Simple Plastic restoration products testing

[Danders]

I wish I knew what purpose the paint thinner served. I mean, a corner of a paper towel dunked in the stuff is enough to do both covers. I'm trying blo alone next. And then blo mixed with atf

I'm in the same boat. With wood, thinning the oil lets the first few coats soak deeper into the wood. With plastic, who knows. I've heard the blo will turn into a sticky mess if you apply a coat on top of a previous one that hasn't dried completely but I've not run into that at all on the covers. Well, not yet anyway.

 

[huskihl]

I'm in the same boat. With wood, thinning the oil lets the first few coats soak deeper into the wood. With plastic, who knows. I've heard the blo will turn into a sticky mess if you apply a coat on top of a previous one that hasn't dried completely but I've not run into that at all on the covers. Well, not yet anyway.

Me neither. I put 3 or 4 coats on over the course of 2 days

 

[SteveSS]

My best uneducated guess would be that the spirits dissolve or loosen the oxidized layer of the plastic so they can be lifted off by the polishing rag to expose the fresh color underneath. I did notice on the cover that I did with spirits/blo that the plastic seemed to get smoother the longer I worked it in. Might have just been in my mind though.

I have another set of covers that are pretty well oxidixed, but I wanted to wait to fool with them until I was able to get another bottle of regular spirits.

 

[junkman]

Wonder if 50 - 50 atf and acetone would work? That combo will disolve rust real good.

 

[Philbert]

Do any of you PSP apply any kind of wax or protectant to prevent your current saw plastics from oxidizing?

When cleaning my saws, as part of general use and maintenance, I sometimes apply a little coat of ArmorAll, just to make them look pretty.

Philbert

 

[junkman]

Just store the saws inside and they wont oxidize most of it is from leaving them outside riding in the bed of the truck

 

[Philbert]

Just store the saws inside and they wont oxidize most of it is from leaving them outside riding in the bed of the truck

Part of it is 'restoring' saws acquired from other users. If a saw does not look nice, we might be able to buy it for less. Clean it up, and it may be worth more.

Philbert

 

[Gunn]

Some guys will use automotive polish to keep up the luster.

 

[nixon]

Do any of you PSP apply any kind of way or protectant to prevent your current saw plastics from oxidizing?

Philbert

Haven't tried it on a saw , but I've used this stuff for a long time on cars . Aerospace 303 . I like it much better than armor all .

 

[stihl saws]

I personally tried the pc plastic renew in the rh box of the 3 posted ,you sand off the dull till get colored plastic ,then wipe their coating that looks like armor all when putting on but dries hard ,first time i sprayed castrol super clean on it it fell off and i had dull sanded plastics ,oil or sanding then putting an automotive clear paint with hardener in it is only good fix i have found so far that holds up ,on a tool the oil does the job and does not look phony like you tried to paint something on the saw .

The PC plastic renew is floor wax. Any cleaner that is ammonia or lye based will strip it off.

 

[ABarrick]

The PC plastic renew is floor wax. Any cleaner that is ammonia or lye based will strip it off.

You beat me to it...Don't spend $20 for a 1/2 pint of floor wax and a few scraps of sandpaper. I've used both and there is no difference. I've used a ton of plastic polishes and restoration products over the years restoring dirtbikes and can tell you that no single product works the best for everything. It really depends on the type of plastic which one works the best. Plexus/Honda Cleaner etc just enhance the shine on smooth surfaces. They do little to nothing to restore any lost gloss from aging/uv damage. Plastic renew/Floor wax works as a topical artificial gloss but as others said it can chip off and be removed chemically if not careful. It is great for restoring NLA plastics for bikes that won't see much actual ride time after restoration but IMHO for something that is still available to buy, it's not worth the time it takes to make it look good. Just buy a new one. If you apply many thin layers and wetsand between coats you can get a nice buildup. Wetsand the final coat and buff/polish it to a nice shine treating it like a clear paint. It gives a more soft gloss than automotive clear does and looks more natural. Most plastic polishes are geared towards clear plexiglass/lexan type products. They work well on them but on dirtbike fenders and chainsaw covers I've never been satisfied with the results. The plastic itself seems too soft and incapable of producing a gloss like lexan can.

Honda Pro Silicone is my latest product of choice for maintaining plastic condition. It is not cheap, like $9 for a avg. size aerosol can. It is a solvent based silicone so you do have to watch it on some painted surfaces but it leaves an excellent gloss and keeps stuff from sticking. Awesome product for dirt bikes/atv's etc but it works great on just about anything plastic I have tried it on. Would not use it on any seats, it gets pretty slick.

 

[Brewz]

What about restoring the white plastic of a Stihl tank handle?

 

[junkman]

What about restoring the white plastic of a Stihl tank handle?

Zep alum wheel acid burns most of the brown color off with a scotchbrite pad it helps scrub better ,tanks are tough to get back to new again .

 

[Chainganger]

I did not read everything here, but be careful with Boiled Linseed Oil rags they will SPONTANEOUSLY COMBUST. Friend of mine's house burned down when he left some rags in a corner of a room, he was redoing the trim.

 

[davidwyby]

Does the Recolor wash off?
Thanks, merry Christmas!