Polish Glasses, How To Restore The Shine to Your Acetate or Plastic Frames!
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- čas přidán 14. 10. 2024
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Tonight we're hanging out in the garage and I know I love this DIY type stuff, so I hope you guys do too. We're gonna take a quick spin on the ole polishing wheel and bring an old frame, or at least the temple tips, back to life! Let me know what you thought below!
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Just saw your awesome video which gave me an idea; I used a nail buffer to do the same thing and my very old frames look NEW !!!! Thank you thank you thank you !!!!!!
Great video and ... Thank you all for the idea!
Thank you Yelena for saying you used a nail buffer. That just worked for my 7 yr old Coach eye glasses. Yours was the best solution for my oxidized frames. 👏👏
Yelena, After reading your post we ordered some nail buffers. The results were very good! We'd tried a few things which actually made the acetate even worse, more cloudy than before. Thank you so much! Now we have polished nails AND eyeglass frames!!
Glad it worked out in your case Pip! I’ve seen some very poor results with nail buffers and generally don’t recommend it. (Some people just love to go way too aggressive)
Could you do this by hand at all? If yes, what kind of hand tools would you need? Ive been researching and some people say a metal polish could polish plastic?! I have black “gentle monster” acetate glasses and they have lost their shine and really just want to restore them 😆
Honestly best to send a frame like that to a pro and have it restored, rather than to risk messing it up.
I need to know exactly what types of compounds you are using and where to buy them!
No response.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I have Matt finished black acetate sunglasses that I heated in order to bend to shape. Unfortunately it left some white discoloration on the frames. Any videos on how I could repair that would be awesome!
Heating a black acetate shouldn’t have left a white discoloration. But some black acetates the matte finish is a coating, and that would make sense if the coating got overheated. In that case there really isn’t much to be done I’m afraid.
Thank you so much.
An alternative method - I scrubbed using cotton pads and a whitening toothpaste. It complete cleared up my crystal acetate frames. Completely transparent again. This was after Ace & Tate would not repair.
Toothpaste is a mild abrasive. Makes sense. 🥂 solid share!
Does it remove oxidation?
@Graciiemx3 it wouldn’t remove any heavy oxidation. Even machine polishing can be challenged by heavy white oxidation.
Great video! Curious your thoughts on using a Dremel with polishing brushes . . . Also, do you have any thoughts on types of polish for the frame when using a Dremel? Thanks for your help!
Hey! I use a dremel for small areas but much like trying to use a palm sander on a whole floor the issue becomes trying to not cut deep on some areas and make waves in the finish when doing larger areas.
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 Thank you for your quick reply!! I'm wondering if there are large brush options for Dremels. Also, in terms of technique, I suppose a lower speed with continuous motion would work best?
@AndrewRosner-pn5gv correct! 😎. About the largest I’ve found is 2” but I’ve always looked for these for detail work, so to be fair I’ve never looked for larger wheel sizes. In comparison the wheels for large scale buffers are anywhere from 5-12”. Massive difference.
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 Makes complete sense . . . Are about to recommend the Dremel 2 " wheel you used?
For mine, they had a rough, pitted, and white area on the legs that were against my skin. Oxidation from sweat and oils over the years. I was actually able to restore them by polishing with some goop called Flitz. Very harsh stuff though, only would use it on heavy oxidized parts.
Cool stuff! That’s the old plastic restoring polish from memory? Super aggressive but does a decent job by hand! IIRC at one time that stuff sold with a drill attachment too!
Hello, I saw your videos and say I am very impressed! I have a pair of Louis Vuitton glasses that I lost at the beach for about a day and I found them in the surf. They are a bit scuffed, pretty light scratches but I was wondering if I could send them to you to have them reconditioned? I appreciate your time and consideration! Thanks!
