My Camry was in a fender, hood, bumper, and headlight bender

[redpoint5]

Buffing pads usually have either elastic to hold it on, or a string that gets cinched over the buffing wheel. Worn out elastic or missing string would probably cause the pad to fly off. I've not tried a buffer, so I don't know how it compares to the drill pads, which are excellent.

[Xist]

This is the second one that I have bought. Was I waxing my car at some point?

I don't know, but I think I bought this one to clean the floor when I finally got the larger bedroom in Tempe.

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to scrub the floor before I moved to Page, so my landlord kept part of my deposit--on top of the portion that was simply "nonrefundable"--despite me cleaning my old room so well he said "This is the first time a tenant left his room perfectly clean."

Also despite cleaning the bigger room before I moved in.

Remember when I thought my Civic hood had crazing and I buffed all of the way down to the primer?

I am unsure that I have ever used a buffer properly.

If I ever developed time travel I wouldn't not buff the hood

I would look at my Forester's check engine light, read the code, and then post about it, instead of posting that I had a check transmission light.

As if even reporting that I had a check engine light without checking the code would be useful.

I might even go back and replace my Civic radiator and the fan, instead of just the latter.

Then I don't see how I would have blown the head gasket.

Would I still be driving the Civic, just without heat-- in snow country?!

I don't know. Chorizo had 222,000 miles 3 years and 8 months ago.


The buffer has a single elastic cord inside the waistband, while the $6 5" Walmart attachment has a half-inch underwear waistband.

If a drawstring knot throws the cover off-balance, how could I replace the elastic with a sturdier one?

[redpoint5]

I have a buffer and never use it. When I wax, I use elbow grease. I'm not really buffing, but just applying wax and removing with a towel. Buffing is when you need more than waxing, but less than sanding.

[freebeard]

I would look at my Forester's check engine light, read the code, and then post about it, instead of posting that I had a check transmission light.

As if even reporting that I had a check engine light without checking the code would be useful.

I want my ten seconds back.

[freebeard]

Still think you should get some stainless steel mesh and wrap the headlights. Then stencil air pressures on the wheelwells.

[Xist]

Hans Moleman:

[Xist]

Before:


After toothpaste:


After 600-2,500 grit wet sanding:


With PlastX and my drill attachment:


It is better, but still not good enough.

Project Farm said that the Sylvania kit was the only one that restored the plastic to like-new condition, based on what he saw with a microscope.

It comes with 1 ounce of clear coat, 1 ounce of Surface Activator, .5 ounces of clarifying compound, 400, 1,000, and 2,000-grit wet\dry sandpapers, applicator and polish cloths, and a food-service glove.

What is in the surface activator and clarifying compound?

The other thing is that, like in videos for other techniques, it was cloudy until they clear-coated. I would just do that, but it is still yellow!

[Xist]

The only thing that seems unique with the Sylvania kit is the Surface Activator.

What is the surface activator in Sylvania Headlight Restoration Kit?
What it does - surface activator prepares the surface in 2 ways: it removes the yellow staining and it softens the degraded original UV clear coat that still may be on the headlight lenses. Procedure - apply 10 pump sprays of surface activator onto each headlight lens as uniformly as possible.

Answer the question, Sylvania!

Actually, Sylvania didn't answer the question, Google did, from Sylvania's instructions for their kit here.

Those instructions vary a bit from this video, which is a year old:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QGRmMnXoaFk

That doesn't say to spray 10 times, which is an arbitrary number.

My Camry headlights seem twice the size of my Civic headlights, but 10 squirts for each?

Curiously, Sylvania recommends electrical tape instead of automotive or painter's tape.

Headlight lenses are polycarbonate and I looked up what chemical softens polycarbonate: Acetone.

This guy cleans his headlights with Windex, then dry and rust-free #0000 steel wool.

Then he wipes acetone on it, sprays Windex around the windshield, and wipes it off:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2ZRKPshPVM

I need to remove the fog from the inside.

[freebeard]

surface activator prepares the surface in 2 ways: it removes the yellow staining and it softens the degraded original UV clear coat that still may be on the headlight lenses.

In accodance with prophesy.

[Xist]

Are those links supposed to work?

One guy used steel wool and then clear coat, but not #0000, he used a Brillo pad, which is apparently what S.O.S pads are called overseas for no apparent reason.

I brought in my headlight after walking my brother. ChrisFix says that if you have moisture in your headlight, put it in a box with a hole and a piece of cardboard between the headlight and the hole, at least mostly close the box, and put a heat ray or hair dryer in the hole for 5 minutes.

I use a hair dryer on my glasses when we come back from our walk, so I wasn't too worried about the heat on plastic that has sat in the Arizona sun for up to 20 years.

Most of it quickly defrosted.

The rest looked like clear coat.

Do I bolt it to a 2x4 and scrub the edges again or skip to steel wool?