Dremel for headlight restoring/polishing?

[TacoRun]

Would it be safe to use a Dremel with the proper attachment to clean and polish headlights? Would the severity of the restoration matter? If I could use it, I would assume to run it on the lowest RPM setting.

[grovlet]

I wouldn't - very small footprint + high speed = over removal of material and localized results.....

I've had good luck with a drill and 3" Pads:
Lake County 3" Backing Plate
Foamed Wool Pad

Pick your poison for Polishing Compound... I used McKees Headlight Polish - but everyone has one....

FYI - works nicely for polishing windows as well - won't truly remove pitting - but cleans up marks and such pretty well for 15 min work.....

[MarkD51]

Naw, don't thnk so.
A Dremel Tool might be fine for polishing a ring, a knife, other small items with abrasives such as Jeweler's Rouge-etc and the little Felt Wheels.

That's about it I'd say. You'd need something that covers a bit more area, and something that has less propensity to burn Plastic Lenses.

If you plan on doing Headlight Restos, I'd say something like the now obsolete GG6 or PC7424XP outfitted with a small 2-7/8" Backing Plate to accept 3" Pads could be one halfway decent way to go.

[mqdias]

I've used in that application and even on paint.
For a home DIYer wich is not wiling to pay 400 $ for a nano ibrid (Now there are cheaper versions) it helped me and leaved to burn also a few 2" foam pads.
Basically very high rpm and low torque, so is very sensitive to pressure. You have to start with a higher speed so when you put some pressure it slows down. Very tricky... honestly, you may use it for small spaces.
For headlights you have a better alternative: use an attachment for a drill machine.

See photos

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[UncleDavy]

There is too much surface area to cover and a Dremel would not cover it that easily. I use my DeWalt cordless drill for headlights. It works a lot better. The McKees Headlight Restoration Kit comes with the drill adapter, wool pads, polish and sealant. Try that method first before the sandpaper.

[MarkD51]

Nano Ibrid. Nope. Run over to Harbor Freight, buy their cheapo DA, come back here for the needed plate, and pads. You'll have a better all around machine that will stomp the Ibrid.

And yeah, true, just about any big box auto parts store carries those drill attachments and kits for stuff like headlights.

[Coatingsarecrack]

Yeah ive seen people use dremels their even a tool that will attach to it or a rotary called the Auto Triz Nano. Australian company i believe. Looks just like a dremel flex extention and their are videos of them using it on head lights and tail lights so it should work.

Agree with others though. Lot more viable solutions with a polisher or a drill but if you dont have access to those check out some of their videos.


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[MarkD51]

As I've found out once the hard way, most Dremel Tools are not that "heavy duty" to be subjected to hard use.

As I mentioned earlier, polishing or sanding small parts, and under use load for short periods of time, you might be OK. They are basically designed to be a small arts and crafts tool.

But try to use the tool for a job that it's really not intended for, let's say using the tool as a Roto-Zip Tool, grinding metals, large jobs, the tool will likely fail. Sad thing is, some of these Dremel Tools are pretty costly.

I screwed up my $100 Dremel once, trying to use it to enlarge a hole when installing a door knob-lock on a metal laminate entrance door to the house. Luckily I was able to buy the part that failed, a splined plastic Tube that connected the Motor itself to the Arbor-Chuck on the tool, and for $11 plus the shipping, the tool was repaired.

If you already have a DA of some sort that can be adapted to use a smaller Plate-Pad, that would be the best way to go IMO.

In instances where headlight lenses are really buggered, so badly yellowed, cloudy, and the UV Coating is essentially shot, one commonly has to resort to sanding papers beforehand. Progressing to finer and finer grit.

The choice of what grit is always an unknown when you start. 600-800 papers might get it as a starting point, but then again maybe not?

When finally getting down to 2000-3000 and such, then much less work would be needed as far as polishing with compounds-polishes to finish.

[mc2hill]

There are other cordless micro polishers available besides the Rupes. I have one that was under $140 (with 2 batteries), and it works great for headlights. I have used it with 3", 2", & 1" Rupes blue pads + Rupes Zephir Course compound to remove hazing and/or wetsanding marks.