Hey! I've done a few LV in the past, unfortunately there is a pretty wide range of ways they're made and some materials the scuffing can't be removed. Shoot me an email with some photos and let's see if it's workable 😁 - matt@thatglassesguy.net
Just came back to your channel after everywhere local told me there was nothing that could be done. I don't think my pair is bad enough to send out just yet but I will definitely keep you in mind for my persols when the time comes
We can definitely get it fixed up. Sad how lost this skill is in the field.
found this video cause my persols have dulled. did you have any luck?
@@MindbodyMedic I have not found anywhere that will do this locally but I’m going to give it a go on my own when the time comes.
We do this for customers far and wide. Of course it means giving up your glasses, but either of you are welcome to shoot me an email and we can get you a quote and squared away 😎 matt@thatglassesguy.net
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 yes I will consider that mine are not quite to that point yet.
I just got my new glossy black acetate glasses with thick temples. After just 2 weeks, I seem to have fingerprints on the temples which are permanent and I can’t get rid of them even after using Zeiss lens wipes and microfibre cloth! Can’t believe it ! Lol
Yikes! Use acetone for nail polish remover? May have had some left on your fingers and touched the frame. It’s the e first oddball thing that could happen that comes to mind 😂
Same for me I'm having rayban acetate frame with glossy finish, and I can see the fingerprint which is permanent don't know how its there!
Really pathetic
They do use a rather low grade material for those, but I still wouldn’t expect a fingerprint mark without some sort of chemical intervention. Could be poor cleaning habits at the store if they keep acetone and high alcohol content around where they’re handling frames as well, but that’s relatively unlikely.
What is the polish material you are using so I can buy it for my polishing wheel??
Depends on the case. White jewelers rouge is what I use for most things.
Ok thank you could you possibly attach a link for what it is you use?
@@dchargualaf1 sorry, I buy a high quality one through wholesale channels and don’t know of anywhere to get it outside of that.
Hi! Nice video - any tips on cleaning or polishing up metal parts like hinges and rivets? I’ve been using a precious metals polishing cloth by hand and it takes forever. Thanks!
A dremel polishing wheel for those tight spots and small parts can do magic :) I prefer the cone ended one's for hinges and such, of course disassembled for best access 🙂
Hey there, are you still accepting restoration work? I saw a few people comment asking for your service. I have a pair of Celine sunglasses that have some light frame scratching. I’m confident you would be able to get them back to normal. Hope to hear back from you. Thanks!
Hey Lucas, yup shoot me an email with photos of the frame and condition :) - matt@thatglassesguy.net
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 awesome! will shoot you an email.
Can you use a lubricant or silicone oil to rub on the frames after polishing to prevent/protect against more oxidation?
No, that's not necessary and will actually help in allowing it to oxidize faster next time :)
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 is there anything you can put on Cotton acetate to help preserve it?
@@thetechlibrarian no, not that I've found at least
I have a black acetate frame with a visible deep nick on its bridge on the outside so it can be visible despite it being small. Any ideas for restoring it and make it disappear? Thanks a lot.
Gouges like that will often needed sanded and polished and/or possibly filled depending on how deep it is.
Thank you for the quick response. I would say most likely filling it up with some kind of polymeric compound of the same color and then sanding it down would seem to be more appropriate for the job. It is rather deep and since it’s in the middle of the bridge tends to be very conspicuous. I just don’t know what kind of material I should be looking for to use to make it look seamless once it fuses with the frame’s acetate plastic.. it’s an all black frame like I mentioned. Any ideas? Thanks
@DimitriusMann not for the feint of heart, as generally molten or liquid acetate is used to fill the hole and then sanded back down. Definitely not your average DIY.
Hi there, can you send details of the compound that you are using on your glasses in this video please, I am going to try this on my glasses , thanks
I wouldn’t recommend trying this on your own glasses as a first timer. But jeweler’s rouges and a soft loose wheel will get you pointed in the right direction.
How much do you charge to do this?? My only pair of eyeglasses pretty much went from black to grey and they look so horrible I want to cry
That's a sad time 😔. Pricing varies depending on the extent of work needed. Most range from 50-100 but some vintage restorations can run well above that (not the case here but just stating for anyone looking).
