How To Restore The Glossy Finish Of Your Equipment

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

✅CLICK HERE FOR A NEW TORCH ➜ amzn.to/3IPqK2c For more videos like this, check out: 👉Easily Refill Your 1 Pound Propane Bottle For Pennies ➜ kzbin.info/www/bejne/faPUqZ94nd1pr7s 👉CORRECT WAY To Tune The Carburetor On A Chainsaw ➜ kzbin.info/www/bejne/g2e3Zn2lfL2Wfrs 👉How To Adjust Or Tune The Carburetor On A Weedeater ➜ kzbin.info/www/bejne/nZ7LqYesfLeneck You can connect with Steve here too: ✅Visit Steve’s WEBSITE ➜ www.stevessmallenginesaloon.com/ ✅Visit Steve’s PARTS & TOOL STORE ➜ www.amazon.com/shop/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on FACEBOOK ➜ facebook.com/stevessmallenginesaloon ✅Follow Steve on INSTAGRAM ➜ instagram.com/stevessmallenginesaloon/ ✅Follow Steve on TWITTER ➜ twitter.com/SteveSaloon ✅Follow Steve on TIKTOK ➜ www.tiktok.com/@stevessmallenginesaloon

[@paperburn]

How about a hot air gun with Temperature control? TO THE Batcave Robin!!!

[@DavidBecquart-ul2sk]

Worked great on my red 4 wheeler. lasted about a year. Not at all on my blue dixon zero turn.

[@FabricatorFactory]

Heat gun works too. Good going.

[@georgeorwell5842]

I was just thinking the same thing. I have an Avalanche with lots of sunfaded plastic. I'll have to try it.

[@neighinanbrayinacres3064]

Agree... I use heatgun for better control, and with the flare tip, you get real nice coverage

[@bobt.1341]

Agree I've used a heat gun on auto faded plastic, its surprising....a torch like that would potentially damage painted finish/clearcoat....slowly waving a heat gun will work.

[@StonyAcresEstate]

Yes it does. I sometimes sand the plastic first with fine grit sandpaper and then hit it with the heat gun.

[@jerryschweitzer5051]

I've used a heat gun on my pickup bumper and other trim pieces it raises the oils back up to the surfaces and looks new again it's surprising

[@gunner6639]

As a side job and an enthusiastic automotive detailer, I've found this sometimes works.. but almost always only temporarily, draws out the oils in the plastics, but then dries them out, makes them brittle and after a little time they look worse than before you started. My personal experience.

[@stans5270]

The sun draws out the oil in Plastics. It would be worth it to rub some regular ATF fluid or light machine oil over it then try it.

[@ericshaffer9823]

Sounds like a quick trip to the emergency room....😂 but interesting

[@franksespool8150]

​@@stans5270how can your draw out oil from something that is oil

[@gunner6639]

@@franksespool8150 good point, I don't know whats happening but as as you heat it up it looks as though liquid is drawing to the surface, & while it looks good in the short term, after a short while it's looks like it just sped up the aging process leaving it more faded and brittle

[@vanillaice5443]

I've done this to the worn-out foam on my steering wheel. It helped a lot. I actually came to the comments to see if it would work on my door panels.

[@Relic67]

Chevy Avalanche guys will be stoked.

[@ronaldwilkinson6685]

and Pontiac Aztek, lol!!!!

[@bird289]

😂😂😂

[@RussW.]

😂😂😂

[@jcbecker2800]

It only works for a little while, but it does work on them.

[@petepeabody8905]

Steve I'm glad to see you got a PBR handy. The more you drink the better it works. Thank you

[@GHOOGLEMALE]

Good to see you doing some that don't work as well as those that do - Real world stuff - Great Vid Steve

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Absolutely

[@Gordon_L]

The plastic bottles in common use for bottled water , soda etc are made of Polyethylene Terephthalate ( PET ) and if you apply heat to them they act like heat shrink tubing , has some application for repairs e.g. cut a ring from a suitable bottle and shrink it over something cracked . Might come in handy one day 🙂

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

COOL!

