How to Remove Scratches from Glossy Plastic - Sony PS3 Case Restoration

In this video I experiment with a number of products to remove or minimize the appearance of scratches on a Sony Playstation 3. The PS3 is such a beautiful system but its one heck of a scratch magnet. The test subject for this video is a faulty unit from my junk pile.

🛒 Some of the specialty products you might have seen me use in the video

Interested in more PS3 content? Check out two of my other PS3 restoration videos

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🔧 Toolkit

🖌 Soldering Essentials

🔍 Soldering Add-ons

🔥 Thermal Compounds

🎵 Music
"Fabled - Written Imagination (Sam Pearson)" is under a Creative Commons license (CC BY 3.0)

[BorderlineOCD]

Hello friends. I didn't think this brain-fart of a project would be one of my most popular videos, or that I would still be responding to comments on it more than a year later. I appreciate all of you that discovered my channel through this video and hope you're finding my more recent content engaging. This was literally my first attempt at detailing anything and my primary content remains more on the electronics side of console repairs, rather than cosmetic restorations. Thank you for all the comments and suggestions, I hope to put them to use on a future restoration and improve on the results I achieved here. YouTube is a quirky business. I probably put the least amount of effort into this project compared to my average repair which can sometimes take me a couple of weeks to wrap up and publish. I still scratch my head at how an hour of dicking around in the garage messing with scratches on a PS3 lid got this much attention 🤷‍♂ Nonetheless, thank you for dropping by and be sure to check out my more recent content if you're interested in console repair work. Cheers.

[CapitanAP]

Actually, the dremel paste was the most effective. The trick is when you polish something – you almost never do it with only one compound. That red compound you've got is apparently pretty coarse. After using it you should use finer compounds, and step by step you will achieve mirror gloss result

[CKCD]

From a car detailing perspective, I'd use less of the products, it seemed a bit much on a small area like this. I think that way you'd have to do less passes to have the same great result as you had at the end.

[MrFastFox]

From a car detailing perspective, here's some things I'd try.

1. Use a heavier cutting compound first to remove deep scratches. For really deep ones, you may need to start with some 1500 grit wet sanding.

2. Use less product. For a surface that size, I'd try one or two quarter-size dollops of product, and work it in a little longer.

3. Use a foam polishing pad. There's inexpensive ones that attach to your drill. They're much easier to use and will likely provide better results.

4. Do a final pass with a clean, wet foam pad. This will give the plastic a deeper black gloss. You can sew in the last part of your video when the light hits the plastic it makes it look a little milky or hazy, this step will get rid of that.

[mkdubster]

The Ps3 "fat" for me was the best design styled Ps system. Nice work on the restore.

[ThickpropheT]

You may actually be able to use the dremel compound's microscratches to your advantage. The fact that it's introducing microscratches means it's more abrasive than the other compounds. A common technique for removing scratches is to buff them out in stages by buffing with finer and finer abrasives. Given that the dremel compound's microscratches are relatively easy to buff out, you may be able to use it to get rid of some of the really deep scratches and scuffs, then come back through with another polish and buff out the microscratches.

[glbernini]

The microscratches you mention are actually a good thing! You are leveling off the surface area, you can even just use sandpaper, 1000 or so, on the glue & remove it. Then compound & polish for a perfect finish. Bigger wheel will give you much better results, but ya gotta work with what ya got!

[dacasman]

The Dremel compound is specifically polishing compound. Which means leveling all the scratches into one consistent matte finish.
The Nu Finish And Plastix are both buffing compounds for removing very fine micro scratches and creating a mirror finish.
So ideally you should polish first, then buff. You can actually see the top right corner is the shiniest at the end for that exact reason.
Side note: You're using way too much product. You want to let the wheel do the work, not the product. You don't want the wheel to be saturated in product because you actually need heat for the best results.

[azharfahry_]

As a detailer hobbyist, try to use the foam polishing pad one after buffing with the cloth/cotton. Because the cloth/cotton pad could still leave some small scratch on the surface. Its good for buffing the deep scratches, but still leave some marks. Good video. I might try to do this to my PS3 too.

[cptairwolf]

A few tips to get better results next time.

1) use varying strength of compounds and work your way from high to small grit with each pass. This will ensure even deeper scratches are removed.

2) apply thin even layers of compound (you're putting way too much on there). Having too much compound actually makes the work harder.

3) ditch the Dremel and use a proper orbital buffer to randomize the orbits. Removes any possibility of retaining swirls in the finishes product but also ensure uniform removal of substrate.

4) use a super fine polish after the last pass for a mirror finish.

[elijahwolter]

Wow man I don’t think I have ever seen a PS3 with that shiny of a finish. You polished it to a mirror finish, it looks great!

[kiwikid]

Novus 1, 2, 3 works the best. It's the epitome of scratch removal/polishing in the acrylic industry.

[markellul]

Usually best results are achieved by applying 3 levels of grit polishes, start with a rough like a metal polish to cut down the deep scratches even if it introduces micro scrathes, next would be soemthing like plastx which will deal with shallower scratches and the new micro scratches, and finally a fine product like a body wax such as turtle wax to finish and bring out the shine. Obviously change polishing wheel between grits…

[callisvitor]

I don’t even had a PS3 and I don’t watch restoration videos, but I’m here watching this at 3am

[MrVolksbeetle]

That red polishing compound is usually step 1, followed up by the finer white compound. I haven't tried it on this specific type of plastic, but a headlight 'restorer' kit might be a good option. Otherwise, I might have tried wet sanding it with 1500 or 2000 then stepping up to 5000 before a final polish with a super fine cut compound.
I would like to applaud the results you accomplished, at least a 100% better than the mess of scratches it was.
I just thought of another way to 'restore' this particular console if you don't have the required amount of elbow grease: vinyl wrap. There are several brands that have finishes similar to the piano black Sony was obsessed with using during this era... Looking at you PSP, lol.

[MegaManX]

Holy wow man all that polish you poured on is absurd! I think people have told you though so I won't egg you on. It just hurt coming from a detailer to see that much polish on such a small surface area

[garthstrange]

Awesome! I love how you go straight to the point! The way you sectioned off the surface and compared all 4 products in real time on the same object is what all YouTubers need to take note of!

[kevinkite]

It looks amazing! I don't have this model of PS3 but I would love to try it on my Wii U, since it also has a lot of micro scratches like these.

[thegreatjonzini]

I have a PS3 test console that really could do with this treatment. Great video as always 👍

[brandonnel]

Gamestop's console refurbishers: *Sees the Dremel No. 421 Compound leaving noticable scratch marks*

"I'll take your entire stock."