HI, Can you please list the wheels you used here for polishing?
Just a loose and spiral bound cotton buff wheel :) Nothing particularly special
I have a cheap bench grinder I use, buy it spins so fast, I worry about burning the acetate. Is this one you have got a speed control? How fast is it running? Do you have issues with it melting or otherwise causing problems?
Only with too much pressure. This specific one is just a Chicago electric one speed polisher. It's a hair on the fast side, but if you keep pressure low and don't work a piece too long it doesn't burn it :) I've only burned through on one piece. The face of the frame at the temple.merge is usually the easiest to mess up, so excercise caution there and at the corners 😁
And can you tell me what can be done for the rest of the frame? My black frame is dull everywhere not just on the temples, The front of the frame as well. I am so desperate, that I think using clear nail polish !!!!
If the whole frame is acetate it can all be polished in this same manner. If it's metal and faded it depends on the finish, true plated golds or high quality painted with a thick wear layer can still be polished back up, but cheaper materials will need refinished :)
What sand grit use to remove scratches sir?
I don’t use sand paper at all except in very rare cases. And in those cases most will tell you my process there is “too much work and too far with too many stages”. 🫠😅
Thank you so much sir!!
🙌
How do you clean the frames from makeup?
Same as you would for anything else. Soap and water and a little scrubbing. Just be gentle especially around the lenses :)
How do I get the same finish on my glasses by hand? I don't have the tools required?!
It's not really doable by hand, there are companies that will do it for you though, myself included :)
I took my glasses to get them fixed from the lenses, it's such poor customer service when they don't polish those acetate frames.
To be fair, it’s far from the standard and most lack the skillset and tools required. We do it with every pair here (even the brand new ones) but we do everything at a little higher level than average (and charge accordingly)
What kind of wax or where can I get the at. That stuff you put on the buffer
it's a specific type of compound, often called jewellers rouge. Wide range of different buffing wheels and compounds to get the desired result, so there's a bit more to it than a single solution. For a safe starter, white rouge and a loose wheel is a very light soft cut, but still easy to burn a frame
Do you offer services? I need my glasses done really bad!
I do depending on the severity. Shoot me an email and we can discuss details - Matt@Thatglassesguy.net For just some rough info prices start at $50 for a quick single stage full frame polish and go up from there :)
what kit of putty do you use to polish and make the plastic shine?
Magic putty. Generally various jeweler rouges. The right combinations in the right sequences of compound and wheel vary. Akin to the polishing of a car before the safe days of dual action polishers, easy to burn and ruin a set.
Hello I brought a pair of plastic matte eyeglass frames. I did not know they were matte . Can I do something to get a shine on them?
Same process, just more steps :)
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 will a dremel
Polisher work or by polishing by hand maybe?
It would be hard to have much success by hand, but yes a small wheel on a dremel can work, and we typically use that for smaller detail areas, just be careful as it's easier to burn the acetate with the smaller faster wheel :)
Can you help me get a scratch out of my glasses lenses?
Unfortunately lens scratches can’t be removed, they just have to be tolerated or replaced.
How do you remember stains from the frames
That would depend on the frame material and what stained it. Most acetates are pretty chemical resistant to begin with, but some more aggressive things can stain the material too deeply to remove. Horn and/or Wood frames are more susceptible to staining, and even more difficult to remove stains from. I've gotta say in all my years wearing and working with acetate/metals I haven't had one stain, so admittedly I haven't experimented a ton with stain removal :)
How much does something like this cost
Depends on the severity. My fees start at $80 with return shipping for a single stage polish. And/or we include a basic touch up polish with custom lenses
Did you put compound on that first (left)wheel?
Yes, little more aggressive on the left wheel.
One of the lenses fell out of my $400 tortoiseshell Prada sunglasses. I was near Walmart so I ran right in there to have someone pop it back in. The moron used heat to get it in and took the finish right off my glasses. I can't believe he did that. I don't know if they are plastic or acetate, but need to find something to fix this stat. What exactly is the stuff you are using? And as others have also asked that question too with no answer, why is it a big secret?
