Plastics cleaner

Finste

Finste

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Steven
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Hi,

An odd request maybe but does anyone know of a plastics cleaner that doesn't produce a rainbow effect when lit with studio flash?

For context, I'm currently shooting a motorcycle with a curved plastic front fairing and when it is lit, there is a rainbow effect in the reflection of the softbox. If you could imagine the camera at six o'clock, the softbox would be at around 1 or 2 o'clock. I'm assuming it is the cleaner I use for the plastic fairing. The fairing is also glossy black which means a reflection is the only way of putting any volume into it. Otherwise it just looks dead.

Regards...
Steve
 
I'd be tempted to just try a multipurpose cleaner, I used Daisy for when I had my OCD days cleaning the car. What marks are you trying to clean?
 
Hi,

Thanks. I'll have a look into that. When the flash fires, the reflection of the softbox is not exactly white and smooth as you would expect in glossy black surfaces. It contains all manner of streaks and rainbow colours.

Regards...
 
Sounds like oils of some description, I'll have a search and see what I can recall using.
 
Sounds like you're picking up Iridescent colours then :)

I know it sounds funny but try some cheap vodka, it has less particulate matter that will show up, that combined with Micro fiber cloths should prevent the problem. My wife's a dentist so she luckily gets in some super dooper cleaning fluids that are used in the theater room etc (works magic on an iMac screen!)
 
There is a plastic polish called Novus which is made in the USA, cloths are also made by the same company.

There a UK distributor of the polish CLICKLY CLICKY ME

Hopefully this may be of use to you
 
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Blimey that does look awful! I've also found that some Window cleaners remove the iridescent colours from surfaces, it's a bit of a tricky one, usually the only cure is some elbow grease and a polishing cloth until you remove all of the surface matter etc :)
 
It does look awful doesn't it. Without the flash though, the bike looks beautiful. Very glossy. :)

I shall have a look for the Novus polish and see if that helps otherwise I guess it really is just down to elbow grease. From other investigations on the web it appears that any cleaner that advertises a glossy shine might have an oil based ingredient that causes the shine but also causes the streaking as shown.

Thanks to all who replied.

Regards...
 
I use Novus 1 on my motorbike helmet visor, I also use it on my laptop, iPad & tv as it's a great dust repeller also
 
Coming from a car detailing back ground first point of call would be a 50-50 ipa mix with water. what is used for wiping down before applying ceramic coatings as you need to make sure that there are no oils present, expensive option would be carpro eraser
 
Just in case someone comes back to this thread in the future. I got the Novus cleaner and tried that. Its pretty spectacular stuff to be honest. The black plastic came up like a mirror. The rainbow effect is all gone now and I'm just left with the ripples in the fabric of the softbox. Those can easily be fixed with an iron I guess. Here is what it looks like now.


View attachment 1031

Again thanks to all who replied.

Regards...
 
Great stuff and im glad it work, (This may be the part where I tell you I work for said company ;))

I use the stuff myself, its great for a lot of stuff.
 
skd said:
Great stuff and im glad it work, (This may be the part where I tell you I work for said company ;))

I use the stuff myself, its great for a lot of stuff.
Click to expand...

Ah... I see. No worries. It is good stuff and I'm glad I know about it now.

Regards...
 
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