Permanently Restore Faded Plastic and Make it look NEW AGAIN! E.3

[@BrandonLund]

UPDATE - As of this date I have done nothing to the plastic and it still looks great as it does in this video, however, I cant say the same about the buffer. I've used the electronic buffer on a few vehicles and it's starting to act up and cut out. If you decide to buy this buffer, get the extended warranty, or better yet, If you plan to do more than a few projects with it, save your money and get the Makita.

[@foxcrosss6669]

This trics its good for atv?

[@BrandonLund]

@@foxcrosss6669 I've never tried it on ATV plastic but this plastic feels different than ATV plastic. It's more rigid.

[@erolfox]

Make sure you've got some kind of UV coating on the plastic Brandon. It's the UV rays that oxidize the plastic when it's in the sun. Check out vids on repairing car headlights.

[@BrandonLund]

Erol Fox thanks man! I appreciate the tip! :)

[@bransonred1]

You probably have a brush sticking on the "electric" buffer. Most HF stuff with electric motors come with a spare set of brushes, if so replace them - it's easy. If not, pull on the braided wire connected to the brush and make sure the brush travels freely in the holder...by doing this you can also verify that the spring tension that holds the brushes to the commutator on the armature is adequate. If brushes check out good, check the wiring connections.

[@philspaces7213]

So all morning I have been watching videos of prople “restoring” plastic with paint thinner and linseed oil. Thank you for showing how to do this properly and EXPLAINING at the same time

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Phil! 🙏😁

[@tadhghannon5070]

I think its paint thinner and boiled linseed oil. LoL

[@victorrojas2842]

@@tadhghannon5070 yup and then hit it with the buff or 1500 wet sand & then buff. Cuz I think it's faster than wet sanding

[@JALA578]

The boiled Linseed oil and paint thinner works, but without sanding and it's not going to look refined.

[@mikebabic1334]

A suggestion: when working with plastic start with a fine grit and work your way backwards. Starting with 150 grit on a soft surface (for the inexperienced person) will create more work and damage. Start with 1000 grit and get a feel for what's happening. Not coarse enough? Go down to an 800 grit and see where that leaves you. My guess? You'll be in the 400 to 700 grit range and you won't need to burn-out a buffer, taking out scratches. Best solution for moderate oxidation is to avoid sanding altogether and use a product called Malco Rejuvinator. This liquid polish and wax combo can tear through oxidation and save tons of time. Finish with a super fine 'enhancing' polish and the job's done. It also reduces the overall cost considerably as it's more than effective without a buffer even on larger jobs (cars, trucks, boats) Save the paper and cash for really heavy jobs. Like I say, just a suggestion.

[@BrandonLund]

@Mike Babic excellent advise! Thank you for sharing. I have not heard about that product but I will sure look into it! Thank you!

[@Day12My]

The Malco Rejuvinator says it is for automobile paint. It works on plastics too? Just want to make sure before I drop $25 on it

[@jessicatipton0414]

Thanks for video want to surprise husband with fully restored plastic on his atv hes put so much work into keeping it at top shape mechanical wise I thought I'd give it the same treatment cosmetically for him

[@BrandonLund]

What a great wife you are! I'm sure he is going to be super happy when he sees it!

[@belindaann458]

Thank you for this! I just purchased a vintage plastic pedal car that's faded. I knew there was an answer out there and I found it through you. Thank you, again!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man, glad I could help!

[@damarpo5467]

That's the RIGHT WAY to restore faded plastic, not solvent and oil... If you're going to do something do it right!! NO SUCH THING AS A SHORT CUT!!! GREAT JOB BRANDON!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man I appreciate your support. I try my best and sometimes I get lucky :)

[@jaquesdaniels2964]

Superb result, I have often looked at those buffers in my local toy-I mean tool shop- years back, I used to valet cars, and we used brass cleaner-its the same as cutting compound really but usually cheaper, it might be worth trying that on a spot test first to see if it will cut through the haze without the sanding, but to be honest theres usually no substitute for the progressive sanding as you did there, very satisfying result.

