect the plexiglass parts, etc.)
Using sandpaper with a grain of 2000, process organic glass, periodically wetting the surface with water (under a stream or using a spray gun). Consistency and unhurriedness are the main characteristics when doing this work. A matte uniform surface should be the result of this time consuming step.
The part wiped dry is polished using felt with GOI paste applied to it. This should be done slowly, achieving the highest quality result.

This method of restoring plexiglass is suitable for plexiglass in the presence of large scratches on it.

Following step by step instructions video material, you can easily cope with the task of eliminating Plexiglas defects.

Home helpers (toothpaste, chalk and others) + video

As a polishing agent, some craftsmen use chalk or toothpaste, applying these substances to felt or other soft cloth. How to polish - by hand or with the help of technology - each specialist decides independently. The main thing is to get the result in the form of a smooth and shiny surface.

You can use ordinary towels made from natural materials. Apply some toothpaste to them and rub it in a circle onto the surface to be treated. Then rinse the plexiglass with plain water.

Below is a video showing how to polish car headlights with toothpaste.

Is it possible to polish with your own hands using dichloroethane

The use of this substance is appropriate when processing small areas of plexiglass. Dichloroethane dissolves the top layer of plexiglass, thereby improving its appearance, leveling the surface and eliminating scratches. The chemical is applied with a spray bottle to the acriplast and wait until it dries completely.

But using this method requires good skill in work, since when removing scratches, you can add irregularities to the glass, and chemicals are not useful for a master who changes the look of plexiglass.

Other anti-scratch products

For a smooth and shiny look, the product can be treated with any automotive polish.

It is advisable to test the action of car polishes by trying to process a small area first, so as not to spoil the entire product.
If the result is satisfactory, then feel free to get to work. To do this, apply the auto cosmetics on a soft cloth and wipe the product in circular motions many times.

You can speed up the process with the help of power tools - a polishing wheel, grinders. When using such devices, do not forget that the rotation speed should not be too high, so as not to "burn" the surface.

The Japanese Compound paste received good reviews in terms of polishing carboglass.

Comes with a special polishing block

The choice of chemicals for glass cleaning is a very important process, as some chemicals, instead of being useful, can cause severe damage to the surface, simply by destroying it. Therefore, pay great attention to the use of such funds.

Any action to improve the appearance of acrylic glass will be in vain if it is harmful to your health. Therefore, when working, you must remember about safety precautions:

When working with a sandpaper or sander, wear protective goggles to prevent possible dust particles from getting into your eyes.
Do not neglect the use of gloves, they are indispensable for safe work (when sanding the surface, when using chemicals). Match them to the size of your hand to avoid getting excess cloth into the polishing wheel.
Using chemical agents, do not forget about the supply of fresh air to the room in which the work is carried out.
When working with special devices, be sure to check their serviceability and reliability of electrical wiring and sockets.
When spraying dichloroethane, use a respirator or medical personal mask.

The process of polishing plexiglass at home is laborious and time-consuming, especially if you work by hand. But the result will definitely reward you for your efforts. The plexiglass surface will become smooth, even, without chipping and scratches and will delight you for a long time.

Everyday use of plastic items inevitably leads to the appearance of defects on their surface. To eliminate scratches, chips, abrasions, and other damage to the material, it is worth figuring out how to polish the plastic. With the help of simple and affordable methods, it is quite possible to cope with the problem. on their own without seeking help from specialists.

Selecting Plastic Polishing Solutions

In order to choose a suitable remedy for removing defects on the plastic surface, it is worth assessing the complexity of the damage. Depending on this, in the future it will be necessary to give preference to one or another polishing method.

You can perform work in the following ways:

mechanical;
thermal;
chemical.

If the plastic is covered with small scratches, delicate hand polishing using chemical abrasives will help. This is where special substances for polishing coarse and fine grain come in handy. When you have to deal with deep enough damage, thermal effects on the material, as well as rough mechanical grinding, will eliminate the problem.

grinding wheel

Polishing technology in this way assumes the presence of a drill. A special grinding attachment is used here, which is easy to purchase at any hardware store. With its help, cleaning of any surfaces can be performed, not only plastic, but also with toothpaste and other things.

