Clearing a foggy headlight with acetone vapor.
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Clearing a foggy headlight with acetone vapor.
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No other info on this ?
Like to try this on my Vibe. How???
I haven't seen that method yet but I see there are some posts about it already on youtube. I will give this a try. https://www.youtube.com/results?sear...+acetone+vapor
Here's one of those tools being sold on ebay coming from China of course. China has too much of the work.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Restoration...wAAOSw40Zb2m6L
My son used some product to renew headlights that were aged and opaque whereas this is clearing the internal mist it would seem: pretty cool but wouldn't want to breathe it & must be dangerous to paint work, going by the tape.
I'll try it. Acetone is very volatile. It's an organic solvent. Used in a well ventilated setting, like outdoors, it should be safe to use. Maybe my wife's perfume atomizer. Ooooh, danger from within.
Are yours aged opaque? If so , can you let me know how it goes? I have one good & one poor on my old grand vitara..Quote:
Originally Posted by neilbourjaily
This is called vapor polishing -- when a plastic surface is exposed to the vapor of a solvent in which it is soluble, the surface will flow and small irregularities get smoothed out, which often brings the plastic back to optical quality. The solvent must be matched to the plastic for best results, and it is possible to overdo it and deform/craze the surface, though generally it's a pretty forgiving technique.
Acetone works well for polycarbonate, hence its use on headlights. This will only affect the outer surface of the plastic, and can give a surface roughness down to 10-15 microns; you can get the same or better results with mechanical sanding/polishing, which is what most of the headlight restoration kits involve, but it takes a lot longer. However, acetone vapor can wreck your paint, so masking the surrounding area is a good idea.
The technique here is to tape a (polypropylene/hdpe) funnel over the top of an aluminum can with a small amount of acetone in it, and then hold a heat source under the can to increase the vapor pressure of the acetone. If you're going to try this, it is critical that your heat source is not capable of igniting the vapor, and it should go without saying that you need very good ventilation.
Acetone is finger nail polish remover.
It's a shame we cant see the whole setup. The can has a handle (like a pewter mug), obviously to avoid burns, if being heated.
Very interesting despite not seeing all.
Is a flameless heat gun being used like the heat shrink type? Pardon my ignorance.
A clarification regarding post #9 -- nail polish remover usually contains acetone, but it isn't necessarily the only component. There are varieties that use isopropyl alcohol or ethyl acetate instead, and a lot of them also add in various oils and scents. In this particular application, using an acetone-based nail polish remover would likely work, but do not assume that it is pure acetone, which can be purchased from hardware or art-supply stores.
A clarification regarding post #10 -- my reference to using an aluminum can/funnel and heat source is for the DIY method of vapor polishing; the clip above shows someone using a commercial option, like the one linked in post #4. The commercial version is largely the same, only it's an electrically-heated mug with a screw-on plastic spout. Using a low-temp heat gun on its lowest setting should be safe for acetone, but anything with exposed heating coils will pose some small risk. Acetone boils at 133 °F, and you do not need to get it to the boiling point for vapor polishing, so you can get good results with a very gentle heat source.
I have an old electric small "hot plate" ment to keep a coffee cup, ect, warm. Seems like it might be a good heat source. No ignition source and relatively low heat. Looks like I've got a project. Our cars headlights are dim and the plastic is yellowing. Seems like a good approach by its self or at least a time saver before mechanical polishing.
As a side note, looked into brighter bulbs for the car. Found a strange thing. Some bulbs were 2xs as expensive with a shorter expected lifespan at the same lumens as the cheapest bulbs with longer lifespan. Perhaps the expensive bulbs are a more effective color temperature. Otherwise seems just bragging rights to have spent twice as much on an inferior product.
Eric
Just use some Mother's Mag and Aluminum polish and a little elbow grease. Works great
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I would end up pouring it in my heat gun and have a flame thrower....
You still have to do the mechanical polishing, the acetone treatment is only the finishing step.Quote:
Originally Posted by suther51