[@BrandonLund]

Jaques Daniels that's interesting Jaques, thanks for tip! I will have to give that a try. The compounds can be a little pricey. This is probably one of the more satisfying projects I have ever done..I was learning as I went and im amazed that it looks brand new! That buffer works like a champ!

[@thurm101]

You explained this better than anybody has in my 50 years of life. Sandpaper 101 Wet

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@flagovhate]

I've watched a few videos on restoring plastics and this is by far the best I've seen. Gonna be restoring the plastics on a 1980s Yamaha 200E trike.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@patrickboudreau3846]

Man this is awesome ! Got myself a new project for the cold winter weekends...good job

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! I know this different from my usual stuff but I really enjoyed this too. You will enjoy your great winter project

[@_MOORE_1986]

My Stepdad has that same mower he bought brand new around the year 2000. Watching this video made me realize that its time for me to stop shining up my mowers, and surprise him by getting his looking like new again.

[@BrandonLund]

What a great gift that would be!

[@aaronfuksa2047]

That's how its done! I like 2000 grit, while some headlight restoraters go up to 3500 grit. only thing out there is long lasting ceramic rub down, or a clear vinyl to take the sun abuse...remove vinyl & its like new. They have some permanent bond 1 year waxes.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! Good to know!

[@claire-louisemanning3517]

Hi. Great post, thanks for the video. I stumbled across this whilst researching ways to restore plastic outdoor furniture. It's given me some great ideas as to how to tackle my project when my tired old chairs come out of the shed in the spring.

[@BrandonLund]

@Claire-Louise Manning great idea! This is the first I heard of someone restoring their outdoor furniture but why not! 👍💪🙏

[@darrylryder8114]

You can use a propane torch on low or with a rosebud tip. It takes all the oxidation out. Then buff it out. All in all takes me 2 hours taking off the racks of 4wheelers. Yours did come out great too

[@BrandonLund]

Great to know! Thank you!

[@chriswithrow3107]

One of the most satisfying videos I've seen in a while, packed into 8 minutes. Dude you killed it. 👍 Looks stunning.

[@BrandonLund]

I really appreciate that! Thank you!

[@chriswithrow3107]

@@BrandonLund no, thank you man. A nice reminder that hard work pays off.

[@AwesomeRestorations]

Amazing work my friend 👌

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much! I'm very happy how this came out for my first time trying it.

[@IAMRUSTEDROOT]

Finally a decent demonstration on how to restore faded plastic. I will be using this method on my jetskis. Thanks!!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@aacar4095]

Great video. After you sand it make sure to cover it with something like Cerekote trim coat or something. Then it will be protected from UV damaged for a good year. Just do coating once a year or so from then on out. I want to try this on a jeep bumper. might not be doable as the bumper is a little bit textured

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you and great great tip!

[@j-kane5922]

Mah man...looks awesome !! I'm gonna try and polish up my atv plastics but after reading your update on the buffer, I'll purchase a "name brand" one. Thanks for the tutorial

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man for the kind words and support. Let me know how it works on your atv plastic. Im curious

[@johnstafford2402]

Looks awesome!

[@BrandonLund]

thanks John!

[@Hutchy45445]

Amazing job man!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@bigfootandbananaman4746]

I did this to the plastics and paint on a mower earlier this year. Came out great and it wasn't too hard to do.

[@BrandonLund]

Congratulations! It makes it look much more presentable...and when it looks good I think we have a tendency to take better care of it.

[@bigfootandbananaman4746]

Brandon Lund yes definitely. I take great care of the mower.

[@jase042086]

Looks amazing! A little elbow grease and voila! Thanks for the video! 🙏🏻

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks. It still makes me grin with pride when I open the garage door and see the shine. Big results for very little money.

[@j.g.7054]

WOW! Great job! It looks beautiful!!!!!! Thank you for sharing!