Not so much that it's a big secret as it is that it's practically impossible to come by outside of the optical field and I've yet to find a source that sells to the public. I have replied to a few that jeweler's Rouge can get you close but it's still not quite "it". Sort of like grabbing whatever polish and buffer you can find at Walmart for your car, the results can be anything from worse than start to really really good 🤣. At any rate, if your frame was over heated no amount of polishing is going to repair that damage. 😔
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 Yes, they were overheated. When he handed them back to me they were literally red hot. It was so unexpected, I almost dropped them. I've since called the place where I bought them and was told to wipe them down with mineral oil, which did the trick. Problem is, I will always have to do this every few weeks.
@@Bossmanrocks ugh that's terrible 😔. yep, the oil is a temporary solution. With horn frames we use to heat them to near smoking and soak them in oil to redurbish their natural oils with age. This CAN be employed at lower temperatures with acetates, but it will also ooze oil when it heats up in the sun 🤢.
Do you have a website for requesting your services and price listing?
Hi Curtis, for some silly reason I have yet to add the frame polishing services to my website. Shoot me an email and I can get you squared away if you're interested :) frame polishing is $100 for a proper restorative 2 stage (most often what is needed) Matt@thatglassesguy.net 🙂
What’s the name of both kind of buffer wheels you used ?
Both felt wheels, one loose and one spiral bound.
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 oh okay thank you and would I be able to just hook it up to a drill ? Serious question
@@DerienzoTV not easily but absolutely cpuld be done :) controlling speed AND the material would be very difficult. You can use a smaller Dremel and their wheels too, which we often do for tighter areas... and even that is a pain 😂
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 thanx my girlfriend is gonna be holding the drill. Much appreciated
What state do you work out of? Do you work with NYC
My shop is in TN. I work with people all over the world 😁
Very helpful!! Thanks.
You're welcome! 😁
What about the front of your glasses are scratched and don't have a machine like this
If you mean the lenses, nothing you can do really. If it's the chassis itself, there are companies that specialize in doing this kind of finish work (myself included 🙃). You'll pay more for the proper equipment and compounds than the service 😂
Polishing Compound name please?
Jewelers rouge. Just gotta use the right specific compound and wheels for each situation.
What's the "compound"?
For the single stage here white jewelers rouge
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 thanks!
Where yu located?
Chattanooga, TN US
THANK YOU!
You're welcome! 😁 glad this helped you!!!
Where to bring this machine from? 🙄
Any sort of hardware supply store sells buffers like these. It’s one of those things I wouldn’t recommend unless you already have the basic skills of how to use one though ;)
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 okay
Thanks 👍
So my choices are to convert my one bed flat in the city in a workshop and spend however much on a buffing wheel or buy new Persol Sunglasses.
Or find someone that offers this service. Sure.
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 - I enjoyed the video, I was just kidding around. Do you think this would be possible with a cheaper handheld rotary polisher? Or are they not fast enough? I'd love to know or see a video of that as I'd definitely buy a handheld polisher if it would do the job as I have a collection of old Persol sunglasses I'd love to restore. I'd love to see a video of how to do that and to know if you need to use something on them for the shine after polishing out the scratches.
A handheld can work, just takes way longer and is easier to cause damage to the frames (they actually rotate at much higher speeds). They have their place for custom bridge manipulation but aren't a great first choice for polishing. I don't think a full size wheel is much more than a decent handheld though 🤔
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 - OK, then it doesn't sound doable for me to polish them as I don't want to damage my vintage Persol collection. At least I know before trying and ruining them. I've never used something like this so it's not worth the risk if the handheld ones are more difficult. They do handheld rotary polishers with 5 speeds. I'll look on CZcams for videos of people using the handheld ones and see if I think I could do it. Unless they were specifically doing glasses I doubt I'd risk it as these things are expansive and collectable in Europe.
