Hey all,

Purchased a set of 3 2oz. bottles of Novus 1, 2 and 3. Tested on the surface of my clock as it's got scratches you can see in the sunlight (I took it all apart and etc.) Well, the outcome actually SCRATCHED it more than what I started with.

Has anyone used Novus sucessfully? I followed the steps 'word for word'. I have only used 1 and 2. Novus 3 seems to be quite abrasive and I didn't want to use it yet.

The outcome of the clock is like what my paint is showing. Swirls... major swirls on the plastic. Please help!

can anyone offer some input.? thank you.

 

Novus is my favorite clear plastic polish, and I've tried probably most of them. You're right about #3, it is very abrasive, and should only be used on very heavy scratches. And then it has to be followed up with #2.
When polishing plastic, keep in mind that it is a "soft" material, and scratches very easily. If scratches are moderate, start with #2 on either a foam applicator pad (those cheap round things for applying car waxes) or a quality microfiber cloth. A super soft, 100% cotton cloth can be used if folded into quarters or more so it is thick and plush. Choice in applicator and buffing material is extremely important. An old T-shirt will just put scratches back in the plastic. Using multiple passes with decreasing pressure each pass work better than fewer higher pressure passes. Your last polishing pass should be extremely light. When buffing the residue, use very light pressure, and preferably a quality microfiber cloth.

Polishing plastic can be time-consuming, as many passes may be needed to remove the scratches. Once it is to your standards, try keeping it scratch-free by cleaning frequently only with a quality microfiber cloth. Or better, use compressed air to blow dust off of it before wiping with the microfiber (Novus #1 is fine for weekly cleanings on a microfiber. And #1 helps with static, keeping dust to a minimum). Keep in mind that even rubbing your fingertip across it to remove dust will put scratches back in clear plastic.

Hope this helps.

Dave

 

Thank you for the reply Dave. Appreciate it ! I have tried and still cannot find success with Novus on the clock display. I must be doing something wrong. Ih ave been using the supplied lint-free cloth from Novus... shall i use microfibre instead ?

Cheers!
max0002

 

A good microfiber cloth will make a world of difference. I used a cheap one on mine once, and couldn't figure out why the swirls were still there. Turns out that I may have been removing the original swirls, but putting new ones in with the cheap microfiber. I only use quality microfiber cloths for any type of polishing, whether it's on paint or plastic.
BTW, the cheap microfiber I had been using were the ones from WalMart. I now only use them on less important things, like door jambs, engine compartment, etc....

Dave

 

Thanks Dave for your feedback (again). I am using this "made in Korea" consists of 75% Polyester and 25% Polyamide. I haven't been able to compare it to other brands. I'll try it again tonight..

Thanks again..