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! 😊

[@roadstar499]

great video... i have been doing this many years... if you started with 150 i would have then went 250,400 ,800 then maybe 1000 ,1500.2000...after you are at 800 you can hit the last 3 grits pretty fast before buffing... of coarse i am talking about doing a perfect restoration... you could also get decent results doing 250,600 ,1000,1500 then buff...or even just hit with 250, 600, 1000 and buff ..

[@יובלעמר-ח2כ]

What a beauty! I did on the plastic of my ATV (Polaris Sport 400 Banana) His plastic is also yellow ... I finished the soap grinding with the water sanding papers left as a white powder of the remnants of the polish (I have not yet done a polish with materials) will be happy to help Thank you very much

[@BrandonLund]

Glad I could help! Good luck on your project :)

[@kengoold7157]

hey mate, that's a great video, finished product looks amazing.

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much!

[@roberthachtel835]

Absolutely stunning and amazing shine!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@brettneuberger6466]

Wow. Good job.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@Abyssdeus]

Amazing video. After watching it, and seeing how much effort it took I decided to spend the $13 to replace the part I wanted to polish. Keep it up!

[@BrandonLund]

Yah it's a lot of work. I'm not even sure I can buy these parts but I did it more for the experiment to see how good it could be made to look. This skill will transfer out to other projects also.

[@theoriginalmungaman]

If you wet sand with 400g then use heat gun to bring out the oils, then continue the sanding and buffing it will go much quicker.

[@BrandonLund]

Good to know! Thank you

[@colinmckinlay5479]

Just unbelevable just wow some job from Scotland you are a artist

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Colin! It still looks this shiny to date so I can say with certainty that this process holds its shine very well.

[@colinmckinlay5479]

@@BrandonLund Brilliant a lot of work but we'll worth it and it lasts too so worth all the effort

[@cavemanjoe7972]

Kind of surprised you didn't give it a UV-blocking clearcoat before the wax to make it last longer. Nice job!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! Yah, I don't know a whole lot about refinishing, so I was a bit concerned that if I sprayed a clear over the plastic that it might peel or yellow over time. So far it's just as shiny as the day I did it, but it's also stored inside so it's hard to say if it will fade over time. Cheers brother!

[@pacowang283]

Dead on target again. That looks like new. I like the way you tackle new things and take us through it with you. Thanks again. I just keep learning and get inspired.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! I appreciate the feedback and i'm glad you enjoyed! It looks pretty good huh!

[@Chinhnguyen0497]

I think this is the best method

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you. It's time consuming but it lasts

[@GardeningWithDoug]

Wow you made that look brand new. Good job.

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@peanutgallery0142]

Amazing. Fantastic. How many hours did it take you?

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! About a half day once everything was apart

[@stephensano9156]

Outstanding!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! :)

[@carrilloscleaning5402]

Great job! thank you

[@BrandonLund]

Our pleasure!

[@derlend9928]

Hello, Great tip. Do you know what can be done with transparent plastics?

[@BrandonLund]

No, sorry. You could always try this method but I would stay away from the coarser grits

[@mfeltster]

Did you switch to a different polishing pad?

[@BrandonLund]

I started with the foam pad and as I said in the video I finished with the wool pad to get a good shine.

[@richardpearson4248]

Great video 🇬🇧👍

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Richard! I appreciate your support!

[@casycasy5199]

can't believe how great it looks.how long did it take you to do

[@BrandonLund]

casy casy crazy huh! About 3 hours to do everything...now that I know how to do it, probably half that time

[@raybonz7939]

Wow that came out like new! Great job! How do you like the HF buffer?

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! So far so good with the buffer. Time will tell though. It looks and feels really well built so I'm hopeful.

[@wallacegrommet9343]

The orange body Harbor Freight polisher that was available before this one is superior but very hard to find. I bought one on EBay after HF discontinued it.

