Poly Hog Problems

[burnman]

I puchased the Poly Hog and have done a few light jobs on headlights. Yesterday I did a job for a neighbour on headlights scratched with a rock. After going thru the process I found that at the end there were swirl marks left behind from the 60 micron disc.

I then went back today and did the lights again spending a lot of time with the 30 micron disc. I was able to get a good result, however, it was a very long process. I'm thinking that the Poly Hog system needs a pad between the 60 and 30 micron discs, like a 45 micron. Secondly, I needed a lot of time initially with the 60 micron disc to get the scratches out so maybe a 80, 100 or 120 micron disc would be good as well for those rare deep scratches.

Is what I'm talking about available for any retailer.

[burnman]

Well, it has been a month now and no reply to this topic. Either no one out there does poly restoration or this forum is dead. I'm thinking it's the latter.

[autoglassforum]

Hey Burnman
Glass Technology here:
I could not find your other post about this subject. However, We usually respond quicker than a month to any posts if we can help answer a question especially if it is about our product.

We do not have plans at this time to add an other disc sizes. If we get many requests or suggestions about this we will re-evaluate.
We do not have anything between the 30 and the 60 at this time and do not know of any retailer that sells this product.

For those really deep scratches,
I would suggest you take a 220 grit peice of sandpaper and hand sand the really deep scratches to start and then move on to our 60 micron discs.

Lastly, this is not a DEAD forum, but thanks for checking our pulse.
Good Luck and thanks for posting on our forum

[gt_repair]

Burnman

First Q to me would be, how deep are the scratches? I do not use the 60m that often. :idea: I would start off with a few 30m's, as you feel them going flat then start another one. I have used as many as 6 30's on a pair, then drop to a 15 on each. I have started to use a 3 or 4 m to take the swirls out. then go to the felt and foam..

I had to do one that someone used sandpaper on the whole headlight thinking they would remove the deposit. It took about 3.5 hrs but they turned out pretty good to the dealership..

[burnman]

It's alive, the forum that is. :lol: Thanks for your replies.

I'll try the 220 sandpaper trick the next time I get deep scratches.

Don, how do you know when your sanding disc needs to be changed. So far I've only used one of each disc for each job, and they still seem to have abrasive value when I'm done.

Lastly, to maintain the new look of the restored headlights, are there any maintenance tips I can give to my customers. I've read that some products like Plexus and Meguirar's Plastic Polish help maintain the look longer. On that note, how long should I expect the Poly Hog final polish to last?

[gt_repair]

Burnman

If the disc feels smoother than a new one and you spend more time trying to grind then it is time to shange it out... I do keep most of the old ones and use them for the easy jobs that do not need much work.

I do use the plexus and I think it works quite well. Just use it right otherwise it will not look fine. I spray the lights and wait till the spray clears up {about 3-4 min's} and them use a fine cloth and buff all of the extra off. I feel it get a chance to penatrate better.

Just my thought... Others are open to there input.

[burnman]

When you finish the restoration process, do you use the Poly Hog Spray or do you use just the Plexus or both.

[gt_repair]

I use the plexus. They did not have the P/H spray when I started. And I heard is is damn near the same. If you look hard enough on the web you can find it cheeper from another supplier buy the case.

:idea: That reminds me, I need to order more. :idea:
Thanks for jaring my brain.

[JamesN]

I have been using the Poly Hog system for nearly 12 months now & find it achieves very good results.

The only issues I have are;

1. With most jobs I get a few (say 3-6) fine swirl marks in which show up after the polish stage. Is this normal? I try to be very careful with each disc but normally cannot get a perfect finish first time. I can normally reduce the swirls with additional polishing & they are not noticeable unless you get 3-4 feet away. Most jobs I start with the 30M disc as the UV damage is bad.

I also find on some headlights it is difficult to remove the original factory uv coating fully using the 30M disc. To get a good result I understand it is necessary to remove this layer. What is the fastest way to do this?

Some manufactuers lights appear to have a very hard polycarbonate finish. (ie. Jeep)

On average it takes me about 45-50min to do a set of headlights (The harder plastic ones can take 1.5+ hrs). Is this an acceptable time using the Poly Hog system?

2. Is the Poly Hog UV spray as good as any other sealer?
I have had no complaints as yet but am concerned as to how long the headlight will maintain its finish.
I try and leave the spray on for as long as possible (5-8min) before buffing off the excess to give it a chance to penetrate. Does this matter?

Do you still think Plexus gives the same long term results as the GT spray?

Can anyone suggest any other tips/advice on improving my results.

James

[Autoglassdan]

First thing to do when your done with a pair of H/Ls is to throw away the micron disks. They may look like they are in good shape, but you need to toss them out. A 60 will do both sides easily. Second, keep the h/l and the disk clean and wet. The best way to tell when its time to change to the 30 is to completely dry the h/l so you can see any remaining corrosion. Most importantly: H/Ls must be thoroughly sanitized of any remaining particles from the previous disk. A single grain of 60 will become embedded in your 30 and leave that swirl mark you see. Keep all your new disks in separate zip-locks, and never place a used disk back in with the new ones. I've done over a hundred pair of h/ls and I have lots of neat tricks to make your job easier and safer.

[gt_repair]

2. Is the Poly Hog UV spray as good as any other sealer?
I have had no complaints as yet but am concerned as to how long the headlight will maintain its finish.
I try and leave the spray on for as long as possible (5-8min) before buffing off the excess to give it a chance to penetrate. Does this matter?

Do you still think Plexus gives the same long term results as the GT spray?

Can anyone suggest any other tips/advice on improving my results.

GT: Could you add comment to the second part of the Question?

[ADAM DUTHIE]

Thanks for your input Dan, it's good to see you on our site, you do have lots of useful info. I think you can help answer many questions on H/L restoration!

Cheers!

Adam

[JamesN]

Thanks Autoglassdan for your advice.

I have been keeping all new discs in one plastic bag & the used ones in a second bag. Can the new discs still cross contaminate each other in the same bag?

I used the old discs on jobs with lighter UV damage but gave them a wash with water first to clear off any grit or contaminates.

I didn't realise that the different discs could contaminate each other.

What do think is a average time to complete a set of average size headlights starting with a 30m disc?

James