Headlight repair tips and results.

Discuss all aspects of headlight restoration, including marketing, technical, and business advice.
glassdoctor
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Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

Thread on what you may be doing and how you like the results.
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

Cryatal_Image wrote:
glassdoctor wrote:
Cryatal_Image wrote:ok so it is ok to use a hair dryer on the headlights rather than a UV light to dry?
It's two different things. The only product you use a UV light on is the spray on UV cure coatings.

All the wipe on products I'm aware of, are air dry.... so you can use a hair dryer or fan on those. As far as I know, the UV light won't do anything help speed the dry time, except put out some heat.

i heard the wipe on kind or portectnt, you must mix first. is this correct? Is it more economical to get the wipe on vs. the spray? Suppose the bad thing about spray would be the windy days with overspray whch would be bad for paint, etc
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

glassdoctor wrote:For wipe on coatings, there are both types. Some are 2 part mix, and some are single stage no mix.

The spray coatings do tend to cost more. Some are very expensive, up to $10-20 per car. :o And yes... they have unique issues with working outside in the elements. You also should mask off around the light to spray, to keep overspray off the car.

I'll also add.. with the uv cure products, you better get it right the first time, because (unlike the common wipe on coatings) it's difficult to remove it and re-spray if you don't like what you see. Spray coatings add a degree of difficulty, but it's worth it imo.

I'll be testing Delta's new Infinity coating soon. It seems to address the 2 big problems I have with the other wipe on products, Delta's C2p, Develup, Minwax, etc.... imo these coatings are not durable enough. They can look great and they make the job super easy, but I think the coating is too soft (easily scratched, etc) and doesn't last long enough. I had started using it after seeing some results others were having.... nearly 2 years and starting to break down, still looking pretty good. But since then, I've seen and heard of plenty of examples that are not nearly that good. I decided that I wouldn't use them on my car, and wanted something better, both for my car and for my customers. I want to be confident in offering at least a 1 year guarantee. I decided that if I can't... then why even bother doing it? I would still have dealers wanting me to dress up their stuff, but I don't want to do any retail work, or my car, or my friend's car, or worse... how about a sales manager's car? Do I really want to tell him he needs to apply a plastic protectant/wax every few weeks and try to park in the shade from now on? :shock: um, no.... Ok, off my soap box now! :lol:
candyman wrote:I have seen too many people using the spray, overlap the masking. Its a lot of work and even worst on a windy day. The new Infiniti 4.1 from deltakits is a two part mix. Its a milky looking liquid when mixed. This new product adheres to the lens better and provides a harder surface. Neither the C2P or Infiniti 4.1 requires a UV lamp. A small hair dryer will work fine. I normally dont use anything to dry the headlight . Once I apply the UV coating I am done. I remove all the masking tape and clean the vehicle prior to applying the coating. I dont wait to see if it dries. I tell the customer not to touch the lens for several hours and not to wash it for 48 hours. If they drive the car within the first 2 hours, I tell them to turn their headlights on. Some of you are using a compound on the lens and that may not be a good thing using the Infiniti 4.1 or C2P. I had problems here with the C2P not lasting longer than 6 to 15 months on some vehicles in 2010. It was determinded that the wax polish may be the problem. WE now use the 3000 polishing pad after we sand. I 've been part of a testing program and we now have a new sequence of sanding, and added a few new sanding disc. So far I have got the same result on a variety of vehicles that had very bad headlights. I've used the Infiniti on 15 Vehicles and knock on wood, the lens look great after polishing with the 3000 pad from Deltakits. The customers and I are very pleased with this new product. Contact Bruce or Korey if you have any questions about Deltakits HLR products. The product is easy to use and I normally spend between 45 and 55 minutes per vehicle. Part of that time is talking to the customer. While sanding, the majority of my clients think I have screwed their vehicle headlights up. After I polish with the 3000 pad, they are pleased. I then apply the UV coating and they are amazed and cant stop talking about the experience. I am keeping a record of all my test vehicles and will track the length of time they last. Stay Tuned. Have a good week.
longjestin wrote:I first used the Infinity on my own vehicle in August 2011 before we had the product on the shelf. My vehicle looks amazing still, no scratches or discoloration. And with the new sanding process of 320, 500, 800, 1200, 1500, then polish with the 3000 (all dry sanding) i cant tell the difference from the C2P and the Infinity. I have also tested numerous other products on the market to include spray on UV coating and nothing compares. Some turn out good but nothing like the Infinity. I do get a little upset when i hear that some technicians cannot get the result that Delta Kits promises. With just the materials that are in the HLR kit i have amazing restorations. And i have tried 100's of different combinations of materials, processes, and polishing compounds. If the directions are followed correctly Delta Kits system's are unmatched
glassdoctor wrote:If the 4.1 has a nice gloss and is durable... that's all I need. I learned long ago what it takes to sand them correctly when you don't have a a coating that hides all your mistakes. ;)

I'm sure it's true that the inconsistent or unimpressive results people have had with the new coating, is just because it doesn't make all the haze and sanding marks disappear. The C2P coating allows you to get away with a lot of sanding sins and still look great. It hides everything. That's why I've said it makes the job so much faster and easier for me, because I spent years finishing lights by polishing. C2P lets you do just half the job.... even a half ass half job, and then it's all good when the coating goes on!!! lol

When you actually have to refinish the lens to where it looks good just with a final polish and no clear coat, then the skipped steps and shortcuts, etc all show up at the end. Actually, some polishes help to hide stuff temporarily, but wait a few days and you might find a bit of haze or sand marks still there.