[@boltonky]

Good video actually did same thing to my yardman but def takes some time, my new way is to sandblast (with fine glass) then use a blade to remove oxidized layer bit of heat then either clear coat or buff/polish then clear (which fills in remaining scratches) .... every technique has its place and some plastics it works others don't...white plastics you can use hydrogen peroxide or even better hair volumiser (great for switches but you need right one) turns from yellow to white. Keep safe, keep trying

[@BrandonLund]

Awesome tips! Thank you!

[@xtrickster6556]

Omg that looks amazing nice job bro

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you so much 😀

[@michaelmixon2479]

Very impressive job!

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much!

[@derlend9928]

Hello, A great fix for sure. Have anyone tried to do on transparent / see through plastic ?

[@kubarber8936]

It looks new to me killer job!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@gallejugon3350]

Well done

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks @Galle Jugon

[@darrylroberson151]

Great Guy!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@shughy1]

A good job well done 👍

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks 👍

[@billblake6954]

I'd say the next stage would be an LED upgrade for the headlights - lol Great video :-)

[@BrandonLund]

Bill Blake hahaha. Funny you mentioned that! I had the same thought too :)

[@bigdogdaddy9022]

How did you manage to restore the yard man logo/sticker and have it looking new also? After you got done, the sticker looked just as good as the rest of the plastic that you polished.

[@BrandonLund]

I didn't do anything to it. I worked around it.

[@tmstunes6983]

The 38 people that disliked this video are either haters or scared that your teaching others tricks and taking away from their business! I on the other hand think this was awesome. Thanks, about to give it a try!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man i appreciate you watching. Sometimes haters are gonna hate :)

[@OneTinyDancer]

Well done, impressive.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@jesseking7668]

Hey mate I'm curious about your seat on the mower.. I have exactly the same ride on and needing to replace. Where abouts did you get yours from? What's the brand. Thanks

[@BrandonLund]

I assumed it was the stock seat? Maybe someone changed it?

[@1rustytree]

That came out great! Like new!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man!

[@joeclark7471]

Great job

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much!

[@leonelceballos3709]

It looks really good, I don't see who would give it a thumbs down

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks Leonel...it could be a number of reasons...surprisingly there are people in this world that would complain about having to pay taxes on winning the lottery. Lol

[@reddawng43x91]

Omg! Nice job! Thanks for the tip bro!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! 😁

[@jorgecastro1894]

Great job, amazing finish, thank you

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! 👍😁

[@TNTMOTO]

Looks great. Nice job

[@CraigyWaigyplays_official]

I love these Yardman riding mowers they are rare to find in my area of Texas

[@BrandonLund]

They seem to hold up well..mine currently has 550 hours and it's been trouble free

[@CraigyWaigyplays_official]

@@BrandonLund Wow that's wonderful to know yes them Yardman's are tough I've heard. My Great Grandma actually used to have one she bought her's in 2001 and then years later my Grandma took it over. Sadly it quit on her in 2016. RIP Yardman it was an old model it said 99 on the digit code and the number code on the motor said 1999 so it was one of the first ones built. A really tough mower it was used hard and had around 950 hours on it when it quit it blew a gasket and was toast. Now she has a Husqvarna and that one has been good for her. Just wish her Yardman was sitting somewhere at least I could have had it handed down to me, and I would have engine swapped it and fixed it all up ☹️ but oh well I'm glad your Yardman is still good them things like I said are pretty hard to find around houses I've actually never seen one in real life except for my Grandma's when she had it lol 😆

[@CraigyWaigyplays_official]

​@@BrandonLund I'm glad you reached out to my comment 😄 that was pretty fast you are a good person for that hands down. I've seen your other videos of your Yardman you sure do have a beautiful mower that's for sure 💯

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that thank you. I couldn't do this without viewers like yourself.

[@CraigyWaigyplays_official]

@@BrandonLund Aww thank you man God bless you and you have a great day 😀 I hope your Yardman keeps up for a long time to come 🫴🙏

[@Rillichefen]

Cool, i just clearcoated my old snowmobile to get som gloss and shine to it, and it turned out great 👍

[@BrandonLund]

Nice!

