KLR You Experienced? I am now...
- Thread starter Jimbonaut
- Start date
KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Thanks mate. Missed dinner so now have a Dr Oetkers in the oven. So that's a win.
Sanded off my thumbprint, again - can't get into my iPhone, again. Life of crime beckons. Might half inch a dozen bikes at the moto show tomorrow, fingerprint the shit out of every booth and then get back to the garage and restore a plastic headlight cowl. Totally in the clear.
Thanks mate. Missed dinner so now have a Dr Oetkers in the oven. So that's a win.
Sanded off my thumbprint, again - can't get into my iPhone, again. Life of crime beckons. Might half inch a dozen bikes at the moto show tomorrow, fingerprint the shit out of every booth and then get back to the garage and restore a plastic headlight cowl. Totally in the clear.
KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Small win today, but a win nonetheless. I've tried every short cut known to man to try and speed up the restoration process for these plastics, but none have worked. No kidding they didn't work. If they worked, someone would have posted a video on Youtube by now titled something along the lines of "Shortcut to Restoring Plastics!!!" and I'd've been all over it like white on rice. There is no shortcut. There is no Youtube video. The process is truly an almighty and monumental ball ache.
However I did find a better process - kick it down a gear and start at 220 grit rather than 320. Sure you get deeper scratches in the plastic and then have to get those scratches out with the 320 and so on and so on, but the initial sun oxidization only takes an hour to get out of a 12"x3" patch rather than three.
I know, the irony is not lost on me for one minute that I am restoring the plastics on a dual sport. A dual sport than will be treated with all the respect any dual sport deserves. But still. That's how I'm wired. If it can be done, I'll give 'er.
Here's a before. It may be hard to see any actual progress but believe me it's there. The bit I circled in blue is the top portion of the side panel until this morning covered by a large KLR sticker, where you can see the original plastic colour. I've only worked that top section so far -
but you can see how the oxidation has been removed now and the original splendour of that pea green is back in full - if not shiny - force...
Damn. There's a lot more interesting and impressive stuff going on on DTT right now, so I'm leaving you there.
Here beer here.
Edit - Shit. Maybe there is a shortcut. If there is I hope truly and very sincerely that I don’t find out as soon as I’ve finally finished this.
Small win today, but a win nonetheless. I've tried every short cut known to man to try and speed up the restoration process for these plastics, but none have worked. No kidding they didn't work. If they worked, someone would have posted a video on Youtube by now titled something along the lines of "Shortcut to Restoring Plastics!!!" and I'd've been all over it like white on rice. There is no shortcut. There is no Youtube video. The process is truly an almighty and monumental ball ache.
However I did find a better process - kick it down a gear and start at 220 grit rather than 320. Sure you get deeper scratches in the plastic and then have to get those scratches out with the 320 and so on and so on, but the initial sun oxidization only takes an hour to get out of a 12"x3" patch rather than three.
I know, the irony is not lost on me for one minute that I am restoring the plastics on a dual sport. A dual sport than will be treated with all the respect any dual sport deserves. But still. That's how I'm wired. If it can be done, I'll give 'er.
Here's a before. It may be hard to see any actual progress but believe me it's there. The bit I circled in blue is the top portion of the side panel until this morning covered by a large KLR sticker, where you can see the original plastic colour. I've only worked that top section so far -
but you can see how the oxidation has been removed now and the original splendour of that pea green is back in full - if not shiny - force...
Damn. There's a lot more interesting and impressive stuff going on on DTT right now, so I'm leaving you there.
Here beer here.
Edit - Shit. Maybe there is a shortcut. If there is I hope truly and very sincerely that I don’t find out as soon as I’ve finally finished this.
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Yes mate. Not sure there's an alternative - thought about using an orbital sander but they'll just dump a load of spiral scratches in the plastic that'll suck to get out.
Is there an alternative? Is there? To say I'm all ears if there is would be the understatement of the millennium.
Yes mate. Not sure there's an alternative - thought about using an orbital sander but they'll just dump a load of spiral scratches in the plastic that'll suck to get out.
Is there an alternative? Is there? To say I'm all ears if there is would be the understatement of the millennium.
farmer92
Coast to Coast
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
https://m.canadiantire.ca/products/productDetail/0589325P/false/false/false?selectedSku=0589325
https://m.canadiantire.ca/products/productDetail/0589325P/false/false/false?selectedSku=0589325
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
I’m choking on my beer and googling it immediately...
Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
farmer92 said:
I’m choking on my beer and googling it immediately...
Sent from my iPhone using DO THE TON
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
A DA sander if used properly wont leave swirl marks, the big thing is to not stop the pad spinning. if you get swirl marks you can work up in the grits they pretty much disappear. you can get orbital sanding disks in just about any grit. that's how body shops do a ton of sanding. FWIW I have noticed that some plastics, like ABS, if you sand to a fine grit (800) and wipe the surface with some acetone the plastic melts slightly and the surface becomes glossy again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZZyypf-Qqk
A DA sander if used properly wont leave swirl marks, the big thing is to not stop the pad spinning. if you get swirl marks you can work up in the grits they pretty much disappear. you can get orbital sanding disks in just about any grit. that's how body shops do a ton of sanding. FWIW I have noticed that some plastics, like ABS, if you sand to a fine grit (800) and wipe the surface with some acetone the plastic melts slightly and the surface becomes glossy again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZZyypf-Qqk
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Thanks for the input guys - watched that vid hypnotized this morning. Too bad he didn't show the wood in its final, polished splendour...
Thing is, that sander looks like it'll work great on flat or slightly curved panels, but most of the plastics on my bike are irregular, concave or too small to get that thing in there. I'm sure in the right hands it could work on plastics, but in mine I can see gouges and all manner of twattery.
I'll give the acetone suggestion a run for its money. I had considered trying that. Kinda like the somewhat matte finish I'm getting at the moment (it goes well with the brushed steel tank) but it's worth a try.
Thanks for the input guys - watched that vid hypnotized this morning. Too bad he didn't show the wood in its final, polished splendour...
Thing is, that sander looks like it'll work great on flat or slightly curved panels, but most of the plastics on my bike are irregular, concave or too small to get that thing in there. I'm sure in the right hands it could work on plastics, but in mine I can see gouges and all manner of twattery.
I'll give the acetone suggestion a run for its money. I had considered trying that. Kinda like the somewhat matte finish I'm getting at the moment (it goes well with the brushed steel tank) but it's worth a try.
Re: KLR You Experienced? Err, kinda not really.
Any excuse to use hazardous chemicals amirite? ;D
The Jimbonaut said:
Any excuse to use hazardous chemicals amirite? ;D
