Flitz

[Lonegle57]

Have used Flitz for years to clean up nickle guns and my custom knives as well. Just thought I would share a new use for me. I drive an 8 year old truck and the plastic headlight covers were beginning to fade. Rubbed them down with Flitz and then a soft cloth and they now look brand new. Much easier than some of the kits I have looked at to renew headlights.

 

[DWalt]

That's something to try. I also have not had a great deal of success with the kits sold for that purpose. Last time I did that, I used 0000 steel wool followed by Johnson's paste wax. Results were fairly good (was getting the car ready to sell, or I wouldn't have bothered).

 

[gmborkovic]

Hey 57, good tip. Im trying that this wknd. Mike 2796

 

[chief38]

Flitz is an amazing product and for my money it blows away the Simichrome! I still can't figure out why guys rave about the Simi because every time I've tried it I almost always have given up and switched to using the Flitz. YMMV

 

[S&W SS Revolvers]

Where does one acquire Flitz? Real good hardware store perhaps?

 

[Frank46]

Try a motorcycle shop. Or look in the midwayusa.com website. Frank

 

[CajunBass]

My gun shop sells it in the gun cleaning section.

 

[regalsc]

I use liquid flitz that I buy at my local hardware store. Its all I have ever used so I can't compare it to semichrome or mothers mag polish.

 

[muddocktor]

Thanks for the tip on Flitz, Lonegle57! I will try it out on my car as they are getting pretty nasty looking.

S&W SS Revolvers, I bought my bottle of Flitz off of Amazon about 2 weeks ago.

 

[DWalt]

See eBay

Flitz | eBay

 

[tndrfttom]

I've used Flitz to rub out the 'fog' on the plastic lamp covers on my 2006 truck. For me the treatment only lasted about 6-8 months and they turned cloudy again. Still, its less expensive than replacing the plastic lamp cover assembly.

 

[J. R. WEEMS]

Where does one acquire Flitz? Real good hardware store perhaps?

Some years back I bought a Quart can at a gun show-- keep a spoon full in an little plastic container, was UNUSED, that is used for urine samples- have a bunch of these that were left over from drug tests when my daughter worked for urgent care-- the kits came with 2 or 3 and they threw the extra ones away-- she gave me a couple bags full and they have a bunch of uses.

 

[M294Ever]

Some years back I bought a Quart can at a gun show-- keep a spoon full in an little plastic container, was UNUSED, that is used for urine samples- have a bunch of these that were left over from drug tests when my daughter worked for urgent care-- the kits came with 2 or 3 and they threw the extra ones away-- she gave me a couple bags full and they have a bunch of uses.

Next time you go to the Doctor for your physical, throw them a curve ball and bring in your own "urine sample" of flitz and water, and then post up here what the doctors results phone call the next day back to you goes like!

 

[muddocktor]

Instead of Flitz, I tried out Simichrome since I had bought both to try out on my nickel pistols. The Simichrome worked real well on my headlights on my car; brought them back to nearly new looking. So it looks like either will do a good job on the plastic headlights.

Now I need to put a good coat of wax on the cleaned headlights. Maybe they will keep from clouding up with a good wax job.

 

[DWalt]

As I said earlier, JPW on the clear plastic made it look much better after polishing. How long the wax lasted, I don't know, as I sold the car shortly afterward.

 

[kraynky]

Great tip! I used one of the Headlight Restore kits on a Jeep before I sold it a couple of years ago. It had 2-3 grits of super fine sandpaper and then a polish for the finish coat, and it coast about $20 bucks. I've got a huge tube of Flitz and some of the liquid Flitz, even have some Brasso. I'm going to try t on my 2003 F-150, that lives outside in the sun. I'll let you know how it works out. Thanks!

 

[primetime]

I made the mistake of trying to polish an older blued revolver with Flitz and it promptly removed about 20%of the finish. Has anyone else had this issue? Or was I hoodwinked and someone had put some kind of "cover blue" on this old Smith?

 

[GunarSailors]

I made the mistake of trying to polish an older blued revolver with Flitz and it promptly removed about 20%of the finish. Has anyone else had this issue? Or was I hoodwinked and someone had put some kind of "cover blue" on this old Smith?

Thank you for reconfirming for me why I have never used Flitz on any blued finishes. I have been tempted before but never did.

 

[Doubless]

I made the mistake of trying to polish an older blued revolver with Flitz and it promptly removed about 20%of the finish. Has anyone else had this issue? Or was I hoodwinked and someone had put some kind of "cover blue" on this old Smith?

I don't know what happened in your instance, but I have used Flitz on blued guns for years with no adverse effects. But I will admit I have been gentle with it, only using it to remove that old factory finish. The results are amazing: the most gorgeous Colt-looking blue you will ever see, especially on one of those old Carbonara blued "S" series revolvers!

 

[CajunBass]

I made the mistake of trying to polish an older blued revolver with Flitz and it promptly removed about 20%of the finish. Has anyone else had this issue? Or was I hoodwinked and someone had put some kind of "cover blue" on this old Smith?

I'd be willing to bet that someone put something on it. I bought a Colt Trooper once that looked like it had blotchy fingerprints all over it. I took it home and used Flitz on it and some ugly black gook just peeled off it. Under that was a worn, but still nice looking blue. I'm guessing it had been cold blued at some point.

On the other hand I use it on almost all my revolvers and have never seen any indication that it takes off the blue. You're trying to polish something, not sandpaper it. Work gently. By hand.

I have this Model 19 I bought a year or so ago. It was ROUGH when I got it.



I Flitzed it a few times, then waxed it with Meguir's car wax, and it looks like this now.



Did it take off some of the blueing? Maybe, but it took off a lot of "gunk" too and the gun looks 100% better. The edges where the blue was worn down to bare metal are blended and smoothed out. There was a lot of fine, almost microscopic rust on it apparently. All that is gone and the finish is smooth to the touch.

I bought this Model 58 a few weeks ago.



Doesn't look bad, but I lightly Flitzed it, waxed it, and changed the grips.



I freely admit the light is different, but I can see no damage to the finish. I'm sure if you buff hard enough, you can do damage, but just work gently.