New Headlight Restoratin Kit With Infinity 4.1

[mend master]

@ Mend - how do you manage to get it on without overspray? Or do you have the customers come to you? I tried a few "clear coats", but some made the plastic cloudy, others, the drying time was way too long - and then the application was causing overspray in every test...

@ Candy - "I told him it should get clearer as it dries" what's this all about? Is that what Delta have said the product will do? Regarding mixture - I was told it was to be 12/3, but there is always half a cup left wasted
Do you put it on thick? Did you get runs or streaks where there wasn't enough chemical on the lens?

Thanks for the input guys.

Cheers,

Pommy

You can't spray without overspray. I mask off with tape and paper just like when I'm painting. I also move the vehicle to where my rig is set up instead of trying to do it next to any other vehicles. The Speedokote is dust free in 2-5 minutes and fully cured in 15 minutes on a sunny day. It can also be cured with a UV lamp on a cloudy day. I use their clear coat for painting as it has similar properties. If you got cloudy results from clear coat, the main issues are usually humidity, wrong reducer for the temperature range, or applying additional coats before the previous one has flashed off completely. The other thing that can produce a cloudy look is a phenomena called "die back" which usually indicates a low quality clear coat was used.

[pommy]

Thanks mend - it's a reputable Company actually - UPOL:

I tried it because of it's built in UV protectant. Too much overspray though. (I work on car lots/yards where the cars are packed in and cannot be moved easily, so it wasn't the solution for me.)

Just out of interest, when you do use anyting other than spray, do you apply with a towel?

[mend master]

Yes, I use the Kimberly Clark, Scot blue towel without perforations. Cut it in half, then fold down to about a 2" square with as sharp an edge as you can get. I have tried a foam paint brush, but its too easy to get bubbles in the finish if you don't get EXACTLY the right amount on it. Too little product and you'll have dry streaks. Too much and you get little aggravating bubbles. Another product I tried, Bright Lites out of Miami, Fl, recommended a small sponge for application. I find the blue towel works best for me.

Regarding UPOL, I have used some of their products but not their clear. There are different levels of solids available in clear coat which will have a bearing on their application and final appearance. I use a "high solids" clear for better DOI (depth of image) as I do a fair amount of painting on BMW, Lexus, Mercedes, etc. Trying to use a spray-on product for headlights on a tightly packed lot is definitely a recipe for disaster, or at least a good chewing out. I typically just don't do it that way. There are times if I'm working on multiple vehicles in close proximity, I will wrap an adjacent car in painter's plastic which I keep on board by the roll. Its cheap, and it sure beats cleaning up overspray.

[pommy]

Sounds like you have a good set-up there mate

I'm mobile, out of the back of a small hatchback car!

At the moment I have to run an extension lead across the yard, then into a heavty 2000W (12KG) convertor, then into the 110v Makita polisher - very messy and time consuming.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a 18v rechargeable drill, with two battery packs for my HLR - have you tried that?

[mend master]

Sounds like you have a good set-up there mate

I'm mobile, out of the back of a small hatchback car!

At the moment I have to run an extension lead across the yard, then into a heavty 2000W (12KG) convertor, then into the 110v Makita polisher - very messy and time consuming.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a 18v rechargeable drill, with two battery packs for my HLR - have you tried that?

I don't polish headlights anymore since switching to the Speedokote. When I did polish I also used a Makita 9227C buffer, probably like what you are using. An 18V drill with Lithium Ion batteries may work for you, depending on how many lenses you need to do. I used to use the 3M kit with a 3" pistol grip, air driven D/A and a matching 3" polisher, but they require having a decent size air compressor on board, which isn't really a good option for you with your current vehicle.

[t4k]

Sounds like you have a good set-up there mate

I'm mobile, out of the back of a small hatchback car!

At the moment I have to run an extension lead across the yard, then into a heavty 2000W (12KG) convertor, then into the 110v Makita polisher - very messy and time consuming.

I'm toying with the idea of getting a 18v rechargeable drill, with two battery packs for my HLR - have you tried that?

I don't polish headlights anymore since switching to the Speedokote. When I did polish I also used a Makita 9227C buffer, probably like what you are using. An 18V drill with Lithium Ion batteries may work for you, depending on how many lenses you need to do. I used to use the 3M kit with a 3" pistol grip, air driven D/A and a matching 3" polisher, but they require having a decent size air compressor on board, which isn't really a good option for you with your current vehicle.

Although you no longer polish, the Makita 9227c appears to be too large to polishing headlights. How did you handle that issue?

[mend master]

t4k, I ran into very few lenses that couldn't be polished with a buffer. Certain older Integras with the individual round lenses, older Olds Sunfires with the recessed lenses, etc. could be challenging, but that was where the 3" Chicago Pneumatic polisher came into play. I do a lot of paint correction including scratch removal, compounding, polishing, swirl removal, etc., so running a buffer has been a regular thing for me for several years. As with anything, the experience level and training of the operator can make all the difference.

[t4k]

As with anything, the experience level and training of the operator can make all the difference.

I hear ya...that is truly what makes all the difference in everything including this profession.

[DCMR2]

I bought my kit less than a month ago, why did I get the old sealer?

[Kgobin]

At this time all of the headlight restoration systems include the coat2protect coating. You can get the infinity 4.1 coating if you request it when placing an order.