Restoring Faded Plastics (Boiled Linseed Oil & Mineral Spirits) 

Wonderful Scott!!! 👍

Good to hear, has it held up good? I have an 02 Sport Trac and about to do the same thing to mine. Just hope it lasts unlike most the products out there.

Mike Bas...good timing!! I just so happened to apply a 2nd coat yesterday. The first was an extremely thin layer applied with a microfiber cloth & it was starting to wear off after 3 months...more so on my front bumper. This time I cut a 3 inch square of sponge & was more liberal in laying it down (make sure you wear some type of rubber gloves). Pretty sure this will last longer & looks great 👍 Sitting on a skateboard, creeper, or something else with low wheels will also help in maneuvering around the lower areas of your vehicle if you have a lot of trim there like I do.

I apply once a year. 👍

I use Boiled Linseed Oil (BLO) on hand and lawn tools as well. I have seen folks rub it on old rusted automotive paint jobs, however, there are better products available.

100% 👍

I used it yesterday as a matter of fact. I would reapply once a year, depending on how much sun exposure it receives

Absolutely. Used it just yesterday on a used seadoo we bought. It made it look brand new!!👍

Thanks for the info!!

It can be used on nearly all plastics to restore its look and lustre. The Linseed oil is really doing the work, but it needs the mineral spirits to 'dry' or 'cure'. Having said that, I've never tried it on a windshield. I'm sure it would make it look nice, however, I really wouldn't be able to tell you what it would do to the transparency of it. I'll have to try a little bit on some plexiglas and see what happens!

Redneck topcoat. I put it on the peeling paint of my older car to hide blemishes and restore shine. Indeed works really well on plastics and is very cost effective.

BLO does not require mineral spirits as a catalyst for anything. In woodworking, we add mineral spirits to thin the oil for pore penetration because BLO is a surface hardening product. Tung oil on the other hand hardens inside the wood surface. For automotive applications (and others), mineral spirits is simply diluting the BLO. The mineral spirits will evaporate leaving the BLO to harden on the surface. There is no penetration into the plastic, so if not wiped down, the result will be a gummy residue (this is a characteristic of BLO).

@@dropndealso I can use the BLO by itself on my atv plastic?

Boiled linseed oil by its self Will sit on top of the plastic and become very sticky if applied to heavy so by adding the mineral sprites it Will help it to dry and not be sticky.

I’ve heard people say that a touch of heat would enhance. I’ve found that it needs to be reapplied after a year. Holds up a lot better than what I imagined tho 👍

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors i saw another video of a guy using 60 spirits to 40% oil... not sure who is doing the calculations... if it looked good for a year before it need touchup that is amazing...even a brand new one left outside would have oxidation... Yes i am thinking heating each section up just below melting point 125-140 degrees than rubbing it on and letting it sit for an hour before removing excess may allow chemicals to absorb into plastic even more.... thax again for sharing your method and results...

Products like Turtle Wax Trim Restore recommend application during full hot sunlight “to maximize durability and shine”. It could be a combination of UV and heat, but I’m leaning towards the heat being in that 120-140 degree range (like my black dodge). Be careful with heat guns as they can far exceed 200+ which will warp the trim.

Yes you can use it on those plastics for sure....in fact those are the best places to use them for that "new" look all over again. Tires are a go as well. It's no more flammable than a thousand other things you have at arms length (ie. hair spray, hand sanitizer etc) so don't worry about that. Dispose of your used rags properly as some claim that they "spontaneously combust" (although I've never heard of this personally plus again, people use there things for rags much, much more flammable ie gas, oil, paint thinner).

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors ok Thanks, i saw a video where after they use there rag, they dip it in water, then they let it dry flattened out on cement. Is that what you do before you throw them out?

Yes, rags should be soaked in water before throwing away. Boiled Linseed Oil, and similar products, generate heat during the curing process, which leads to potential combustion. Typically, rags wadded up and in a pile causes the issue since the heat generates in a confined area. That said, I hang mine over a metal ladder to dry, and have never had an issue.

Daniel Isaac works great I must say. Good luck!!!

Alex Rushton yes I think it would. A friend of mine tried it and said it turned out like new. I asked him to update me on the longevity of it as it would be in the sunlight daily.

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors thanks for that.. I'm trying the boot polish trick tomorrow if it's dry. If that doesn't work I'll try some boiled linseed. I use it on wood and guitars all the time. Never thought to try it on plastic! Tha ks for your time :)

It works just fine abs last about a full season (year). I’ve done mine a couple times since. So easy to apply abs makes it look new no doubt

No. It has to be that mixture in fact. And as specific that it actually has to be boiled linseed oil, as opposed to regular linseed oil.

That combo pretty much is Danish oil (at least the modern version). Danish oil should work fine.

Hmmmm good question but my guess would be yes. Worth a try. Certainly can’t hurt as it actually “replenishes” the plastics.

Usually last me approx a year

Good tip!! Tks!!

I apply it every year

Glad you stumbled upon the video...I’ve never substituted anything other than the ingredients shown in the video though. Good luck 👍

Sorry to resurrect zombie thread. Don't use mineral oil. It will look OK, but won't last. Boiled linseed oil is a hard drying oil so will last longer than mineral oil. Tung oil might also work for the same reason, but boiled linseed oil is readily available and very cost effective.

For wooden utensils, use only a food safe mineral oil. BLO is NOT food safe and should never be used on any food-prep surface.

