I've got some souvenir from overseas and I want to give it to a friend of mine. But I accidentally left some scratches on its transparent surface and now I want to polish it.
I don't really know what type of plastic the transparent surface is but after some research I figure out it should be polystyrene, since it has an injection mold at the bottom.
So I'm wondering if Novus Plastic Polish can polish it.
If it can't, what are some ways that I can successfully polish it?
I found a solution on E-how.com but I'm not sure if it will actually work (I don't want to worsen the surface):
1 Pour some water in a large bowl.
2 Add a tbsp. of dish-washing soap to make a soapy solution.
3 Dip a rag in the soap solution. Clean the
surface of the plastic with the rag. Make sure to scrub hard so as to
remove all dirt, dust and grease.4 Soak a few sandpapers in water. Make sure the sandpapers are of
different grits (for example, 200, 400, 800 to the finer 2000 grits.)
Sandpapers should only be used on transparent or translucent
polystyrene plastic especially those used in screens and in
headlights.5 Sand the surface of the plastic gently with the wet sandpapers.
Start with the lowest (200 grits) and sand with the finest last. Allow
the surface of the polystyrene plastic to dry.6 Apply a coat of plastic polish to the surface of the polystyrene
with a rag. Buff the waxy polish on the plastic surface using the
rag.Allow the polish to dry on the polystyrene plastic.7 Wipe down the polystyrene plastic with a second clean rag. This
second buffing will remove excess waxy polish and restore the sheen on
the plastic.
It will really be great if someone who has experienced in polishing plastic can help.
Best Answer
I've used a similar process to restore hazed automotive headlights. 3M sells a kit that is used with a power drill and includes all the required materials.
I've used this kit and was happy with the results. I'm not affiliated with 3M.