The single most important factor is dustcover restoration is patience….. a whole lot of patience.
I have been using the Micro-Surface kit with excellent results on my Beogram 4000, 4002, and 8000.
Then I ran into trouble while working on my Beogram 4004. I had wet-sanded for an entire day with the coarsest of the sandpaper provided by the kit, 2400 grit. Somehow, I just couldn’t quite get the deeper scratches out.
So I decided to go to 600 grit, (Not included in the kit) which pretty much did the trick, however by that time I was growing weary of the project and would have been well advised to put it aside for a bit. I didn’t.
The secret to a flawless restoration, especially with the coarser grits is to change the sanding direction. When you change from vertical to horizontal and all the vertical scratches disappear, leaving only horizontal scratches then it is time to move to a finer grade of sandpaper.
Once the grit is relatively fine, say 4000 you can really begin to see what scratches you have left….. and I had plenty.
The other “secret” to an outstanding result is finishing with an orbital polisher. I use the Griot’s polisher, which I swear by with its variable speeds and Velcro attaching pads. This polisher is completely safe to use on Plexiglas as it does not rotate at a super-fast speed which creates too much heat and could burn the Plexiglas.
I first polish the dustcover until it is smooth as glass and then apply a coat of automotive wax for the finishing touch.
Since my impatience left an unacceptable amount of 600 grit scratches, I used the Griot’s polisher to correct this problem. It would have been much better to have done the job right in the first place, but the polisher did an amazing job.
However, there is one more caution which I unfortunately did not apply: avoid using too much pressure on the back of the dustcover as it is completely unsupported and will flex. The front is supported by the three side pieces and thus is of minor concern.
But the back of the dustcover in the middle requires a gentle touch. Over the course of three days of polishing I evidently applied too much pressure and caused stress marks to appear at the back of the dustcover. These are not cracks, but lines within the Plexiglas.
So the choice is either place something under the back of the dustcover for support, or simply do not press too hard. In any case, just take your time and you will be rewarded with an outstanding result.
Jeff