Supporting Member dazzler24 Posted March 31, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted March 31, 2022 Anyone have any good ideas on how to get marks out of your plastics? I've noticed that my top plastic cover (the one that attaches to the tank at the top front) has been marked by a cable tie, on my handlebar, that I had not tucked away very well and it's been rubbing on a left hand lock without my knowledge and has caused some marks. Some superficial and a couple that have slightly scratched into the plastic. They look bad in the photos and not that big of a deal really but if I can attack it (without making it worse!) then I'm open to suggestions. Polish, Armor all, slash my wrists.... other ???? TIA Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member Heli ATP Posted March 31, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted March 31, 2022 I've had good luck using a heat gun to remove scratches from the car door sill scuff plate. Just pass the heat gun tip back and forth over the scratched area while keeping it back a couple of inches so as not to burn that area. I'm sure you-tube would have something. 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
koth442 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 +1 for YouTube 2 '15 FJ09 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted March 31, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted March 31, 2022 I would avoid that heat method for this part, as it is made from an injection molded thermoplastic whose complex shape could "warp" under the heat required to heal those scratches. Unfortunately there is no readily available precise enough heat source that would not do more harm than good IMO. Some type of abrasive method is also not the answer. The low sheen finish has been cut and I also know of no fillers that would "take". Replacement may be the only time and cost effective option. I recently stupidly scratched the paint on my front fender and considered touching it up but figured I'd do more harm than good for the effort and decided to live with it for now. I considered faux carbon fiber or matte appliqués and researched products on Amazon but their durability and appearance for the fender is questionable. However for the tank cowl they may be an inexpensive viable solution depending on the results by you of a cost / labor comparative analysis. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garz747 Posted March 31, 2022 Share Posted March 31, 2022 I tried to remove similar scratches from plastic parts on my Seadoo and had zero success. Any polish just caused more damage. Your best bet would to be wrapping it in vinyl. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted April 1, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 1 hour ago, KellyL said: May I suggest, in keeping with Japanese cultural concepts, wabisabi 😄 Wabisabi Perfect! I had to look it up, partially due to your spelling, and then remembered learning the infinite aspects of Wabi-Sabi as a young Judoka and the need to embrace and apply the concept in all aspects of life as a fundamental step towards Satori. Like "Close enough for the girls we go out with." and "Anything more than a mouthful is a waste.". 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member Heli ATP Posted April 1, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 Here is a video of the repair process... Trim repair However I have a spare replacement which is almost scratch free except for the right rear. Make an offer if interested even though shipping may not make it worth it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member dazzler24 Posted April 1, 2022 Author Supporting Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 5 hours ago, KellyL said: May I suggest, in keeping with Japanese cultural concepts, wabisabi 😄 Wabisabi Ha! Hai, you may be right Sensei KellyL. For your honorable suggestion I offer my appreciation - arigato gozaimashita. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member dazzler24 Posted April 1, 2022 Author Supporting Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 6 hours ago, Garz747 said: I tried to remove similar scratches from plastic parts on my Seadoo and had zero success. Any polish just caused more damage. Your best bet would to be wrapping it in vinyl. 14 hours ago, 2and3cylinders said: I considered faux carbon fiber or matte appliqués and researched products on Amazon but their durability and appearance for the fender is questionable. However for the tank cowl they may be an inexpensive viable solution depending on the results by you of a cost / labor comparative analysis. 1 hour ago, Heli ATP said: Here is a video of the repair process... Trim repair However I have a spare replacement which is almost scratch free except for the right rear. Make an offer if interested even though shipping may not make it worth it. Thanks for all of the tips and your kind offer Heli. If I was closer that may have been a good option but I think shipping would potentially be the killer - but I'll keep that in mind JIC. Thanks. Given these tips I'm thinking of having a go with the some gentle heat treatment. Even if I've got to do the whole piece to keep the same 'look' overall. Another option I guess, if that fails, is to try plastidip. I've done that before on my faux intakes when I was playing with a different colour look and that was quite successful. If my feet get cold there is KellyL's suggestion of Wabi-Sabi that would still work. 😉 Thanks all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BBB Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Plastics are multi-phase materials. They have a bulk polymer which gives strength and also a plasticiser, which is a much smaller molecule that gets between the polymers and keeps the material more flexible. The YouTube “fix” of using a heatgun just brings the plasticiser molecules to the surface, where they temporarily look good, then evaporate off over time and leave the underlying plastic more brittle than before. You can’t remove scratches by any other methods than re-levelling the surface: either by rubbing the surrounding area down, or filling the scratches. You can however reduce the visual impact of the scratch by applying another plasticiser, which reduces the light scatter as it matches the refractive indices more closely. Owatrol makes a product called Polytrol, which has a great fanbase on Porsche forums and is great for plastic restoration in general. In the UK you can buy a 100ml sample pot, which goes a long way, but it looks like Amazon stocks the bigger pots. https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/polytrol/ 2 1 Red 2015 Tracer, UK spec (well, it was until I started messing with it...) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member dazzler24 Posted April 1, 2022 Author Supporting Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 41 minutes ago, BBB said: Plastics are multi-phase materials. They have a bulk polymer which gives strength and also a plasticiser, which is a much smaller molecule that gets between the polymers and keeps the material more flexible. The YouTube “fix” of using a heatgun just brings the plasticiser molecules to the surface, where they temporarily look good, then evaporate off over time and leave the underlying plastic more brittle than before. You can’t remove scratches by any other methods than re-levelling the surface: either by rubbing the surrounding area down, or filling the scratches. You can however reduce the visual impact of the scratch by applying another plasticiser, which reduces the light scatter as it matches the refractive indices more closely. Owatrol makes a product called Polytrol, which has a great fanbase on Porsche forums and is great for plastic restoration in general. In the UK you can buy a 100ml sample pot, which goes a long way, but it looks like Amazon stocks the bigger pots. https://www.owatroldirect.co.uk/product/polytrol/ Interesting product. I hear what you're saying about the heat gun being a quik fix and the plasticisers evaporating off over time. This video, that I came across, seems to deal with the evaporation problem by using a sealer after the heat treatment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
duckie Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 Sand and repaint. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supporting Member Heli ATP Posted April 1, 2022 Supporting Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 I got the heat gun out for the trim scratches. I may have rushed a little but on this type of trim the scratches don't really go away. The color improves and the scratches tend to blend in more. Finally put a coat of Meguiars Ultimate black on to seal. 15 minute job. I think one could spend more time to blend it with surrounding area for nice transition, or do the whole piece. Any way this piece of trim will eventually end up in the trash unless someone needs it. Just pay shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Premium Member 2and3cylinders Posted April 1, 2022 Premium Member Share Posted April 1, 2022 Maybe it's hard to tell from your photos but it looks pretty good; I'm surprised. Do you (still) have an FJ, or is the tank cowl no longer needed as a spare? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whisperquiet Posted April 1, 2022 Share Posted April 1, 2022 (edited) Dent your tank with a hammer…..no one will notice the trim is scratched😎 Otherwise, I would use a little heat from a butane torch. Edited April 1, 2022 by whisperquiet 1 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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