i thought i had read on another post or possibly a post on bmwmoa recently that the car bumper paint was the best way to go. i'm eager to see what kind of results you get in your tests as i need to do the exact same thing to my cases. actually the outside of the case is fine, but the inner area where they attach and by the seat is extremely faded. are they 2 different kinds of plastics? or is it because one is smooth and one is textured?
Brake cleaner on some plastics....nasty. Does melt ABS and sure turns it grey. Better fix some of that quickly Eh! Step one, Leather Dye, let dry then buff. Step two, good old shoe polish, more buffing. Step three, Back to Black. Good for a few thousand miles before touching up again....maybe. That's my old practice lid so never mind the scratches, I have put most of them on intentionally to practice removing them.......Ebony Rub'nBuff not so good.:eek1
First, a heavy soak in Simple Green. Then a good brush and take them to the car wash. Give 'em a good spray. Once dry, a good ABS cleaning solution. I like McGuiers plastic cleaners. They do a good job. Wipe it on with a shop towel or good heavy paper shop towel. Let dry, then wipe off. YMMV, but a little elbow grease and time, they'll look good. Have fun
Euro, Lot's of great recommendations here. Something I stumbled upon accidentally is regular old Silicone Lube (paste) if you have some laying around the shop. It restored the luster in my instrument cover and bags surprisingly well. Rub it in well with fingers or cloth then buff with dry clean cloth. Might take a couple applications. Doesn't do much for UV protection but it just might bring them back to life.
I did a small spot last night and it helped a bit but the area still looks a little grey. I think rubbing compound first and silicone paste or spray last.
Yep....cheap. Altough the "polish" has shot up in price the last few years. Must be less demand. Altough the dollar stores do sell black shoe polish, I won't buy it, not very good. If you have an electric polisher, worth putting the polish right on the pad, goes faster and then you can do your boots/gloves/jacket at the same time.
So over the weekend I sprayed the bags with WD-40 and wiped them down really good to get the grime off. Next I sprayed them again and repeated over a couple of days. It looks like the WD-40 is soaking in and making them shiny again. I will wipe them off tomorrow and take some pictures.
That's funny I've been cleaning the ABS bits on my dirt bikes for years with wd40 they are still holding up just fine. Same with the thermo plastic parts. Hell I've even been able to clean and paint over a wd40'd saddle bag
I think my post sounded snotty. I am sorry. But, I would worry about petroleum distillates causing deterioration of certain plastics. Spray on WD-40, wipe it off, for a cleaner - might be okay. (?) With what do you clean your face shield? Plexus! Would you clean your face shield with WD-40? I guess you could rub Pennzoil 30 wt. on your saddlebags. They would be nice and shiny. Are there formulations that tend to preserve plastics?
Almost all plastics are petroleum based, just like WD-40. Plastic turns brittle and lightens because the petroleum component is slowly removed over time through evaporation and general exposure to the elements.
I was a chemistry major in college. But, that was way too many years (and too many beers) ago. My son is a double major - mechanical and materials engineer - let's ask him!
Petroleum solvents might further the deterioration process. Where are our chemist inmates? C'mon, help us.
Dunno if the pic tells the whole story, but standing right in front of this lid looking at the results, the leather stain stuff, second from left is clearly the best. I don't have any black shoe polish unfortunately. Process involved soap and water clean, dry, individual application with separate clean rags, 5 minute dry then polish. The silicone spray gave it a uniform good look but dull and the leather stuff gave it a darker sheen.
I've used WD40 for years on bmw bags with no ill effects. I guve them a quick spray and wipe-down everytime I wash the bike. bags still look good after all these years. heck, come winter, I spray the whole damn bike(minus the rotors!) , then come spring, pull it out, a quick bath and ready to roll again. works great on the switchgear also, keeps them looking new and a little lube getting in there can't be a bad thing.
I like your testings, nothing I haven't done myself. Keep going with the Dye then buy some shoe polish. Looks like you already have some "Armor All",maybe no need to buy the much more expensive "Back to Black". If I get a chance I'll talk to my friend, he owns a cobbler's shop and may have better recommendations than leather dye for the blackening process. But that may have to be a commercial product, not always available to the general public.