[@1skinnypuppy]

I’m thinking so

[@tadeuszmichaelwlodarczyk3120]

Did my outdoor plastic furniture (from grey to colour). My dogs kennel it brought it back to new Condition ✔️. My torch had a slightly softer flame. Great video ✔️ from Melbourne AUSTRALIA 👍🤠. Did this 10 years ago.

[@zipshed]

Did it on our house shutters that were terribly faded from the sun and it worked great. The difference is I used a good heat gun and it wasn't so fast to melt the plastic. I was told it raises the oils in the plastic which retains the color back to the surface.

[@JJ-qd9fx]

I always learn something or re-remember something....thank you

[@jimbrewer2893]

Back to Black works really good on black plastic and rubber mats. I've never been able to get the torch trick to work.

[@joesixpack8305]

I did the torch method on my car trim. Looks good for a few weeks before going back to looking crappy again.

[@markanderson2155]

There are so many types, blends, various methods to which plastics are made. Thermoplastics and more, some work well with heat and some don't. I am currently learning all this with plastic welding.

[@74stevedc]

I use a sos pad on dirtbike fenders to get dirt out of scratches. Was it off then wd 40. Also used mineral spirits on my faded Kubota excavator look great for a few months went from pink to orange.

[@rolandlewis2356]

Hi Steve I really don't mind if a tool is faded, I just want it to work well. Thanks for the tip.

[@toonybrain]

This certainly gets the brain going: i’ll be trying it on my vehicle trim, running boards, shop equipment bought used, the possibilities are endless. 😄

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@markk3652]

I have a John Deere LA145 that had sun faded/oxidized plastic hood and steel fender tops. I used Mother’s mag and aluminum polish and a terry cloth towel to buff out the oxidation of both surfaces. It is mild enough to not scratch the plastic, but cuts the oxidation easily. I also used it on the headlight lenses that were all yellowing from oxidation too. This works great for car headlight lenses that are very cloudy without having to sand or wet sand. You don’t need to mask off the paint like when using the abrasive kits, this polish doesn’t hurt the paint at all. Using a foam ball on a cordless drill is the easiest way, but it will splatter the polish everywhere. A quick wash of everything afterwards takes care of the mess. My tractor looked 100% better when I was done, and a quick coat of wax afterwards has kept it looking new.

[@chriswithrow3107]

@markk3652 How long ago did you do this? Headlights and plastics still look good?

[@markk3652]

@@chriswithrow3107 I did all of it last September, the tractor sits outside all year. I did have it covered for the winter, but it still looks great. The nice thing about my method is that it can be easily re done anytime it may need to be. It's about the same effort as applying wax.

[@RUM123]

Used car trick. After enough practice, it works great. Does a good job on scratched up plastic interior panels and trim too.

[@colinweir5807]

I worked in plastics for a number of years and flame polished the edges and faces of clear acrylic jobs many times, using a hydrogen / oxygen mix. Only used L.P.G gas a few times out of necessity, Yes, it is a learned technique. The company owner always said there is no such thing as plastic, as he expected staff to learn ALL the different types in stock. As for mowing equipment etc I'd say a lot of the plasic used is regrind / recycled, so anyting is in it. 🤔🐯

[@BernieGordon]

That Pabst Blue Ribbon is good stuff!

[@RussW.]

I learned the torch trick from an old detailer back in the 90's. Black plastic always seemed to have the best results for me and I rub with oil after to rehydrate the plastic.

[@andrewsteele7663]

Thanks Steve, I have seen it done with a larger and probably cooler flame. Cheers

[@johnmcguire4756]

1:13

[@joem807]

Wow! Now that is impressive! Who would have thought! Thanks Steve!

[@rozco1978]

I tried different ideas, and what worked best for me was to wet sand the plastic with fine grit (600 to 800 to 1000) sandpaper to remove the faded plastic. Then, use vasoline and "rub in" as much as you can, and let it sit overnight. Then wipe off accuss and use a wool sock to buff. Its alot of work, but i think the heat method is not a good long-term solution

[@danielrichardcaprani9960]

❤this channel,all the best from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🔥

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@charlescastle5566]

Steve alot of the fading also removes a lot of the oils from plastic so after you take a torch or heat gun and get the color back take some WD 40 or one of the Penetrating oils out there and spray it down with that. I'm not saying leave it all on your plastic parts just let it set for a few hours then take a rag and wipe it all off. It will make it look like it did when it was new and will make it less brittle if you do that. Spray it on your plastic parts while it's still warm from heating it up because it will absorb it better and keep it from fading as quick again. Thanks for your videos Steve you at least take time to explain it better than most others. Keep up the good work oh and my go to is Busch light, LOL.

