How to polish center post covers?

[IAJack]

I have an 2019 F150 and would like to know how to polish the black plastic center pillar covers. These are the glossy black plastic covers that are between the front a rear side windows. Mine are really glossy, and they have very fine scratches on them, and look all smudged when in direct sun. I have hit them with Megs ultimate polish and a RO polisher with a white pad, but they still aren't great like new. I am just a hobbyist wanna be detailer

[Billy Baldone]

Tread lightly. I use a Flex PiXiE with a 3'' uro fiber salt and pepper pad with 3D One followed up with Essence and a black finishing pad

[Mike Phillips]

I have an 2019 F150 and would like to know how to polish the black plastic center pillar covers. These are the glossy black plastic covers that are between the front a rear side windows.

Mine are really glossy, and they have very fine scratches on them, and look all smudged when in direct sun.

I have hit them with Megs ultimate polish and a RO polisher with a white pad, but they still aren't great like new.

I am just a hobbyist wanna be detailer

These components are covered in what is called

Piano Plastic

IT is soft and corrects very easy. The Meguiar's Ultimate Polish should be more than enough to remove swirls out of them.

There are hundreds of random orbital polishers on the market. Regardless of the brand - if the PAD is NOT ROTATING when you're buffing these thin panels - then you're not doing anything that is you're wasting your time.


So here's a question back at you...

What RO do you have?

[Mike Phillips]

Tread lightly.

Correct. If you buff to aggressively on the edge you'll buff through the black plastic portion and expose the white colored plastic under it.


What works best is a SMALL foam "polishing" pad that fits to the width of the panel. Most RO's as you call yours of Random Orbital Polishers, (for everyone reading this into the future), tend to have 5" or 6" backing plates and use buffing pads that are a 1/2" larger in diameter than the backing plate.

If this describes your RO then you're going to be buffing on the edges so like Billy stated,

Tread lightly.

It's possible to put a 3" backing plates on "some" RO polishers but since I don't know what you have - I don't know?

With some RO polishers - it is possible to go up on edge and maintain pad rotation just a lot of factors that affect this type of thing.