Any Way To Remove Small Scratches in Windshield?
Thread Starter
Senior Member
Joined: Feb 2011
Posts: 277
Likes: 0
From: Maryland
2008 E63AMGP30
Any Way To Remove Small Scratches in Windshield?
I have some very small rock nicks in my windshield, and while they are very tiny they get a little annoying. Is there any way to buff these out using rubbing compound? They aren't very big, just big enough to be visually annoying. But I don't wan't to do anything that is going to make them look worse.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 880
Likes: 4
From: Ponte Vedra Beach FL/ Hampstead, London, England
'84 380 SL/ '02 XK8
Glass Polishing
Modern automotive windshields hardness is 6/10 on the Moh’s harness scale and contains a thin plastic sheet between two layers of glass (interior and exterior). Glass is very hard and t he polishing process for the correction of scratches requires pressure, which combined with kinetic energy produces heat, if the glass surface becomes too hot the plastic sheeting can warp leading to distortion. When polishing glass use capacious amounts of water and periodically check the surface temperature
Once the glass surface has been washed and cleaned (detailers clay) any minor imperfections can be removed with an abrasive glass polish (Autoglym Car Class Polish or Zaino Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish) Removes "light" scratches, acid water spots, bird and bug stains, including alkaline mineral deposits, and then smoothes out etched glass
If you can catch your fingernail in the scratch 0.4 Mil (10µ) deep, you should consult a professional glass repair / replacement company.
Methodology
• Clean glass to remove dirt, dust or road grime from surfaces
• Use masking tape to protect windscreen rubber sealing
• Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (WooliteTM / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface (Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
• Apply a quarter (coin) size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ or Iz einzette Glas Polish to a damp cutting / polishing foam pad (LC Orange or White) attached to a Porter Cable rotary polisher set at speed 1200 rpm.
• Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
• Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
• Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.
• Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Micro fibre cloth.
• Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
• If the glass has PPG Industries Optech clear coating a more aggressive polish may be required
Alternative products / methods:
a) Apply Zaino Z-12 with a damp cotton cloth to cool glass, apply to small sections at a time and allow to completely dry, buffing with a clean dry cotton towel. If there is any smearing or residue left just use Stoner’s Invisible Glass or any good quality glass cleaner to remove excess residue.
b) Glass Technology Inc - http://www.gtglass.com/scratchremoval.htm
Alternative pads- these 4-inch ‘Metal Polishing Pads’ are made from 600 grit nylon (Scotchbrite®) and are designed for hard / rough surfaces like aluminium diamond plate, pitted aluminium, chrome, and glass. TOL
{Knowledge Management} - Treating experience as a shared asset. If this article was informative and you learned something new, or have any questions feel free to comment. We would love if you shared this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or linked to it from your website or blog. Thanks
Modern automotive windshields hardness is 6/10 on the Moh’s harness scale and contains a thin plastic sheet between two layers of glass (interior and exterior). Glass is very hard and t he polishing process for the correction of scratches requires pressure, which combined with kinetic energy produces heat, if the glass surface becomes too hot the plastic sheeting can warp leading to distortion. When polishing glass use capacious amounts of water and periodically check the surface temperature
Once the glass surface has been washed and cleaned (detailers clay) any minor imperfections can be removed with an abrasive glass polish (Autoglym Car Class Polish or Zaino Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish) Removes "light" scratches, acid water spots, bird and bug stains, including alkaline mineral deposits, and then smoothes out etched glass
If you can catch your fingernail in the scratch 0.4 Mil (10µ) deep, you should consult a professional glass repair / replacement company.
Methodology
• Clean glass to remove dirt, dust or road grime from surfaces
• Use masking tape to protect windscreen rubber sealing
• Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (WooliteTM / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface (Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
• Apply a quarter (coin) size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ or Iz einzette Glas Polish to a damp cutting / polishing foam pad (LC Orange or White) attached to a Porter Cable rotary polisher set at speed 1200 rpm.
• Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
• Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
• Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.
• Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Micro fibre cloth.
• Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
• If the glass has PPG Industries Optech clear coating a more aggressive polish may be required
Alternative products / methods:
a) Apply Zaino Z-12 with a damp cotton cloth to cool glass, apply to small sections at a time and allow to completely dry, buffing with a clean dry cotton towel. If there is any smearing or residue left just use Stoner’s Invisible Glass or any good quality glass cleaner to remove excess residue.
b) Glass Technology Inc - http://www.gtglass.com/scratchremoval.htm
Alternative pads- these 4-inch ‘Metal Polishing Pads’ are made from 600 grit nylon (Scotchbrite®) and are designed for hard / rough surfaces like aluminium diamond plate, pitted aluminium, chrome, and glass. TOL
{Knowledge Management} - Treating experience as a shared asset. If this article was informative and you learned something new, or have any questions feel free to comment. We would love if you shared this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or linked to it from your website or blog. Thanks
Junior Member
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 71
Likes: 1
From: Chester Springs, PA, USA
Mercedes Benz C300 Sport 4Matic
Glass Polishing
Modern automotive windshields hardness is 6/10 on the Moh’s harness scale and contains a thin plastic sheet between two layers of glass (interior and exterior). Glass is very hard and t he polishing process for the correction of scratches requires pressure, which combined with kinetic energy produces heat, if the glass surface becomes too hot the plastic sheeting can warp leading to distortion. When polishing glass use capacious amounts of water and periodically check the surface temperature
Once the glass surface has been washed and cleaned (detailers clay) any minor imperfections can be removed with an abrasive glass polish (Autoglym Car Class Polish or Zaino Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish) Removes "light" scratches, acid water spots, bird and bug stains, including alkaline mineral deposits, and then smoothes out etched glass
If you can catch your fingernail in the scratch 0.4 Mil (10µ) deep, you should consult a professional glass repair / replacement company.