[@user-JamesLacy]

Never heard of that but looks intersting. Thanks Steve, James out.

[@tundrajt]

Combine it with some boiled linseed oil and it might work a lot better. Seen that trick in several other videos, but yet to try it. I have a good candidate with my Stihl FS45 powerhead I got running on a Ryobi driveshaft whose engine failed. It looks like it sat in a swamp for a while, but it runs like a dream!

[@DconBlueZ]

Thanks for the video, I usually learn something and always enjoy watching!

[@BearE9090]

Wow! that works great on the foot rest.

[@natohammy2374]

I bet anything Linseed oil would make the chairs or generator parts almost match again! Been years since I saw a video on it and did it but I'm thinking It may have suggested wiping it down with acetone first but that may be my memory playing tricks on me but either way, linseed oil works charms. Needs reaplied a few times within a shorter period but seems to work into things over time and require less and less with each application.

[@andrewnajarian5994]

If you’re willing to spend the time, wet sanding and buffing helps a lot as does the clear plastic cleaner and polish from Meguires or 3M. Nothing makes them as good as new but you can definitely make them a whole lot better if they’re really faded.

[@theamerican7080]

They do this at sports stadiums using flamethrowers to restore the shine of the plastic seats. A good heat gun works well too.

[@theamerican7080]

@@CaptainRon1913 You betcha!

[@ianbray3580]

I tried various methods including heat on my Yamaha quad bike even linseed oil and metho worked a little but my best results came from oven cleaner very surprising, spray on and hose off

[@dandylawnandmaintenance4407]

Great Vid. I am thinking it may be about the color also. Possibly the pigment in the color makes it better or great.

[@scottbarnwell512]

The torch is an old-school detailers trick. I'd use an automotive trim restorer like Cerakote before getting out the torch.

[@jamesp57867]

As a beginner detailer. I agree

[@dogsplantscarsneatstuff176]

That a fun burn Steve! I am too clumsy so I will live with faded.

[@DonaldBayles]

Like that you show the good and the bad, no hype.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@Aux1Dub]

I’ve never had much luck with propane. I usually sand/polish then hit it with a heat gun briefly to smooth it a bit. Works well on dirt bike plastics

[@johnr5545]

Thanks god bless

[@williamcrane8236]

Did it on my John Deere trailer, Brought it back to color, mostly. Watched them do it on baseball diamond seats. Torch wasn't hitting the chair with the blue flame but rather the yellow area.

[@brucemyler2642]

Thanks Steve!

[@TimothyDeck]

Would a rubbing compound work? Just a thought. Great video.

[@RaleysSmallEngines]

Great video Steve. I saw some of those videos also and tried it on our golf cart with a heat gun. Nope it didn't work, dang it. LOL I guess, like you said probably the different types of plastic.

[@DarrenShaw-ev5tb]

Gunna Tell the Truth ! - I only watch 4 the Beer of the Day ( lol ) Thanx Steve

[@dreadnought2024]

For the beer, and maybe to tease him a little.... ;-]

[@rebeltaz123]

We do this on 3d printed parts. After sanding them, they tend to turn white. Run a small torch lighter over them - QUICKLY - and it restores the color.

[@jeffreywaynebehnke9303]

Thanks for doing this. I've been wondering about this for a while if it worked or not.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@sk22ng]

Thank you Steve.

[@StevenEverett7]

Interesting thing to keep in mind! Thanks Steve

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Any time!

[@Patrick4959]

a good video Steve mate and yep i,m not sure there,s other methods on reviving faded plastic color too but yeah this idea is worth a learning on what plastics work best compared to others but yeah it,s all about giving them a new lease on life and bring them back to their original color as best as possible but yeah everyone has their own view on them too etc and cheers from Australia 🐨🐑🦘🌴🌳🇦🇺 or the land down under and well yep it,s our Autumn/Fall 🍂season too over here etc.