He did use linseed oil and mineral spirits.Another guy used boiled linseed oil and paint thinner,both seem to have good results

No, actually he is a mechanic but kind of a jack of all trades...very knowledable guy. And he's my neighbour so he's always close!! lol

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors thax i will be trying this on my truck trim for sure and maybe use a heat gun while working it in also... that might produce good results... i may get back into detailing again... i always had issues when restoring faded plastics...thanks again...

No problem. Merry Christmas 👍🎄

@@roadstar499 noooo, do not smoke or use a heat gun. Highly flammable. Also dispose of rags used with linseed oil on cold water, they will combust, don't ever Put those rags in the dryer. Hope that you didn't catch your vehicle on fire.

@@indigogoigorgo7992 after drying of the trim..then also would it catch fire?

I had my atv outside all summer at my cabin and I’d say it lost about 20% of the lustre. Of course a quick touchup/wipe down and it looked new again.

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors nice I'm going to do my yfz thanks

If you add more mineral spirits (thinner) then it speeds up the drying process

Chuck Porter - Everything Outdoors so just let it dry completely.? The finish Shouldn’t be sticky rite.?

Santiago Davila so I let it sit for a couple hours and then buff it off with a rag. It’s not sticky after a day or so then.

Chuck Porter - Everything Outdoors shit.. can you please repeat the steps.? I did just wht your video says, but its been 2 days already in my garage, im in Arizona hot as hell and still fells sticky.!

So I used exactly 50:50 BOILED linseed oil (different from plain linseed oil) plus mineral spirits. The oil component gives it the new, lustrous look, while the mineral spirits help ‘dry’ the solution once its applied. So, in theory, one could just apply only the boiled linseed oil, but it would take forever to dry.....the theory behind it is the more mineral spirits you mix in with it, the faster it will dry. I’ve applied it and just left it for a few days and it’s turned out just fine. Other times, when I was a little impatient, I let it sit on the plastic for a day and then buffed off any excess with a rag, and then it dried/cured quite quickly after that. The more mineral spirits you apply will increase drying time, however, it will also bring the ‘faded’ look back to the plastic much sooner. That’s why it needs to be balanced to give you the desired “new” look, plus dry is a reasonable amount of time.

Fraser Hynes no actually it dries good. That’s actually why the mineral spirits are mixed in-to aid in the “drying” process. From what I’ve read, Overall it actually adds a layer of protection to the plastics thereafter as well.

How does the plastic look now and is it flammable on vehicle

Kieran Boyle I used my quad today and the plastic still looks new (aside from the mud etc). I must say I’m impressed with it so far.

Kieran Boyle I used my quad today and the plastic still looks new (aside from the mud etc). I must say I’m impressed with it so far.

Kieran Boyle I used my quad today and the plastic still looks new (aside from the mud etc). I must say I’m impressed with it so far.

eternal24k I tried it in the spring of this year and my quad was outside a good part of the summer. It still looks good!

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors still looking good?

I just reapplied it last week. Took about 20 mins to do the whole quad. Looks brand new again.

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors so based on time of your replies is lasts more than 6months? That is great

I used this technique on my seadoos this summer and it worked good as well. It lasts a long time unless it is exposed to sunlight every day. Of course that would limit any sort of treatment anyhow.

Penetrol’s ingredients are Boiled Linseed Oil, stoddard solvent, and long oil alkyd resin (resin with greater than 55% oil content). Scientifically, there isn’t a lot of difference between Penetrol versus the OP’s mixture.

Does it still need to be mixed with the mineral oil

Yes you can, and the results will vary depending on how heavily your headlights are oxidized. If yours are really bad, you might buff them first, then apply the boiled linseed oil and mineral spirits

@@ChuckPorterEverythingOutdoors thanks.

Alberto, I've just cleaned up my oxidised headlights with Brasso, it does a terrific job, they're now just about perfectly clear. I hope you can get Brasso or something similar in Mexico. Good luck. Chuck, I'm going to try your method on my car's external B-pillars, which seem to be a hard plastic. I've just ruined the bloody things with methylated spirits by mistake!

Rusty Servis Music excellent tip! Thanks for sharing!👍

@@rustysworldofentertainment850 i will try it with brasso. Muchas gracias.

I’ve only ever used it on wood. Not sure if it works on plastic?

Saw the next door neighbour try it on his old bikes and couldn't believe how it brought things to life. Now, I'm hooked!! lol

Yes... Very flammable. Fine once it dries though.

Joe GF the Linseed oil molecule is tiny. 500,000 per inch I believe. So it penetrates deep. In addition the oil will polymerize. Which means it kinda turns into a plastic. Hope that helps a bit.

Bacon grease doesn't dry. Linseed oil cures and hardens.

Boiled linseed oil is heated to just below flash point. This allows the oil (Flax seed oil, edible) to polymerize like polyurethane or spar, etc. It is non toxic by itself, the mineral spirits helps to thin it and dry quickly. Bacon grease would attract pests and go rancid, gas would ruin any decals and degrade the plastic ( try pouring gas in a plastic cup)

@@SoapAcademy what he said.

Am about to use the mixture again this weekend and will absolutely try that....love the tip...thanks!

Where can you get liquid polyeurathane?

@@frederikmoeller88 Depends on how shiny you want it, but here's some gloss: www.amazon.com/dp/B000FPCKBW

@@frederikmoeller88 any decent hardware place, its basically varnish. would be interesting to see a test on all the combinations.

@@MindbodyMedic hi, thanks for the advice guys! any of you tried this product with the mix? if so, how much i put in? thanks