VHT finishing help

[hfrog355]

Well, I finally got around to applying the VHT to my lights. I'll be posting some pictures tomorrow when I get some more good light outside.

I wanted to solicit for some advice on finishing these. So far, I've got 2 coats of VHT on them for a good dark, but still red color and I finished it all off with one coat of clear coat. The question I have is how to finish the job. The lights look milky right now and the texture is a little rough. What kind of products have y'all used to remove the milky/cloudy finish and get more of a gloss? I know others have run into this, I'm just not sure how they have finished the job. Schrute said somewhere he used a rubbing compound or something. Someone else said a glass polish. Can I pick these things up at a Lowe's? Yes, I'm a total newb.

Also, how long should I let the coats dry before attempting to buff them or use some other product to put on a shine?

Thanks

[1325]

Shadowing Muh Tails, Horay!

[hfrog355]

Originally Posted by 1325

Shadowing Muh Tails, Horay!

Yeah, I've kept up with that thread, but it died out pretty much at the stage I'm at. I'm hoping someone can share some info on how they finished it off. I remember reading from Schrute somewhere that as the layers continue to dry, more and more of the milky comes out, but I am curious what products everyone has used (and when they used them) to get the texture smoothed out and the cloudiness gone.

[Puma0183]

I haven't used VHT on my Z, but i did used it on my GIXXER... what i did was:
1. Uesd 2000 grit wet sand paper (you can find it in Autozone or in the net) to get the gloos out of the light.
2. Apply 2-3 coats of NIght Shades.
3. Aplay 2-3 coats of Clear Coat soits nice and protected, plus you get a really nice shiny surface.
4. Let it dry about 25 min and then sand it again w/ the 2000 grit wet sand paper but do not apply almost any pressure, these will get rid of all the bumps and inperfections that are in the lense.
5. After letting it dry, use a wax applicator to aply a good amount of Maguiares Ultimate Compound on the lense.
6. Applying alot of pressure rub the compund in to the light using strong and fast strokes to really burn it in.
7. after a good 3-4 min depending how fast and hard you did it, remove the extra compund with a microfiber towel.
8. You are done, you should end up with a really nice, smooth and shiny surface.

Dont be affraid to resand and apply more clear coat, or use more compound to get the finish that you want. Hope these helps and good luck.

[hfrog355]

Thanks for the tips!

I didn't know to sad the lights first (others in similar threads have since said the same), so hopefully everything bonds well.

I'm going to apply another 2 coats of clear this weekend and use the Maguiares compound to shine it up.

[Jesse_Hunter]

Originally Posted by hfrog355

Yeah, I've kept up with that thread, but it died out pretty much at the stage I'm at. I'm hoping someone can share some info on how they finished it off. I remember reading from Schrute somewhere that as the layers continue to dry, more and more of the milky comes out, but I am curious what products everyone has used (and when they used them) to get the texture smoothed out and the cloudiness gone.

I used super fine steel wool, it smooths it out very well, and alot of the milkyness did subside.

You'll probably want to apply more than 1 clear coat. In only 2 months of sun exposure my clear coat already started flaking off, I went back and added 3 coats.