The way to remove deep scratches from plastic is a little frightening but it works very well.
As a scratch is a depression in the level of the plastic the ONLY way to actually remove it is to lower the surrounding plastic to the depth of the scratch. Filling is an option using skill and a polishing wheel to melt the surrounding plastic and level the scratch but unless you are highly experienced, most people will ruin the plastic in the process.
Ok, how do you level the plastic to the depth of the scratch ? easy....wet & dry abrasive paper
It sounds an awful idea but is actually very straight forward. You use 1500 grit wet and dry paper, combined with lots of water, to sand the plastic until the scratches are no longer visible,. It is important to sand in one direction only and not circular motions. Once the scratches are removed, you will be left with an opaque surface...looks a bit frightening but all is still OK
The surface, looked at under a microscope, is covered in tiny low penetration scratches.Such low penetration scratches are easily removed with a quality plastic polish such as that made by NOVUS. You apply NOVUS No.3 (course) first using a soft cotton cloth and use a linear polishing motion, with decent pressure, ACROSS the direction of the scratches. Once the transparency of the plastic starts to return, you can apply less pressure and use a circular polishing motion .
The plastic will return to a reasonably clear state with some minor fine scratches. It is very important to use a nice soft cotton cloth so as to avoid causing scratches to the surface. Wash the surface clean and NEVER try to polish the plastic with a cloth containing dried polish. Never attempt to polish a surface on which the polish has dried, use more liquid polish to lift it off, or bad scratches will occur.
Next apply NOVUS No.2 (Medium) polish and proceed to polish the plastic carefully in circular and linear motions until the plastic shines and is virtually scratch free. There should only be the slightest evidence of scratches on the surface when viewed at a shallow angle in strong light. When that polishing stage is complete the plastic may be used 'as-is' in many cases. Wash theplastic carefully in clean water and pat dry with a soft towel. A microfibre cloth may then be used to polish the plastic to a good lustre.
To really finish it off you can use NOVUS No.1 (Fine+seal) polish. No.1 is very thin fluid, like water, and will remove only the finest of scratches. It also acts as a surface cleaner and sealer for the plastic. Again, after use, wash the plastic and pat dry with a soft towel, then polish to a lustre with a microfibre cloth like that used for spectacles (glasses).
This method works on most hard plastics but NOT polycarbonate or coated plastics. It is for you to decide how suitable your plastics are for polishing. Always have a good practice on some scrap plastic before using polishing techniques on valued equipment. I practiced on clear CD cases and an old mobile phone screen.
Watch restorers use the above procedure in order to restore plastic watch faces to 'as-new' condition. You could google 'watch glass restoration' to find out more.
Have fun .... its scary the first time you do it, but easy from there on
Regards
Aurora
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