Top tips and products for polishing plastic

plastic polishing

Plastic Polishing 

Polishing plastic might seem an easy job but actually there is a lot of skill required for this particular material. Plastic can scratch very easily and gain blemishes far faster than glass, so it’s no wonder that we are regularly asked how to polish, buff and sand plastic to get it looking smart and blemish free. In this article we will detail the best polishing plastics compound, the best tools and equipment to use when polishing plastic, and the variety of kits we have ready made for you to use. 

The industries

The main industries that we sell to that are heavily reliant on polishing plastic are aerospace, windows (especially acrylic windows), aquariums, 3d printing and additive manufacturing, and of course the automotive industry. 

Heat is your enemy

The main issue when working with plastic is heat. You cannot get your part too hot as it will melt or it will discolour.  Ideally you would work at half the normal speed you would when polishing metal. In order to do so you should use a polisher with variable speed. This allows for much more control and will ensure that when you are polishing you can keep the speed low. Dependent on whether you are engaging in precision work or larger scale work, we would recommend using either an Eneska Micromotor or a variable speed bench polisher, such as the ones below: 

Bench Polishers & Grinders

Universal Bench Polisher BM39B

£579.28 incl VAT

Plastic Polishing Kit

We sell a plastic and resin polishing kit this is very easy to use with a standard drill and will simplify polishing plastic for one-off jobs.

All you need to do is insert the taper that comes in the kit into a drill chuck and tighten. Start with the white stitched mop if you have scratches to remove (it is best to remove the worst with wet and dry before starting). Spin it against the brown compound to load up the mop. Work over the surface ensuring you keep moving. If you dwell on one spot, heat will build up which will melt plastic and resin.

Move on to either the G then the WDR mop. Load the mops with the buff polishing compound, and once again keep moving to keep heat from developing.

£25.56 incl VAT

Micromesh kits  

Micromesh is famous for polishing and cleaning aircraft windows and transparencies,  but even if you don’t own an aeroplane, you can use it for polishing acrylic, fibreglass and plastics.  What makes Micromesh perfect for fine finishing is that it’s more flexible than sandpaper. Micromesh is a cushioned abrasive – so it’s easier to get into small and irregular surfaces, meaning the chance of scratching is reduced, which is ideal when plastic polishing. 

We sell ready made plastic polishing kits. Ideal for polishing acrylic and all types of plastic. Micromesh have a number of different types of polishing plastic kits. Below is detailed a kit of hobbyists polishing up plastics and resin. Designed to be used on small areas, it’s perfect for model making and other small plastic projects. Also a kit for hand polishing acrylics  – this is used mainly by the aerospace industry. 

Plastic Polishing compounds 

Generally polishing creates a build up of heat and can start to damage what you are trying to polish and that is why using the correct compound when polishing plastic is crucial. 

We recommend using a cutting compound first called Apollo this will cut back any marks or scratches followed buy Menzerna wax 16 which is a specially designed compound for synthetic materials. If you use wet and dry to refine the surface first then polish with the wax 16.

£5.38£13.88 incl VAT
£2.34£16.49 incl VAT

The mops and wheels to use

Airflow MopsLoosefold MopsFelt Flap Wheels are just some of the carriers we would recommend for use on synthetic materials to keep the running cool.

Airflow mops allow air circulation into the mop giving a natural cooling effect – They are designed for use on Plastic (including resin) and other temperature sensitive materials. Perfect for Plastic and Veneer polishing. The Flaps in the Cloth Wheel cools the polishing surface cool and reduces heat caused by friction. So there is less danger of melting the component. 

Airflow Polishing Mops

Airflow Mops for polishing plastics

£28.51£81.13 incl VAT

Mounted Felt Wheels

Mounted Felt Flapwheels

£9.22£26.62 incl VAT

Ask the experts 

If you have had a look through this article but want a bit more advice or have a specific challenge. Take a look at our your tube channel where we have various videos demonstrating how to use these products. Or give us a call to discuss your plastic polishing challenges. 


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