Even if you do follow a proper procedure of sanding steps, you can leave behind marks if you are not thorough enough with each step. It's especially critical to remove all the marks from the first couple of sanding steps. The coarsest paper leaves the nastiest marks, the ones that will really show up at the end.... and it sucks to go back and start over, even for just part of the lens.

glassdoctor wrote:
longjestin wrote:I first used the Infinity on my own vehicle in August 2011 before we had the product on the shelf. My vehicle looks amazing still, no scratches or discoloration. And with the new sanding process of 320, 500, 800, 1200, 1500, then polish with the 3000 (all dry sanding) i cant tell the difference from the C2P and the Infinity. I have also tested numerous other products on the market to include spray on UV coating and nothing compares. Some turn out good but nothing like the Infinity. I do get a little upset when i hear that some technicians cannot get the result that Delta Kits promises. With just the materials that are in the HLR kit i have amazing restorations. And i have tried 100's of different combinations of materials, processes, and polishing compounds. If the directions are followed correctly Delta Kits system's are unmatched
Thanks for your comments. It's good to hear you say the 4.1 looks as good as C2P. Done right, I've seen the UV coating look like a brand new light. But I know that they aren't all the same. For me, SEM is the most difficult to get to lay down really nice, and it doesn't hide stuff as much as others I tried. Actually, polishing can get great looking results too....while it lasts. I'll be excited if the 4.1 can look as good or better than my UV coatings. :D
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

Cryatal_Image wrote:
I thought about using suran wrap around the area on the car to cover paint, cut the area for the light out, then tape it. The type of UV spray i would use comes in an 8oz spray bottle vs a spray can which is quite expensive. We are mobile only with no shop unless a fleet would supply the inside area
Not sure if seran wrap would work, or how much it would cost per vehicle. There are clear plastic rolls that are sticky back... commonly used as a carpet protector, etc. Again, I'm not sure what the cost per vehicle would be, but that material would definitely work as you describe.

I just use blue 1" masking tape and painter's paper rolls, with a masking machine. Something like this: http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... ckType=G22
Menards has a similar item for $20, and the rolls of paper are $2 or less.

I also just picked up one of these for about $3.50 at Menards. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1260 ... 6529587402 Haven't tried it yet, but it seems sticky enough and it's a little wider than a 2" roll of tape.... same length, and cheaper too.

I prefer to use blue tape, if all you need is to protect while sanding. But if you are going to spray anything, you need to mask off more area...
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by pommy »

Hi guys ;)

A tip for masking would be to stick with the blue stuff Delta sell - why?

It has a slightly "rubberized" surface that is abrasive resistant. If you're new, and you make a little slip when sanding, it's very forgiving.

I've tried a couple of variants, but they don't seem to be as good. Price is good too. If it ain't broke...

Another good tip is to buy cheap thin plastic drop sheets for decorating purposes. Very cheap, I get 4 for $2. They come in clear or blue, orange etc. Buy them 1m x1m upwards.

You don't need to stick it, just spray the bumper with a light mist and the plastic will not move once you touch the sheet against it. You can then cut a small hole where the pre-masked light is. Takes 20 seconds.

Thanks for the thread GD ;)
If the job doesn't mean more than the pay, it will never pay more.
glassdoctor
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

Good ideas on the masking with plastic sheeting. Wet the surface and make it cling. I've never used that trick for headlight work, but I've done it with other things, like when window tinting and keeping a shower curtain stuck in place :lol:

On a similar note, this reminded me that I have actually used seran wrap on headlights before.... one time when I was experimenting with chemicals to strip the oxidation. I would spray the lens with the solution, and "stick" the seran wrap to it, which would keep the solution from evaporating or running off the lens.

btw, I'm not aware of what Delta includes in their kits... is the blue tape supposed to be special? I don't have any issues with sanding through any blue tape I have used. Also, if there is a particularly bad spot where you know the tape might get hit hard, just double up that spot. 3M tape works good for me... it's sticky and leaves no residue and I can pick it up about anywhere. The duck brand stuff is cheaper but it's not as nice imo.
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by longjestin »

Doubling up on the blue tape is a good idea. But you can also angle the sander sideways a little to use the edge of the sanding disc to get into tight spots. This is especially useful on lenses that have contours to them and alignment knobs.
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by candyman »

Now and then the edge of the sander will rub through the Blue tape and make a mark on the paint. Keep a few bottles of touchup in your kit. White, grey, red/burgudy. It doesnt happen often but it does happen. Using the delta product you only need to tape off. If you use anothers product that is a spray you need to mask and tape off, and if you have any wind you risk over spray. Also its wise to wet the blue tape down prior to removing. It lesens the chance of pulling paint film up from th bumpber. I also de-sticky the tape prior to applying, against my pants leg. A 1 /15 inch roll works fine. Slow the sander speed down when you are working tight areas. Its harder to controll above 4 on the groit in tight spots.
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by candyman »

That should be a 1 and 1/2 inch roll:
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Re: Headlight repair tips and results.

Post by glassdoctor »

I want you to use a 1/15 inch roll. :P
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