Dash lens scratch removal

Luddite · 15-12-2020, 04:54 PM

Here's a job I've been saving for the winter.

For some time now, I've had a couple of, (admittedly small), scratches on the lens of my 1100 Evo dash. It shouldn't bother me but, especially when the sun's on it, my eye is drawn to them. You can see one in this picture from an earlier thread.

A while back I bought some of this Unipol plastic polish and thought I'd use it to try to remove the scratches. https://www.cutmyplastic.co.uk/unipol-plastic-polish/

Past experience tells me that, sometimes, (my) efforts to repair something can make matters worse

so I wasn't confident to tackle the dash without practising on something first. I found a damaged dash piece on eBay for a few pounds, which I could attack with gay abandon.

Frustratingly, although the dash faceplate is easily removed, (held by six T6 torx screws), it's not available separate from the dash itself - if you need to replace it, then it's £700+ for a complete dash.

I made three scratches on the eBay lens with a scribe and set to work. I tried the Unipol on the first scratch and, while it removed the harsh edges, it didn't reduce the depth.

On the next scratch I tried 3000 grit wet and dry with plenty of water and using a peg as a sanding block.

Still too gentle with too much pressure needed to make any impression.

On the last scratch, I used 2000 grit, which gradually reduced the scratch until it disappeared completely. It left lots of swirls of course so I then moved up to 2500 then 3000 grit again with plenty of water and plenty of wiping. Finally, I polished the lens with the Unipol and a small Dremel mop on low speed. You need to keep the mop wet otherwise the plastic can overheat and bloom.

The end result was perfectly smooth and clear with no evidence of any scratches. So, confident that I wasn't going to make matters worse, I repeated the procedure on my dash, (but only needed 3000 grit as the scratch wasn't as deep as I'd thought), and I'm really pleased with the result. Here's a before and after pic - not sure if you can see the difference (there's nothing to see on the lower picture because the scratch has gone but that's where it was).

So, if you've got any minor scratches/swirls on your lens, I think the Unipol alone should remove them. Anything deeper and a combination of fine wet and dry plus the Unipol should do the job.

I could probably have done this without removing the dash but just found it easier off the bike. If you do disassamble your instruments, just be sure you don't have any fingerprints on the inside of the lens before you put it back together!

I've only tried this on the Evo dash but I think the procedure should also work on the old-style analogue instruments as fitted up to the S*R models.

TFT screens may be another matter altogether of course...

Doggy · 15-12-2020, 05:06 PM

Great stuff, nice to get little jobs done and a good outcome! . I bought a screen protector for my TFT, just in case. Better safe than sorry!.

Luddite · 15-12-2020, 06:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Doggy

Great stuff, nice to get little jobs done and a good outcome! . I bought a screen protector for my TFT, just in case. Better safe than sorry!.

It was very satisfying. No skill needed - just a case of the right product for the job. I imagine the Unipol would work well on fairing screens too. Highly recommended

15-12-2020, 04:54 PM	#1
Luddite Registered User Join Date: Aug 2011 Location: Southampton Bike: M1100evo Posts: 2,465	Dash lens scratch removal Here's a job I've been saving for the winter. For some time now, I've had a couple of, (admittedly small), scratches on the lens of my 1100 Evo dash. It shouldn't bother me but, especially when the sun's on it, my eye is drawn to them. You can see one in this picture from an earlier thread. A while back I bought some of this Unipol plastic polish and thought I'd use it to try to remove the scratches. https://www.cutmyplastic.co.uk/unipol-plastic-polish/ Past experience tells me that, sometimes, (my) efforts to repair something can make matters worse so I wasn't confident to tackle the dash without practising on something first. I found a damaged dash piece on eBay for a few pounds, which I could attack with gay abandon. Frustratingly, although the dash faceplate is easily removed, (held by six T6 torx screws), it's not available separate from the dash itself - if you need to replace it, then it's £700+ for a complete dash. I made three scratches on the eBay lens with a scribe and set to work. I tried the Unipol on the first scratch and, while it removed the harsh edges, it didn't reduce the depth. On the next scratch I tried 3000 grit wet and dry with plenty of water and using a peg as a sanding block. Still too gentle with too much pressure needed to make any impression. On the last scratch, I used 2000 grit, which gradually reduced the scratch until it disappeared completely. It left lots of swirls of course so I then moved up to 2500 then 3000 grit again with plenty of water and plenty of wiping. Finally, I polished the lens with the Unipol and a small Dremel mop on low speed. You need to keep the mop wet otherwise the plastic can overheat and bloom. The end result was perfectly smooth and clear with no evidence of any scratches. So, confident that I wasn't going to make matters worse, I repeated the procedure on my dash, (but only needed 3000 grit as the scratch wasn't as deep as I'd thought), and I'm really pleased with the result. Here's a before and after pic - not sure if you can see the difference (there's nothing to see on the lower picture because the scratch has gone but that's where it was). So, if you've got any minor scratches/swirls on your lens, I think the Unipol alone should remove them. Anything deeper and a combination of fine wet and dry plus the Unipol should do the job. I could probably have done this without removing the dash but just found it easier off the bike. If you do disassamble your instruments, just be sure you don't have any fingerprints on the inside of the lens before you put it back together! I've only tried this on the Evo dash but I think the procedure should also work on the old-style analogue instruments as fitted up to the S*R models. TFT screens may be another matter altogether of course...

15-12-2020, 05:06 PM	#2
Doggy Registered User Join Date: Apr 2017 Location: Kent Bike: M796 Posts: 510	Great stuff, nice to get little jobs done and a good outcome! . I bought a screen protector for my TFT, just in case. Better safe than sorry!.