If you need to save a little, then a piece of felt can serve as an alternative to a special grinding attachment. The piece of material must be rolled up and inserted into the drill chuck. felt is quite effective. The only thing that is required to achieve the expected result is reliable fixation of the material. Otherwise, the felt will jump off the drill, causing a lot of trouble in the process.

Applying toothpaste

To polish plastic, it is not at all necessary to spend money on the purchase of specialized chemical compounds or resort to surface treatment with an electric tool. To eliminate tarnishing of the material and remove small scratches from its surface, you can use ordinary toothpaste as an abrasive. The use of such an affordable household product makes it possible to return the former shine to plastic products. As practice shows, it is especially effective

The polishing process involves the following:

The surfaces are cleaned of dust and dirt. Any household detergent that has a neutral chemical composition is used here.
The plastic is degreased, rinsed and dried.
Toothpaste is applied to a clean flannel cloth. The surfaces are polished in a circular motion in one direction.
The resulting gruel is washed off. The operation is repeated.
Remains of toothpaste are removed with a damp sponge. The plastic product is wiped dry.

Heat treatment

How to polish plastic, the surface of which contains deep enough defects? To do this, it is worth subjecting it to heating with a hair dryer, which will greatly simplify the subsequent grouting of the damage.

For uniform cleaning of plastic products, large areas are processed with a hot air stream. As the material melts, the scratches will gradually heal. You should work with a hairdryer carefully so as not to overdo it, because if excessive heating is done, the plastic can deform.

When resorting to this method, one should not expect a complete, rapid disappearance of defects. It is enough to carry out heating until the edges of scratches on the plastic begin to melt slightly. Then you must immediately proceed to grout them with a grinding wheel or manually using abrasives.

Plastic polishing paste

Ideal for removing scuffs, chips and scratches on plastic surfaces. There are several types of this product. Each of them has a different grain size. Therefore, the main thing here is to choose the right number of the substance, starting from the nature of the existing defects.

For rough, rough grinding, a substance with an index of 4 is suitable. Such a GOI paste, the price of which is about 200 rubles for a container with a volume of 100 grams, will remove large damage to the material. In this case, you will have to resort to mechanical surface treatment using

To eliminate medium damage, a product with an index of 3 is suitable. The presented GOI paste, the price of which is up to 180 rubles, is ideal solution if grouting is necessary, there are enough textured scratches.

As for the final polishing, here it is worth using a paste with an index of 1 or 2. These agents are the least abrasive and are the ideal solution for finishing grouting surfaces.

Polishing treatment

How to polish plastic to perfect condition? To do this, you should use a special polish designed to work with the presented material. It is recommended to apply the substance on the surface with a thin, even layer. To make the surfaces smooth and shiny, it is enough to thoroughly grind the polish with a piece of flannel cloth or a soft sanding attachment. Such a seemingly insignificant nuance will make it possible to consolidate the result obtained, regardless of the method that was used to eliminate defects from the plastic surface.

It should be noted that polishes are not protected from moisture and water. Over time, they are simply washed off. Therefore, if tarnishing of the plastic is noticed some time after the treatment with polish, the surfaces should be wiped from dirt and re-coated with the substance. This approach will allow you to avoid the appearance of new defects and preserve the shine of the product for a long time.

Finally

So we figured out how to polish plastic with our own hands at home. As you can see, for this you just need to use the usual tools at hand, as well as available tools that can be easily found on sale. Thanks to the combination of polishing methods and a competent approach to the task, you can bring back to life any plastic object that has noticeable defects on its surface.

Self-polishing of products makes it possible to save a decent amount. With a little practice, relying on the above methods, you can learn how to qualitatively restore plastic objects not only for yourself, but also for friends and relatives.