As I said I live right in the centre of a city in a small one-bedroom flat without any storage space. I would not have anywhere to put a full-sized wheel that I'd only use for this one job. I barely have enough room for the absolute necessities of living. I cannot keep anything that isn't essential. Thanks for the info.
@@AnyoneCanSee Why don't you try a drill machine ? The max. speed is about 2700/3000 rpm ( it's the perferct speed ) and you can lower the speed if needed. Use a vice or whatever suits you the best to hold the drill.
What about Turtle wax? Is that just a quick fix?
Correct, that's only a temporary filler that doesnt hold up long at all. Think of it like the finish on a car, once oxidized you have to cut through the oxidation to get back to a good surface. The difference being the material color is throughout rather than just a thin layer on top to work with.
Just rub it down with baby oil using your fingers over the sink you can even rub it into the lenses and then dry it with a terry cloth towel, followed by a polish with some good toilet paper like charmin, it’ll take you three minutes
Properly polishing on a wheel takes less than 5 if you know what you're doing and doesn't leave an oilly mess or disappear leaving more oxidation behind sooner ;) I've fixed plenty of this method.. and it always costs more when this has been done first. So.. don't send it to me to fix after 😉
Well for people that do not have a wheel, and need a quick fix, the baby oil is simple, readily available and works fast.
@@JohnTennant it's a cover up and fixes nothing. Don't bring that mess here. Better off leaving it oxidized.
It might not be as professional, but it works. It’s fast and anyone can do it. It’s a great MacGyver trick. Going out for a nice dinner and realize your glasses are oxidized? With a little baby oil they’ll be looking like new in no time. I’m not taking away from your method. It’s quite good just simply providing another option. That works great in a pinch and it doesn’t leave a mess, baby oil over your sink. Wash your hands. It’s done very simple. Also, the longer you let it soak the better the results. It’s similar to rubbing orange oil or bee wax on a cutting board, the same principle. Yeah it covers it up but it also helps it. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that orange oil or bee wax would also work for glasses maybe I’ll try that next time, but I know the baby oil works fine. Anyway, as I said, there’s nothing wrong with your method. It’s quite good I’m just showing an alternative that works fine..
Not the same principle, and not a MacGyver trick. You're comparing dried out wood to oxidized and uv damaged plastic. Oil works on HORN frames. Not on acetate. When the material itself needs nourished is a different ballgame than when the material is damaged and needs removed. Similiar to comparing old tired single stage paint on a car to base coat clear coat needing cut and buffed
Do you repair frames? If so what’s the process?
Of course. Really depends on what's needed, material it's made of, and if it's worth repairing (especially with cheaper frames the repairs can be more than new). So, lots of variables :)
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 I have a pair of Chanel frames, plastic, broke in the middle of bridge 😩
Ooph. Well that's definitely repairable, but done right it's usually about $100 after shipping. The short version is the frame is melded back together, and a reinforcement brace placed inside, then sanded and polished back to new (or better on occasion) condition.
@@ThatGlassesGuy03 I’m interested, how do I go about this? That’s if you have the time of course.
@@BrandonCiCi you can shoot me an email if you want me to take care of the repair, as for the processes involved, it's not really a good DIY repair. The quick dirty get by option you'll find a few videos on yourube for though, and that's using acetone to mend plastic frames :) very temporary without the additional bracing, but it works.
So are you telling me that my most perfect pair of glasses that are now super cloudy, oxidized and white can be brought back to life?? I could cry 😭 I have a very small face and almost nobody makes glasses that fit or suit me, I finally found a pair 4 years ago and have needed new ones so bad but haven’t bought any bc it’s hard to spend hundreds of dollars on something that’s going to make you uglier and highlight the features you hate about your face
Yup! Takes some work but absolutely!! The negative, you do have to be without them for awhile 😅
You think I have a wheel like that??
Well if you’re an optician I sure hope so. If not best to leave it to the pros.
Can you buff your teeth?
That'd probably break the buffer. 🤣