[@randallwilhelmi964]

Should show how you buffed it with the buffer and what you used with the buffer.

[@BrandonLund]

Sorry.

[@joerail99]

Perfect instructional video

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you very much!

[@sylviavaldez5755]

Will this work on a faded part of a child's Radio Flyer tricycle?

[@BrandonLund]

Most likely. I've done it on motorcycle fenders also

[@danielleonard6092]

Can you post a link to the product you used to refinish?

[@BrandonLund]

@Daniel Leonard Link to Electronic Buffer: amzn.to/2KHec10 Link to Rubbing compound: amzn.to/2N4H3sV Link to 3M Pad Glaze amzn.to/2m5iocc

[@cosmicallyderived]

Excellent work! 6:06 Could you talk more about applying the little wool pad; you didn't show that step. Did that 8" compound cutting foam pad not have enough removal power to it or something?

[@BrandonLund]

The wool pad just allowed me to start with a clean material....kinda like using a new towel to wipe off wax V.S a used towel that has wax embedded into it. The new towel just gives a better finish.

[@roadstar499]

Did you also replace yardman stickers... Again Nice Job!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! No they are the originals. I just carefully worked around them

[@roadstar499]

@@BrandonLund Cool... did you ever try the linseed oil and miniral sprit trick??? I just came accross it yesterday seems great...i used your method for many years,but this other method seems better to me.. thanks

[@Retrocomputernerd]

Hi, was the turtle wax rubbing compound used during this process? If so between which steps?

[@BrandonLund]

Rubbing compounds are used after wet sanding and you start with the coarse compounds and finish with fine. As far as the manufacturers, its been too long to remember without actually watching the video or checking the links. I do use turtle wax products so I probably did here also.

[@andrewjunk687]

nice job!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks!

[@prostreetgsxr]

This is amazing! You are amazing!

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you so much!

[@MrBoatside]

Great video! I did the same technique on a skidoo recently and this works wonders. I would suggest anyone doing this get good quality sandpaper such as 3m wetordry or their pro grade stuff. Made my project go a lot faster than the cheap paper I originally bought off Amazon.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man glad I could help!

[@KUBBI7488]

Now ready for show!!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! 😁

[@botabob]

Looks good Brandon. Next time just buy Flitz Polish. You will be amazed.

[@BrandonLund]

I'll have to check that out! Thank you!

[@justinherrera7472]

I have a question. Is the sand paper you are using a special grit made specically for plastics?. I work in collision and 120 grit would completley ruin the plastic. I would have started with 1000 grit wetsand paper then work my way to 1500 to 2000 and then 3000. Educate me on this.

[@BrandonLund]

Justin, to be honest I just used the limited knowledge I have with wood working and applied it here. These papers are just generic paper you could buy at any hardware or auto parts store. My thought process was I needed something aggressive to cut through the chalky uv faded layer getting it back to virgin plastic then I just progressively used finer paper to rub out the scratches from the previous sanding until it was smooth and shiny.

[@noah_akers1]

Can you recommend any cheaper alternatives to the 3m pad glaze?

[@BrandonLund]

You could probably get away with a polishing compound but I'm not a body man by any means so I pretty much just used what I had.

[@noah_akers1]

@@BrandonLund I might try McGuire's version of it

[@LarchSt]

Awesome job, I have an oxidized 3x6x2-1/2 storage bin for yard stuff. I pressure washed it and still some of the Oxidation is still there. Since it is not a tractor body like that awesome restoration you did, you led me on the right direction. I my case I will try using my vibro hand sander, a bit is water and some detergent... when done and satisfied, what if I shoot it with a clear coat? would that be OK...??

[@BrandonLund]

I've never tried clear over plastic so im not sure how well it will adhere

[@LarchSt]

Thank you, I will let you know... Thanks again

[@richardgarratt9497]

Do.you think it would work on faded plastic seats

[@BrandonLund]

@Richard Garratt I think it's quite possible.