Methodology
• Clean glass to remove dirt, dust or road grime from surfaces
• Use masking tape to protect windscreen rubber sealing
• Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (WooliteTM / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface (Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
• Apply a quarter (coin) size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ or Iz einzette Glas Polish to a damp cutting / polishing foam pad (LC Orange or White) attached to a Porter Cable rotary polisher set at speed 1200 rpm.
• Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
• Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
• Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.
• Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Micro fibre cloth.
• Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
• If the glass has PPG Industries Optech clear coating a more aggressive polish may be required
Alternative products / methods:
a) Apply Zaino Z-12 with a damp cotton cloth to cool glass, apply to small sections at a time and allow to completely dry, buffing with a clean dry cotton towel. If there is any smearing or residue left just use Stoner’s Invisible Glass or any good quality glass cleaner to remove excess residue.
b) Glass Technology Inc - http://www.gtglass.com/scratchremoval.htm
Alternative pads- these 4-inch ‘Metal Polishing Pads’ are made from 600 grit nylon (Scotchbrite®) and are designed for hard / rough surfaces like aluminium diamond plate, pitted aluminium, chrome, and glass. TOL
{Knowledge Management} - Treating experience as a shared asset. If this article was informative and you learned something new, or have any questions feel free to comment. We would love if you shared this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or linked to it from your website or blog. Thanks
Modern automotive windshields hardness is 6/10 on the Moh’s harness scale and contains a thin plastic sheet between two layers of glass (interior and exterior). Glass is very hard and t he polishing process for the correction of scratches requires pressure, which combined with kinetic energy produces heat, if the glass surface becomes too hot the plastic sheeting can warp leading to distortion. When polishing glass use capacious amounts of water and periodically check the surface temperature
Once the glass surface has been washed and cleaned (detailers clay) any minor imperfections can be removed with an abrasive glass polish (Autoglym Car Class Polish or Zaino Z-12 Clear-View Glass Polish) Removes "light" scratches, acid water spots, bird and bug stains, including alkaline mineral deposits, and then smoothes out etched glass
If you can catch your fingernail in the scratch 0.4 Mil (10µ) deep, you should consult a professional glass repair / replacement company.
Methodology
• Clean glass to remove dirt, dust or road grime from surfaces
• Use masking tape to protect windscreen rubber sealing
• Apply clay (Magic Clay®) and lubricant solution (WooliteTM / Water 5:1) onto the glass surface (Do not apply to plastic as dulling may occur.)
• Apply a quarter (coin) size amount of Autoglym Car Glass Polish™ or Iz einzette Glas Polish to a damp cutting / polishing foam pad (LC Orange or White) attached to a Porter Cable rotary polisher set at speed 1200 rpm.
• Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
• Apply to half of the windshield, polishing first in an up and down motion then in a left-to-right motion and then repeat on the other side, proceed to other glass surfaces.
• Go over the glass several times in each direction, glass will polish virtually residue free.
• Wipe off any residue, and polish with a clean dry 100% cotton Micro fibre cloth.
• Inspect glass for clarity and smoothness. Repeat if necessary.
• If the glass has PPG Industries Optech clear coating a more aggressive polish may be required
Alternative products / methods:
a) Apply Zaino Z-12 with a damp cotton cloth to cool glass, apply to small sections at a time and allow to completely dry, buffing with a clean dry cotton towel. If there is any smearing or residue left just use Stoner’s Invisible Glass or any good quality glass cleaner to remove excess residue.
b) Glass Technology Inc - http://www.gtglass.com/scratchremoval.htm
Alternative pads- these 4-inch ‘Metal Polishing Pads’ are made from 600 grit nylon (Scotchbrite®) and are designed for hard / rough surfaces like aluminium diamond plate, pitted aluminium, chrome, and glass. TOL
{Knowledge Management} - Treating experience as a shared asset. If this article was informative and you learned something new, or have any questions feel free to comment. We would love if you shared this article with your friends on Facebook and Twitter or linked to it from your website or blog. Thanks
THANK YOU !!
- i have tried many thing and it look worst with more scratches.
Super Member
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 880
Likes: 4
From: Ponte Vedra Beach FL/ Hampstead, London, England
'84 380 SL/ '02 XK8
A new product I've had success with is CarPro CeriGlass. Apply a quarter (coin) size amounts of the polish and an LC Glass polishing pad, which is made of dense polyurethane foam with very small cells. The pad’s density enables it to keep the glass polish on the surface, rather than soaking into the foam. You’ll use less polish to get the job done, despite its density, the pad still has plenty of flexibility to conform to the curvature of the glass, speed #4 on a PC random orbital polisher
Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
Heat caused by abrasive polishing can soften and damage glass; foam pad and product used must minimize heat build-up. Since glass is a poor heat conductor any friction heat built up from polishing must be kept to a minimum by using sufficient product and regular misting of both the polishing pad and glass surface with water.