[@Big_Johns]

I've been thinking about doing this on my 2010 F150 fender trims and grill that have faded from black to gray over the years. I may just try it this weekend. 👍

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Let me know how that works buddy....

[@Big_Johns]

@@StevesSmallEngineSaloon will do 👍🏼

[@buddymartin7923]

Hey bro, they make a product called 'Wipe New' for plastic trim. It LOOKS like a gimmick product an it used to be an 'as seen on TV' product. If you use it as instructed it is a GREAT product. The Wipe New....not the turtle wax or meguire version or whatever. It is STRONG an it's a lasting result. My fathers chevy avalanche with all that plastic trim looks great and my old nissan exterra bumpers look brand new. The torch may work but the Wipe New has longer lasting results with no risk of warping.

[@Big_Johns]

@@buddymartin7923 thanks for the info Buddy, I'll see if we have it around here. 👍

[@ronstrong9560]

Different plastics may have fully (?baked in) color & others may only have been painted. I'm sure the painted plastic will only melt & discolor the paint.

[@flyovercounty1427]

I have one of those folding plastic tables I use campin that was UV damaged enough that it was leaving dusty residue on everything that touched it. I torched it and returned it to a more durable surface.

[@Snowman-33]

Using the heat activates the oils in the plastic. I guess different plastics have varying amounts of oil. As another mentioned on here, I've been using a heat gun with good results. It's far more safe and less expensive too.

[@Litauen-yg9ut]

Never tried this on coloured covers. But I've cleaned up old snowmobile windshields with sucess doing this. Only drawback is it makes them more brittle, so if they get wacked they're done for..

[@kippered]

I wonder if it would work on yellowing headlights?

[@jameswordenjr.7628]

A friend of mine recently did this on his 2002 Tahoe. He said it works best on black and Grey colored plastics. He also said that unless you also coat it with the McQuire's branded "Back to Black" plastic protectant, it will fade back within a week's time.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Interesting! Thank You...

[@joeh2840]

I’m gonna try on plastics of my truck.. interesting, thank you

[@SuperJamster1]

I've done this with a heat gun for years. You should put a good tire shine wax/spray on after to allow the plastic to reabsorb and to UV protect. It's not perfect, but looks better for older plastics.

[@lasskinn474]

it can make the plastic more brittle in the long run. the plasticers come to the surface and it works well on black. non-black it depends. on why the colors faded, if it's uv degraded it doesn't work that well. test some other methods? like soaking in wd40? linseed oil?

[@robsterenborg]

General it is the amount of plasticizer that makes it work like the pads on the mower or parts on a car like the bumpers ( in general black more flexible parts)

[@justanotherviewer52]

Thanks for the video Steve.

[@kencurtis228]

TY for Sharing

[@gordsmith7708]

Cool man great video! Cheers 🍻

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@mattt8124]

SC-1 “new bike in a can”. Brought every faded plastic I’ve ever had back

[@JDR51]

Steve, I have that same generator and is surging. How hard is it to get the carburetor off so I can run a tip cleaner though the clog.

[@richardchayer6597]

Heat gun works too

[@mesh1248]

Try a product called armour shine sprays outa a squirt bottle and rub it in with a towel works awesome especially on black plastics product actually mint for interior detailing but works awesome on the exterior

[@williamwelch7]

Thanks Steve, that was a fun one!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Glad you enjoyed it

[@WJCTechyman]

I have a Cub Cadet Series 2000 steering wheel and an old Honda GXV140 with a faded plastic topper I would like to try after seeing this. I might try my electric heat gun first that goes from 50 Celsius to something like 500 Celsius.

[@111000100101001]

I think it will only work with a heat gun that uses Fahrenheit.

[@AP9575-jd]

That looked like fun!

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

It actually IS!!!!!

[@michiganmagneto]

PVC plastics, HDPE plastics (High density polyethylene), HDPP plastics (High density polypropane). Your chairs were the pvc type. I did see a video of the other day for headlight lenses that were plastic and they sprayed either clear lacquer or urethane over the lens And it helped With the Clouding or fogging.

