Polishing the scratches out of my old iPod. Check it out!

[brad hays]

Would you look at this old 4th generation iPod! I've had it since somewhere around 2005 and can't believe it's still kicking! Just found it again and I'd like to do something about the small scratches on the plastic screen area and metal back plate. You can see in the pictures that most all the scratches are fairly light, but enough that they're somewhat of a bother, especially when looking at the screen. I put some Brasso brass polish on a circular wool dremel polish pad to see what it would do on low speed, and you can see what effect it had on the back in picture 3. I don't think this was the right direction. Pic 4 is to show generally what condition the back is in. Funny how those dremel marks only show up at an angle.


So what's the right equipment and polishing / cutting compound I should be using? I just got a new 3" head, 8mm throw DA polisher for another project and after seeing what the dremel wool pad did I think using the DA is the way to go.

501628

501629

501630

501631

501632

[Curt Harms]

This is gonna be too spendy but I wonder if you could find similar that doesn't have the word aircraft in it for less $. Micro-mesh had been a standby for this sort of thing for a long time.

https://aircraft-tool.com/shop/detail.aspx?id=HP-100&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

[Tom M King]

https://www.amazon.com/Augshy-Polishing-Buffing-Adapter-Polisher/dp/B07CXKBYG4/ref=sr_1_1_sspa?crid=YVL2NHD73V94&keywords=3%22+polishing+pad+assortment&qid=1684680835&sprefix=3+polishing+pad+assortment%2Caps%2C88&sr=8-1-spons&psc=1&spLa=ZW5jcnlwdGVkUXVhbGlmaWVyPUEyV1NBUEtEWVhGWUwzJ mVuY3J5cHRlZElkPUEwNjc5NDQ1MTMyRDFFNElMUzVDUiZlbmN yeXB0ZWRBZElkPUEwMjI4Njc5MTlZT0VHS0ZXTjBRRSZ3aWRnZ XROYW1lPXNwX2F0ZiZhY3Rpb249Y2xpY2tSZWRpcmVjdCZkb05 vdExvZ0NsaWNrPXRydWU=

Black pad, and 3M machine polishes. Sorry, I know this stuff is expensive.

You have to stop pretty quickly and not let the polish dry on the surface. It takes some practice.

There are three grades of the Perfect-It. I would start with the second one, and finish with the Ultrafine.

I already have this stuff for other things though, so I'm sure it's not worth the investment for this one job. Maybe try toothpaste with a smoother pad than the black.

https://www.amazon.com/39062-Perfect-Ultrafine-Machine-Polish/dp/B003D704IU/ref=sr_1_7?crid=1KF7GGSUX2SBS&keywords=3m+machine+polish&qid=1684680918&sprefix=3m+machine%2Caps%2C96&sr=8-7

[Alan Lightstone]

This approach works with foggy car headlights too, and polishing cars. But you do need to know what you are doing, especially on exotic cars, or you can permanently ruin the finish.

I got good years ago working on exotics. Still have my random orbital and direct drive polishers. Can't remember last time I used them. Too old. :( Farm car detailing out now.

[Tom M King]

Thinking about this more, I use the black pad and the ultrafine polishing compound on plastic. When you buff scratches or haze off of plastic like headlights, it melts the surface of the plastic. I think the black pad works because it's open cell and can accumlate some of the melted plastic. It's not much accumulation but it's there. The pad is considered disposable, and is done after the job.

When I do a headlight it might take 10 seconds. I have to be carefull to keep everything wet, or some of the melted part will cool off and accumulate somewhere. That bit of melted plastic is Really hard to get off if you let it dry. I tape a piece of glass, plexy, or lexan scrap right beside the headlight to have somewhere to push it.

I have a picture of an old headlight, before and after, but I haven't found them yet. I'm sure it's no more than 10 seconds to crystal clear. I use the little Milwaukee 12v right angle polisher, and those cheap pads off Amazon that I linked to earlier.

Like Alan said, it does take some practice.

[Warren Lake]

have done lots of polishing but could not tell you what you use. When you polish a car any car you start with a pad and polish combo you know and do testing then you go from there with your pad polish and machine combos. You do the first step to see what you have to work with, that is using a combo you know.

Did tail lights in steps with a polish to cut out the deeper scratches then a polish to shine then waxed after that. They come out like a mirror. Your speeds need to be very low so melting no sticking, polish is either gone or excess is wiped off. If its deeper damage you are going to be sanding with some grits before a polisher. You can usually do a nail test and if it catches more chance you are better to sand before polish.

You have an unknown material, is it coated with anything? I dont have a cell know nothing about them. Will any static charge or vibration on it matter?

[Stan Calow]

There is a process used in turning pens to polish CA finishes using very fine grit sanding pads and ultimately a liquid polish supposedly used for polishing aircraft windshields.

[Warren Lake]

do some tests then polish. Car polish works fine.

501674501675