Cleaning up plastics?

Bowling4Bikes

Bowling4Bikes

Steee-riiike!
I have some black plastic bits that I want to return to a deep black color. I have some ideas, but I'd like to check first: Does anyone have recommendations?

thanks
 
edzx6

edzx6

Well-known member
If it is dirt bike plastics that have creases from falling you can get them to minimize by using a heat gun. Dont melt it. Apply heat and the white creases will erase by about 75%. If it is plastic for street bike, plastic fill, sand, refill, sand again, sand somemore, then sand again then paint.
 
Roadstergal

Roadstergal

Sergeant Jackrum
Simple Green or a plastic cleaner to make sure it's clean, polish (like ScratchX) to make sure it's not due to microscratches, WD-40 if it's oxidized.
 
N

NoTraffic

Well-known member
Need to tell us more about the current condition, is it faded from being out in the sun? No longer black because its been down 10x? Dirt plastics that have been chewed up by gravel?

I just clay bar'd my bike for the first time in 3 yrs, then waxed. Looks cherry and way better than any stage of my ownership.
 
Frame Maker

Frame Maker

Well-known member
The first step is to identify the type of plastic. Techniques that work for one type of plastic won't work on others. For example, ABS is common for street bike parts. It can be easily sanded, polished, re-painted if needed. ABS responds well to plastic cleaners and polish. However these techniques will NOT work on polypropylene which is common on dirt bikes and some street bikes. Sanding and polishing polypro will just make it dull and look worse.

You mention the parts are black. I've had good results cleaning up small black textured trim pieces using a "fog coat" of semi-gloss spray paint. Not a full wet coat, but just a very light mist of paint and parts look new again.

Anyway, identify the plastic type, then proceed accordingly.
 
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