Title: v56b Light cover (plastic)
Post by: on November 17, 2006, 09:31:43 am
Hi Everyone,I am in the begining of restoring a v56b square top, and would like to know of a safe method of polishing the plastic cover plate for the light,I do not want to replace it because it has PEPSI in letters on the protected side.Any ideas ?? 
Title: v56b Light cover (plastic)
Post by: johnieG on November 17, 2006, 11:40:51 am
The 3-D Pepsi sign should only have the lettters that spell "PEPSI" on the inside (it's called reverse lettering) & you can polish the outside of the sign (sign face) with any plastic polish like Meguires available at auto supply shops like Murrays, Autozone,Pep-boy's etc.
in extreme cases of scratches, you can use a wet&dry sandpaper starting with say 400 grit & progressing to 600, 800, 1000. then finishing up at 2000 grit & then polishing the face (note always use a spray-bottle of water to keep the plasic wet when sanding) I'd suggest removing the sign from the machine & taking the face out of the frame & laying it flat on a towel to prevent damage to the lettering or cracking it.
note do NOT apply any plastic cleaners or polishes to the inside Pepsi "cap" or the letters themselfs, as this will remove the paint! a light cleaning with a clean soft rag & windex is all that is needed & don't rub the paint surfaces hard as if they are dry with age, they may flake.
hope this helps you out...
in extreme cases of scratches, you can use a wet&dry sandpaper starting with say 400 grit & progressing to 600, 800, 1000. then finishing up at 2000 grit & then polishing the face (note always use a spray-bottle of water to keep the plasic wet when sanding) I'd suggest removing the sign from the machine & taking the face out of the frame & laying it flat on a towel to prevent damage to the lettering or cracking it.
note do NOT apply any plastic cleaners or polishes to the inside Pepsi "cap" or the letters themselfs, as this will remove the paint! a light cleaning with a clean soft rag & windex is all that is needed & don't rub the paint surfaces hard as if they are dry with age, they may flake.
hope this helps you out...
Title: v56b Light cover (plastic)
Post by: on November 17, 2006, 06:47:23 pm
Woo Hoo..Great advice!! Just what I needed..Thanks johnieG, also I was wondering about the side Pepsi logo and the stripes,I think they are painted on as I can not for the life of me find replacement decals, any suggestions what I can use and still stay with the stock machine? I am painting all of the machine,out side and inside. I have a few items being chrome plated right now.
Title: v56b Light cover (plastic)
Post by: Jim on November 17, 2006, 09:03:46 pm
Vinyl lettering may be a good choice for the side logo and stripes.
Trace the logo w/ the text, locate a font that is same, this could be time consuming and look for a reasonable sign shop to reproduce the logo and stripes. I would attempt to match the colors as well...
Trace the logo w/ the text, locate a font that is same, this could be time consuming and look for a reasonable sign shop to reproduce the logo and stripes. I would attempt to match the colors as well...
Title: v56b Light cover (plastic)
Post by: dr galaga on November 17, 2006, 09:21:53 pm
(Jim @ Nov. 17 2006,9:03)
QUOTE
look for a reasonable sign shop to reproduce the logo and stripes.
Also, you can look for a vinyl lettering shop (that makes signs for cars and trucks). I had one down the road from me make a sign for a machine that I used to have.