[@TherapyWithWind]

It's mind boggling considering all the different polymers used in plastics nowadays. I recently used mothers polish and even toothpaste with an oscillating saw sanding attachment on some fogged headlights and they look like new again.

[@TheLawnmowerLady]

Fire it up!!!

[@wg4405]

Taryl gonna get mad at you .

[@jameswordenjr.7628]

Harbor Freight sells an inexpensive heat gun that works well. When on sale (i.e. by use of their coupons), the price is around $10.00 to $15.00.

[@conrat2000]

Could the floor boards be hard rubber?

[@gharv1313]

🔥🔥🔥🔥it up SteveO, awesome expiriment! 🤣🤣Cheers to you and April 🍺 # Rocking the Pabst😆👏

[@paulgibson7848]

Love the film , keep up the good work

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Thank You...

[@shawn852]

I wonder if you would have had better results on the blower if the pitting and scratches were sanded smooth first?

[@russellrobinson505]

Thanks Steve 😮 Cheers 😎

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@richardf6932]

I have done the same with ATF and the black plastic did darken. However, after a few months, the color faded. I also read that it could make the plastic brittle. I am sure there is another project at home calling me.....

[@dnrsmallenginerepair]

very cool Steve great video

[@chapinburgess3220]

I got out my book of Common Sense by Thomas Paine and held up my leaf blower like you said to. The book caught fire and with the bigger flame set my blower, which i just filled with gas and spilled all over the thing, on fire. So it didnt work as well for me. (Yes, im making a joke). (But there is a group of people out there that do need to read this book daily.

[@1903bretep]

I wonder if a hot air gun would produce the same results and maybe a bit less chance of melting the plastic or is a gas flame necessary?

[@grattonland]

It apparently works for headlights too. I'd try a heatgun first though.

[@adus123]

I saw Someone do it on some chairs once on a Video With a great big flamethrower. I wonder if Acetone would do the same thing.

[@tct9mm151]

Hell Ya! Thanks Steve

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

You're Welcome...

[@jeffh4670]

Hi Steve. Another great video . Have you ever done one on ghat generator? I recently picked one up with old (varnish smelling) gasoline in it and would love to see you take it apart first. 😂

[@just1smothie]

Would this work on my car dashboard?

[@matrix64]

I believe I'd rather purchase some Krylon anti-rust paint in the color I desire, instead of doing what was shown in the video. However, I found the video to be quite interesting. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for why the method in the video works.

[@maitajack]

It's much easier with a heat gun. Happy easter🎉🎉🎉

[@timcolton4680]

I have a LA125 too, great minds !

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

Right on

[@Pete.Ty1]

👍👍👍. Thanks

[@steveeber2324]

I think I'll stick to polishing compound. No danger of melting and it works on all plastics.

[@A3Kr0n]

There's a video somewhere doing that to stadium seats.

[@StevesSmallEngineSaloon]

COOL!

[@mikedavis2969]

Would a electric hair dryer work ?

[@nigelglynn9437]

... not hot enough to disassociate the plasticiser oils from the plastic particles unfortunately - a heat gun for paint stripping, etc. is more capable 👍🏼😎

[@andyhamilton8940]

Plastic trip paint Steve. So as not to melt stickers etc. good for flipping purposes

[@markplautz6842]

Yeah I’ve seen this done on stadium seats. It’s like you said it depends on the type of plastic.. Good tip…Great job on the mower!

[@michaelkantor4084]

How do you think this would work on clear plastic ...auto headlights?

[@jordanc8499]

Just like foggy headlights, heat will only fix colors that lightened because the surface got rough or oxidized. When color is lightened because of sun bleaching, it often won't work because the color has been bleached too far down

[@fiftyracer192]

Wrecks the plastic. By drawing more oils up out of the plastic it makes it very brittle. Works better with something with big yellow flame not small blue one. Works on some plastics others it doesn't work or turns them white.

[@RMartin631]

I tried it with a heat gun on a 15 year old Stihl BR600. It brought the color back but all of the shine was gone many moons ago.