What are these?

[A K]

I think I got these with a buffer.

What are they used for ?

Thanks, Andy

[Dean Hoffman]

How big? Plastic? Steel?

[Ralph Mowery]

What kind of buffer ? If like the ones that are similar to small grinding wheels or maybe a hand held one for cars, they are buffing compound or rouge. You put that on the pads and it turnes them into a very fine sandpaper. I do mean very fine, more of a polishing type.

There are different grades of them.

[A K]

Could I use them to polish out old plastic headlight lenses?

Andy

[dpb]

...

Buffing and polishing. See

The Black is emery, pretty coarse.

White is polishing, very fine cutting action..sometimes called "blizzard" compound.

The red is jewleler's rouge, a polishing-only compound -- virtually no actual cutting action. Never put any other compound on a wheel used for rouge...

--

[A K]

Thanks for the great info.

I used the red rouge on my slightly faded headlight.

It definitely made an improvement.

I followed by a coat of Nano wax.

Andy

[Thomas]

Follow with bug spray and new york times page

[micky]

I thought it said butter. This makes more sense.

You put that on the pads and it turnes them into a

[Clare Snyder]

For "loading" your buffer wheel - they are abrasives - or "Rouge" - or "buffing compound"

[rbowman]

I'd call them rouge sticks but black rouge just ain't right...

[Xeno]

You can get a paste like compound that is much more suitable for that task. Much less risk of damage to the headlight lens as well. They are in headlight cleaning kits like these;

I use the Turtle Wax brand because I buy my cars new and use it more as a preventative. After a fews years in this sunny high UV climate, my headlights began to get a slight discolouring. I use the cleaner to bring the lens back to an as new state and keep them from yellowing. Depending on the yellowing, you may need to look at a complete kit with cleaning cloths, polishers and preventative wax.

[Xeno]

When I was an apprentice, we used to use beeswax on the buffing wheel. It brought a beautiful finish to alloy parts.