[@Day12My]

This is amazing!!!!

[@rickymullane9973]

love it top work

[@BrandonLund]

Much appreciated! @Ricky millane

[@MrJohnTripperson]

Looks great!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks John!

[@bigolebear2640]

Did you put any clear coat on it to keep it from oxidizing again in the future?

[@BrandonLund]

No. Just wax

[@bigolebear2640]

@@BrandonLund well hey it looks awesome.

[@codyk56]

Looks incredible! Nice work! How long would you say this took? Many Thanks!

[@BrandonLund]

Thank you! I probably have 4-5 hours in this not including building new hood hinges which is another video

[@stanwardoshiro]

Looks better than brand new!

[@BrandonLund]

Thank man! Thanks for watching!

[@johncollins8304]

It looks 'brandon' new! Great. Someone explain please: I'm from the UK, and sandpaper for me is used exclusively for wood, is light brown like here and is always used dry; I would use Emery paper which is grey (gray) and can be used wet or dry. I've never seen such fine grain sandpaper as here, and it would fall apart in water. In fact Emery is a cloth rather than paper. I await enlightenment! Thanks.

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks John I appreciate it! As far as the sandpaper, I'm not sure. Much of the stuff I used I had on hand so it very well could have been made for wood lol

[@eddiediederich7244]

Bro, you killed it. Looks amazing. Going to do my daughters ATV

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks man! I'm very surprised and happy how it came out. Especially for my first time. It was worth it. It still looks this good today.

[@jdodell3956]

I must of missed the decal part…did you put on new decals, wet sand/buff around them, or finish them off like the rest of the plastic?

[@BrandonLund]

I just went around them being carful not to damage them.

[@veggiepowered]

i wish you could do my 2007 Honda Rancher 4x4 ATV

[@BrandonLund]

For the right price I can :) 🤣🤣🤣

[@wallacegrommet9343]

Open up the pinion gear housing and clean out all the grease. Sparingly repack the gear case, just a good coating but not filled, using a synthetic high temperature grease. It will run quieter, smoother, and last longer.

[@BrandonLund]

Great tip! Thank you!

[@Cheeseburgerlocker]

YOU ARE A GOD

[@BrandonLund]

I appreciate that!

[@KS-fw9hz]

Would this process work for polypropylene reinforced with glass fiber?

[@BrandonLund]

This was my first time trying this on plastic so I don't know for sure. It's worth a try

[@יובלעמר-ח2כ]

After grinding soap there is like white powder on the plastic. The polish raises it?

[@BrandonLund]

What you see is the dull finish. The polish burnished the surface to a shine

[@1oldson]

nice job. is that "ABS" plastic by any chance?

[@BrandonLund]

I think it is but I'm not completely positive

[@kunst-s2070]

Cool! What kind of plastic is this? PP?

[@BrandonLund]

I'm not sure actually. It the same color throughout though

[@savyourselffreedom2149]

Great video well done

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks 👍

[@richardhuffman1099]

How many hours did it take to do that? Looks Awesome!!!

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! Probably around 3 hours for everything

[@mrnighthawk285]

Nice work is there a way you could send me close up shot of light of it reflecting the lights to see scratches I restore plastics like this but always use 600 grit and 1000 before 1500 . Just wondering if you skip those two would the scratches still be gone, I know it will shine but unsure about scratches

[@BrandonLund]

Thanks! Right now it's in winter storage covered over so I dont have access to take pics. I know what your saying about leaving fine scratches behind though and there were none. I cant say how it would work on a harder or softer plastic but for this particular one it's almost perfect.

[@mrnighthawk285]

@@BrandonLund thanks for the reply I'll have to try it out thank you

[@BrandonLund]

@@mrnighthawk285Anytime brother. Im not sure how big of a rush you are in but if you hit me up in a couple weeks I can get you some real good close ups of the plastic.